Opinions
2023: Against Odds, Tinubu still a sellable material for Nigeria’s Presidency
2023: Against Odds, Tinubu still a sellable material for Nigeria’s Presidency
By, James Bwala
Some Time ago, I wrote about the relationship between former Borno state governor, Senator Kashim Shettima and the former governor of Lagos state, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu a.k.a – Jagaban. Many people, who are now taking notes of the unfolding political movement and why Kashim Shettima was at the forefront probably knows very little about the journey Senator Kashim Shettima and Tinubu took before now.
Perhaps like others may think. Politics is not an avenue to create chaos and make enemies but a platform for ambitious people to move one interest. During his trying times in the hands of the Jonathan administration, the former Borno state governor has found an ally in Tinubu, who stood with him through the woods. As an exchange of batons, Tinubu is today facing his own ambition. The journey is not a smooth one with Nigerians and politicians looking at the odds against him. It was in a time of needs they said that you identify your true friends.
As many have come to identify with Tinubu, Senator Kashim Shettima was one who is not only around to give a message of hope but has come to join the train and help in holding up Moses ‘ hand. While I read, chat and discuss with a cross section of Nigerians about their sentiments, I was made to understand the differentiations around their arguments but as they say, individual differences as one’s argument no matter how thick cannot change other people’s mindset. Talking about leadership however, it has nothing to do with whether or not the people or few amongst them like the Crown. It is all about the ability and capacity of the leader, which I believe Tinubu possesses much.
They also said the former Borno state governor; Kashim Shettima had rushed himself into joining the Tinubu train but I simply replied that I am yet to see any candidate well prepared to face the over two hundred million Nigerians with a message of hope as the former Lagos State governor. And I want to believe that was the same position the former Borno state governor Kashim Shettima took. Moreover, there was a relationship of a father and son politically speaking. Tinubu has been there for Kashim Shettima anytime and it was not wrong to reciprocate the gesture.
I am not an enchanter to know the inner being of people but when one writes often about politicians at a point, it is possible to say one or two things about their behavior, motives and body language. Buhari may have not spoken but one thing I know is that he remained Nigeria’s greatest politician given his attitude in the unfolding event. And I have no doubt where the arrowhead may stop on the gamblers table. People have said of Tinubu as they have spoken of Buhari. Their fears are that the Aso Rock may just turn out to be a nursing home for the old. But no Nigerian I know has read the mind of God even among the spiritually inclined and Buhari is still around. So, age or whatever is pushing people to be judgmental about who should and who should not does not arise even in the case of Isiwaju.
I would have loved to speak about how Tinubu ran Lagos state for eight years without support from the Federal Government at one point. I also wanted to speak about a report by former EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu when he said they have investigated governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and so declare him incorruptible. This was just to make certain misjudgments or rather misunderstanding about the ambition of the man and 2023 general election clear to those still arguing on how he makes his wealth. I think they should also start asking about how he makes his friends as we march forward in the next few months.
Twice as a journalist, I interviewed the former Yobe state governor and former senator representing Yobe East Federal Constituency, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim on the salability of the Buhari candidacy and his response was negatively affirmative. The first was in 2014, he told me at the Maiduguri International Airport venue of our meeting that Buhari is not a sellable material but in the end Buhari wins against the odds. Still in 2019, I interviewed the same man where he maintained his position but still Buhari won.
Now this has become a case scenario for me to agree with the few I believe asking the former Lagos state governor to give up his ambition for a younger generation. Many are arguing that his age is already telling on him thus, he cannot be useful for the top job. Others claimed he was never a straight forward person and all sorts of allegations. No matter how they look at this and the situation unfolding, I think Tinubu has already beaten them to the game.
There was nobody with guts to approach President Muhammadu Buhari to express his or her willingness to contest for the Presidency of this country even though many were known to have a driven ambition not even the younger generation but Tinubu did and then we saw others coming out to declare as well.
So, if the presidency of Nigeria was on a first come first serve affairs, Bola Ahmed Tinubu would have been president already. I do not know whether or not Nigerians who are speaking in ignorance of the political firmaments have taken note of his moves since arrival from London. Is there anyone who has made such a forward thinking movement as this old political horse? The answer is capital “NO” because we are all in the country attesting to this happening while Tinubu in London was already steering the political ship of the country. Truth is bitter and I like to spell it out.
I was monitoring all our presidential hopefuls. I saw Tinubu being visited by the Ministers, Legislators, Governors, Traditional rulers, Captain of industries and Top government officials, which we all know are also politicians. They were all coming with a message of solidarity. Have any of our Presidential hopefuls welcomed such a weightier crowd on this road to Aso Rock? Perhaps some people would argue that the time is still early. However, I will throw back at them that if an old man wakes up early to pursue his ambition, why would the younger ones be sleeping, sleepwalking and sleep talking while the sun is already up?
