WHEN SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent
about things that matter" ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

27th June, 2016 the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, Reduced the 2014 National Conference to a "JOB FOR THE BOYS"  am yet to read any reaction from any quarter. Not from participants or proponents for it's implementation. The Conference is supposed to have been attended by Eminent Nigerians and to reduce that to a mere "Job for the boys" is an insult on anyone who attended that Conference. But of course Nigerians will not see anything wrong with PMB or his Boys! This same man had shunned an invitation from the National Assembly and all we get is the usual mum.

There is this glaring Northernisation and Islamization of the seat of Power by the current Administration. But Nigerians are not raising a voice of dissent, it's President Buhari, we don't care if everyone in his Government is from his Family or from Daura, as far as he get's the job done, they argue. But what happens to our revered "FEDERAL CHARACTER" PRINCIPLE which has been enstrined in Nigeria's Constitution since 1979, that seeks to ensure that appointments to public service institutions fairly reflect the linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the Country? 

Today it's President Buhari's turn, who knows who will come in tomorrow. But like the SGF said in that interview; "we were not getting anything. Nobody was giving us contracts. PDP were the ones in government; they were the ones the president was approving money for sharing;"‎ it's Engr. Babachir David Lawal and his friends turn to share.

This administration is also accused of violating our Constitution, they are said to have absolute disregard for the Judiciary and the Legislator; they try people in the media, find them guilty and incarcerate them. ‎If their victims meet bail conditions and are granted bail, they refuse to honor such Court Orders. But the Nigerian Press (the Fourth Estate of the Realm) is quite, Civil Society is quite, we adopt the attitude of they are thieves, they should pay for their crimes. If their Fundamental Human rights are abused in the process, so be it. I have always asked the question "is there any politician in Nigeria that is not corrupt? From the Councillor to the President? Now we are been told that a serving Army Officer can save enough to buy Houses in Dubai. Former President Obasanjo is quoted to have said "Corruption starts from the Precidency" If all corrupt officers are tried in the pages of Newspaper and jailed, we will have to either construct more prisons fast or turn every warehouse in the Country into a Prison and that too won't be enough. We just hope those doing the jailing today do not have skeletons in their cupboards that they will be made to taste their bitter pill of endless incarceration when this very transient power changes hands. 

There also the growing concern for Human Rights Abuse by the Buhari Administration: "It is noteworthy that a peaceful situation, such as that of the pro-Biafra movement, apparently requires a “military option”, whereas a lethal terrorist group, such as the Muslim Fulani herdsmen, who murder innocent civilians, does not. This tactic, furthermore, brings into question whether Buhari’s efforts at curbing Boko Haram in the country are genuine or merely a play he puts on half-heartedly for the benefit of the international community.

Add to that the smear on our President's integrity as he had been accused of lying under oat. That he did not sat for the Cambridge West African Examination Council WAEC as he claimed. A lawyer took our President to Court and a seemingly simple case that requires just showing your Certificate and proof that he sat for the Exam, the Presidency engaged the services of over 20 Lawyers, 10 of them are said to be Senior Advocates.

Nigerians were already looking forward to a long Legal battle when the Lawyer in the center of the Storm is reported to have withdrawn the suit. How appropriate and convenient.
Ordinarily, since the Military revised itself and copiously displayed the recovered Certificate of Mr. President that the Army had earlier claimed was not with them, one would have expected that the Military Authorities would been instructed by the Commander-In-Chief to present his Certificate and sue the young lawyer for false accusation. The lawyer is said to have cited, intimidation and threats to life as grounds for the withdraw of the suit. But Nigerians who read between the lines insist the President has a case to answer, these unpatriotic voices insist on asking #BuhariShowUsYourCertificate. Those who insist with PMB "we See No Evil, Hear No Evil and will definitely Say No Evil" should continue.

Need we be reminded that not too long ago many Nigerians Paid with their lives for us to chase the Military back to the barracks. The same Military that is now the greatest beneficiary of our Nascent Democracy. President Buhari should know that it was not the uniform of the Army Nigerians fought against but the dictatorial tendencies of the Military with our Voices, our pens and on the streets. A drift to the same dictatorship will still be resisted.

If those that surround Mr. President love him and pray for him to live a lasting legacy behind that Generations unborn will celebrate him and his Children's Children, they should encourage him to listen to Nigerians and do only those things that will promote our corporate existence, have respect for the Judiciary, reflect Federal Character in all Appointments and strengthen Institutions of Governance, starting with INEC. Is it not a challenge that since Mr. President came into office INEC had not conducted one conclusive election? ‎As Tim Fargo puts it "Good intentions might sound nice, but it's positive actions that matter."

Just Thinking Aloud