By Rasak ‘Sadam’ Arogundade
Sequel to the long epistle released by the pretentious and failed self-determination activist, ‘Comrade’ Gani Adams, in which he tried to diminish the person of the president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu with casuistry and sophistry we beg to defer without sentiments and bias.
We must first state that Nigeria is indeed not in a position where the citizens are happy and cheering; but that did not just happen overnight. Where Nigeria is today, is the result of several years of mis-management of the economy by successive governments, beginning from the time of Alhaji Shehu Shagari and especially more so during the military era between 1984 and 1999 when governmental and executive lawlessness was made a norm; a tradition which still carries on today. The only exception that can be made is for the short-lived Yar’adua administration. And that too was eventually tarnished by his running mate and successor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. So, to put the blame of the maladministration of several years on one person is indeed, very unjust and unfair.
It is no secret that the federal government has for many years been running the country on both local and foreign borrowings. It is also no secret that the administration of Gen. Muhammad Buhari with whom Gani made a comparison with Asiwaju Tinubu had been using most of its annual budgets to finance the servicing of debts as it is still done today. As far back as the tenure of President Jonathan, the federal government had been taking loans to pay civil servants’ wage and salaries.
The truth about Gani Adams and his letter to Tinubu is that Gani is an opportunistic buccaneer and mercenary whose only goal is self-aggrandizement. Those who are close enough to him or who have had reason to transact business with him will know and can confirm this. He is a con-man devoid of principles, and is always looking for ways to feather his nest. The way he tried to run down Comrade Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Igboho is another instance of his Machiavellism.
When the same President Jonathan during the run up to the 2015 general election was profligately doling out cash to every Tom, Dick and Harry in order to curry electoral favour, the speck in Gani’s eyes prevented him from seeing and warning against the reckless and wasteful act. Obviously, he couldn’t have seen it as being bad. Besides Gani being unlettered and therefore ignorant of the consequence of that ill-advised action, he was also a major beneficiary of the extravagant largesse doled out by the former president. Jonathan almost unilaterally squandered the foreign reserves built up by President Obasanjo and his finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Let us therefore remind Gani that our commonwealth doled out by Jonathan contributed in no small measure to the economic quagmire Nigeria finds itself today, just as those of other heads of states before and after him. Let us also remind him that the Jonathan ‘windfall’ which made him unleash violence on Lagos and its inhabitants all in the name of pleasing his then paymaster also contributed to the economic situation Nigeria is presently confronted with.
And in case he has so quickly forgotten, we warned him against being blinded by the easy money and as a consequence, unleashing violence on the same people he willingly and voluntarily declared to protect against all forms of aggression. Our warnings fell on ears that had been made deaf by the free booty, and as it was with Dr. Frederick Fasehun, the OPC splintered again, as those of us, conscientious objectors, voted to remove him as the leader of the OPC. And like his predecessor, he continues to lay claim to an organization that is today a mere façade for his ego-tripping, and a vehicle without an engine, as we had taken the sail away with us when we ditched him.
The truth is that Gani is a mere mercenary whose only concern is how to make money to keep a life of pretention and affluence at the expense of anybody whatsoever. It is no secret that Gani is a sworn enemy of Asiwaju Tinubu. This has been so since Tinubu discovered Gani to be a buccaneer and distanced himself from him. Gani had asked for a bigger pie from the federal allocations due to Lagos. He clearly wanted to copy the legendary Baba Lamidi Adedibu who had made similar demands from Sen. Rasheed Ladoja in Oyo State.
This was the Genesis of the hatred reflected in Gani’s choice of presidential candidates in the last three general elections, during which he openly campaigned for Atiku Abubakar, Jonathan and then Peter Obi respectively. To further proved the hatred charge, Gani had sometimes in 2015 or thereabouts in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, openly declared to a gathering of journalists that he would rather head into the bush than follow the path/trail trod by Tinubu. This should make it clear enough that Gani would always see things pertaining to or involving Tinubu with jaundiced eyes.
So, it shouldn’t surprise any keen observer of Yoruba politics that Gani is living up to his usual self. What however is surprising is that the turncoat has become a letter writer. He has probably learnt one or two things from former President Olusegun Obasanjo whose pastime since leaving the Nigerian presidency has been writing letters to his successors.
However, unlike Obasanjo who has twice been Head of State of a whole country and who has done beneficial things which Nigerians can never forget, Gani has not been able to manage his home and marriage let alone the OPC over which he lays fallacious claims today.
While the country has not yet reacted positively to Tinubu and his team’s economic tinkering, we are hopeful that good will still come out of the effort. We can only hope and pray that saboteurs -those whom the Yoruba call arije ni madaru- will let things work.
Already, there are clear signs that a foundation is being laid, and a template is being created for the guidance of subsequent governments at the centre. The vexatious state and local government revenue sharing and election matter has been resolved constitutionally. His government went to court to resolve it rather than flex muscles and federal might as others are wont to do. His government is already being praised in term of putting in place genuine road infrastructure and many more like that. What is vitally necessary now is the need and will power to remove Mele Kyari from the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) with immediate effect and to give Dangote refinery the opportunity to sell Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) as it did with its introduction of its refined Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) into the Nigerian market. If Petrol prices go down, most basic necessities will also crash with it.
What it takes for a country like ours to succeed is for the citizenry to realize that we are the author of our problems, and the solution therefore remains squarely with us. We cannot end corruption in the country if we continue to nurture our individual corrupt acts in the corners of our homes. Let me ask Gani Adams when and how much he last paid as tax. He who demands equity must himself be equitable.
Rasak ‘Sadam’ Arogundade writes in from Lagos