I had a healthy argument with a friend who is a voice on the band wagon for Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo. The few questions I asked left him with eyes that were wide open. These are realities which cannot be spelt out on platforms as this. These realities are of the current situations in Nigeria’s political landscapes. I know that there are calls for Osinbajo to come out but on whose political structure? He was one of many Tinubu’s boys. He never came out to declare or make the kind of moves Tibunu made when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari. He still was preaching Tinubu’s message while those clamouring for him were busy doing so. If VP Osinbajo is ambitious I would have expected that he beats Tinubu to meeting President Muhammadu Buhari to announce his intentions.
Those who are saying Tinubu has nothing to offer should have asked themselves how he managed to conquer the southwest. At a point or perhaps still, Tinubu was in Lagos state but controlling virtually everything going on in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondu and the rest of them that makes up the Yoruba nation.
If you asked me, I would say that is a man with capacity to deliver and such is what is to be seen in a leader. If at all some people are thinking of the physical strength to be a yardstick of counting on the ability of a leader, I would employ them to take a look at a typical organization and note that management is not about the physical strength but the ability to control, direct, plan and organize.
On February 26, 2022, the All Progressive Congress, APC will be having its own convention. President Muhammadu Buhari’s body language may not have revealed his anointed candidate. But one thing I know is that I have not seen any candidate except the joker in Kogi. And I know that this is the politics and Governor Yahaya Bello is only playing to the gallery.
2023: Against Odds, Tinubu still a sellable material for Nigeria’s Presidency
Opinions
THE BIU FORUM: FEW THINGS TO KNOW
THE BIU FORUM: FEW THINGS TO KNOW.
By: A G Abubakar
The Biu Forum was a child of circumstances. It was born in response to the fall out from the August 1991 state creation exercise by the Babangida military regime which initially located Biu in Yobe but removed same after a couple of days. To push for a redress or for an answer, the Forum was initiated. Its drivers came from the entire spectrum of the present day Biu Emirate and Shani Chiefdom, who were then resident in Lagos, the former federal capital.The first meeting was held in October 1991 at Block 4, Flat 3, the Bar Beach Towers, Victoria Island.
The inaugural and subsequent meetings of the forum were attended by such personalities as Shettima Saleh, Saidu Pindar, Tahir A.Musa, PC Abdullahi Mohammed, Musa Yamta, Hassan Bdliya, John Balami, Audu Shettima, Sanda Usman, Adamu Abdullahi, Musa Shani, Major (now Gen) Usman, Muhammad Dili, Ahmed Kuru, Jibrin A.Jibrin, A.G.Abubakar (Convener along with Musa Yamta), Mamman Audu, Paul Mari, Ishaku Abdullahi, Sale Mari Maina, Major. Ibrahim Bantam, Samaila Mamman, Sule Usman, C.D.Gali, and many more. These foundation members nurtured the Forum for years in Lagos before the seat of government was formally moved to Abuja.
Some of them are of blessed memory (may the Almighty grant them His mercy, Ameen), though a lot more are still living. The major objective of the forum at inception was to build a unity of purpose to tackle the challenges facing Biu Emirate, particularly its excision from the then newly created Yobe State. Plus, the need to call for attention to the brazen discriminations visited upon Biu people in the state’s civil service, while also pursuing the creation of a Savannah State. Same, with extending moral and material supports to victims of natural disasters and others like the then Waka-Biu crisis.
It would be recalled that after the Babangida military government decided to split old the Borno State, late General Abacha, then the Chief of Army Staff and the defacto number “two” man, who happened to be of Borno extraction, was assigned to consult with the Shehu as well as other opinion leaders on the government’s proposal to curve out a new state out of Borno. Late Bunu Sherrif, a son of the soil (Goniri), who was then serving as Minister of Labour among others, was to serve as a facilitator. The rough edges were therefore smoothened.
Eventually, Yobe was created. The configuration of which comprised three emirates, namely Biu, Fika, and Bade. Borno and Bama emirates were to remain as the New Borno State. The number of local governments was equally balanced at 22 each. Now, it is lopsidedly 17 and 27 LGAs for Yobe and Borno, respectively.
Along the line, some forces opposed to the inclusion of Biu emerged. The first one was the supposed friction between the Emirs of Biu and Fika regarding the order of protocol. A smokescreen, however, because the real reason was that Fika Emirate was promised the State capital (precisely Potiskum), but that was if Biu wasn’t part of the equation. The other reason was that Biu and Borno Emirates had a historical tie that made the duo almost conjoined. This was also untenable in that Ngazargamo that served as the capital of the old Kanem-Borno was severed into Yobe State. In the end, Biu remains part of Borno.
This development polarised the citizens of Biu Emirate into two. The Elders were not so favourably disposed towards leaving Borno, while the larger youth groups were at home with Yobe.
The advantages they averred included the possibility of playing more dominant political and economic roles in the new state, given the fact that Biu used to hold and still holds the Deputy Governor portfolio in Borno. The emirates (Fika and Biu) equally serve as the manpower base of the region . State politics could turn out to be like Adamawa, where all ethnic groups and/or stripes of faith can become the number one citizen of the state. The Emir of Biu would naturally be the most senior, in addition.
Based on the foregoing, Biu made a case for inclusion or, better still, a re-inclusion into Yobe. A move that was resisted vehemently by certain quarters under the umbrella of BEDA. Others who lent their voices included the Birma, Galadima Stanley Balami, PC Ali Biu, and Alhaji Ibrahim Damchida, all of blessed memory.
The Biu citizens who were pushing for the readjustment initially got the support of His Royal Highness, the Revered Mai Umar, who gracefully endorsed the demand document titled, “A Call For the Adjustment of Biu Emirate into Yobe State.” Or rather agreed for the document to be endorsed on his behalf, which was done. However, under pressure from all corners, His Royal Highness had to reconsider his support, as the Emirate found itself in a difficult situation. It was this development and regardless of the push back that the Biu Forum was formed as an alternative platform to still pursue the inclusion of Biu and Shani into Yobe State.
A petition to the government, was subsequently produced and forwarded. And to get a wider publicity and forestall suppression the Forum’s document was sent to the press . The rested influencial national newspaper, the Sunday Concord of 6th October 1991 carried the entire document. Yours faithfully picked the bill.
One of the the committed and highly articulate members of the Forum at the time, Alh. Muhammed Shehu Birma had his relationship with his principal, the Hon. Minister, Bunu Sheriff strained because of his role and support. Alh. Birma was one of the Special Assistants to the Minister who worked tirelessly to obtain the concurrence of major stakeholders to buy into the Forum’s activities.
When the misunderstanding so created on account of the state creation seemed unabating, formal meetings were called by the late elder statesman Alh. Damcida at his Probyn road, Ikoyi, home to sort things out. The “family” gathering enjoyed the presence of late Dr.Saidu Muhammad, PC Ali Biu, A.G.Abubakar, Muhammad S.Birma, Amb. Saidu Pindar, Alhaji Madu Biu, Shettima Saleh, with apologies from Dr.Bukar Usman.
One of the resolutions that came out of the series of dialogues was an undertaking by Mallam to seek an audience with General Abacha for possible reconsideration of the petition. The outcome was the creation of Hawul and Kwaya Kusar LGAs, while Biu as a whole stayed in Borno State.
As time went on, moves got started to merge the activities of the Forum to those of the senior Biu Development Association, BDA. The BDA is now BEDA (Biu Emirate Development Association). The move never materialised and the activities of both slowed down. It took the efforts of patriots like Engineer Ibrahim Usman, Dan Masani Muhammad Ibrahim, Adamu Abdullahi, Amb. Saidu, Ibrahim M.Kwajaffah, Muhammad Buba, Mai Musti, Bukar Umar and a host of others to revive the Forum and keep it going.
So for all intents and purposes the Biu Forum was not a Biu Local Government outfit. It was initiated to protect and promote the interest of Biu and Shani Emirates. And indeed every Aburwa on the planet. How it became a Forum exclusively for Biu Local Government Area was maybe a later development to give the Forum a sharper focus. And maybe to ensure a seamless coexistence with the senior BEDA.This has been a short story of the now, 33-year old (1991 to –) initiative.
A.G.Abubakar agbarewa@gmail.com
THE BIU FORUM: FEW THINGS TO KNOW
Opinions
Nigeria: Why the youths must say “NO” to protest.
Nigeria: Why the youths must say “NO” to protest.
By: Dr. James Bwala
History should teach us lessons. And we have so many examples that are part of the history of some countries around us. Protests as being engineered and called for are never in the interest of the young Nigerian; rather, they are a way to further suppress and darken the future of young ones, and therefore, I see this as another evil rising on Nigeria, which I hope the youths will see as reasons not to be tempted to join those who do not mean well for them and for Nigeria. Those who want to cash in on the protest to their advantage are pushing their own evil interests to deny the young Nigerian his or her own hope for the future.
I followed many calls on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and listened to many voices calling on the Nigerian youths to join them on the days to demonstrate and show their displeasure to the government over hunger in the land. They claimed it was about a policy, and I did not really understand the truth about such claims. Some pointed to the issue of insecurity that people cannot go to their farms and blamed the present administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima, and on this too, they are not speculating on facts that are leading them to want to express anger through protest.
I could not understand why all the things they are pointing to have been on their doorsteps for over 10 years and they would not protest until now. Does it mean that their eyes are now open to the situation we all found ourselves in? I have lived in northeastern Nigeria, and I have seen situations created by insecurity where children, young men, and adults hold each other’s hands and cry out for help to have a drop of grain and for one cut of a handful of mold grain flour to go through their mouths and down their throats for the day, but they could not have the assurance of such a meal. No one came to the rescue; no one called for a protest, and the people built their resilience until the heavens brought succor.
READ ALSO:https://newsng.ng/the-plight-of-farida/
The situation in which certain individuals are coming to tell young Nigerians to protest or to demonstrate against the administration requires a deeper look into their motives. It may not be about hunger in the land afterwards, for we have endured many hungers and we did not protest, so why now? Politics is still in the play, and a few individuals—I mean, very few individuals—who are not happy with the Tinubu and Shettima administration are orchestrating the wind horses. Some young Nigerians may think otherwise, but believe me, there are many more evils behind the call for protest than what you are hearing on social media, and these are about destroying a whole lot of what you have hoped for.
I will suggest that no Nigerian youth should join or listen to calls from those who have sent their children abroad for you to continue to be their foot soldiers, and in the end, they achieve something and you achieve nothing. Take a look at the protests or demonstrations in the past. Not outside Nigeria, but within. Some of you have participated, and you are still on the street after that protest. Your peace and happiness have been taken. Those you fought for—have they come to salvage your situation? Unless you want to remain perpetually a fool on the street with very little to gain and no knowledge of what you are bargaining, then you may choose to go with the evil callers; otherwise, say ‘NO’ to protest as it is not actually in your interest.
This administration, which you are being instigated to demonstrate against, has won many battles in the last year. The latest in the Hope initiative are the achievements of the court ruling on local government autonomy. This government has achieved free imports for drugs and rice and brought peace through the establishment of the livestock ministry. These are a few achievements from the last six months. We have waited for eight years in hope through the Buhari administration, and no one has seen positive changes, but we waited. Herein, with the Tinubu and Shettima administrations, we are seeing the moves and the results. Can we not hold on to this renewed hope since we are seeing the changes coming?
Nigerian youths, let no one deceive us into doing their bid. They have places to go; we only have Nigeria, which is all we have. When they moved out, we remained here. They cannot come from Europe and America to ask us to set our houses on fire while they go back to their second homes and leave us in the shackles that we used our own hands to perpetuate their desires against us for their selfish and evil interests. No, we must not come to the level they want us to reach. We must rise with renewed hope and join this administration to build a Nigeria where peace and justice reign, just as we pledged to build in our re-engineering calls for a better tomorrow.
Dr. James BWALA, PhD, writes from Abuja.
Nigeria: Why the youths must say “NO” to protest.
Opinions
Why Borno residents should support the Zulum Administration
Why Borno residents should support the Zulum Administration
By: Yusuf Adamu
Unfortunately, the lack of electricity and shortage of water in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, have continued to turn some sections of the state against the government. While many are thinking it is the government job to provide electricity and water, a lot of people are not looking at the efforts the government is putting in during the phase of challenges from saboteurs and terrorists as it affects the issues of electricity in the state, particularly.
Borno State has been in darkness for the last two weeks, and the governor spoke with concern from faraway Saudi Arabia, where he went to worship, and he was informed of the electricity issue back home. Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has done tremendously well in ensuring that Borno State overcomes the issue of electricity, to the extent that he went beyond his jurisdiction to ensure that he solved the problem.
He went further to collaborate with the NNPC, which informed the setting of a gas plant in Maiduguri to support the epileptic power supply as a result of the continuous attacks on the electricity supply lines feeding Maiduguri. However, the activities of saboteurs, who would rather, out of their greed, overload the gas plant, have constantly resulted in the disruption of the gas plant’s capacity to provide adequate supply.
Rather than people condemning the government for some of this man-made distraction, I think the people of Borno State should pray for an end to the activities of terrorists and the saboteurs who continuously take advantage of the situation to speak ill of the government. If the opposition is speaking, we would understand, but when citizens say otherwise, we would like to remind them that the governor of Borno State has been doing everything possible to make Borno State great.
The collaboration with NNPC and the purchase of electric vehicles to ease pain for people are things to see and agree that the governor meant well for his people. This is aside from the numerous projects he was able to achieve in the state. We are also lucky to have the Vice President, who is our own and whose focus is also to see Borno State become great again.
Just yesterday, he was speaking on the issues affecting the state when he arrived in the state for the sallah celebration. He gave hope for a better Borno state and spoke well of the collaboration the federal government is having with Borno state to end the perennial challenges facing the state at the moment. Let us continue to uplift our leaders in prayer and support their dream of making Borno one of the best things that happens to its people in the current administration.
***Yusuf Adamu writes from Maiduguri and is the former political adviser to Kashim Shettima.
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