Browsing: Abiodun Komolafe

On consultations with the deities before choosing a king, Oba Agunsoye said: “at times, traditionalists lie when choosing a king because money has exchanged hands. A rich man can be made a king once he pays the Ifa and the Ifa would speak in his favour, unlike those years when the truth is sacred and must be told at all times.”

While in office, little was actually known about Kyari in the public realm. Unfortunately too, his name actually symbolized an uncanny error of namesake. The Borno State-born lawyer and banker shared a name with somebody who once had a favourable public perception, until Satan smiled; and the _‘super cop’_ lost it!

 The belief in some quarters is that the Bola Tinubu presidency is being confronted by two enemies: the cabals and the masses. Well, while Nigeria’s real enemies are the impenitent and chauvinistic cabals, fact remains that the masses have consistently been at the receiving end of successive governments’ bad policies and programmes.

All through history, finding and keeping round and square pegs in their respective holes has never been a Sugarcandy Mountain party. It’s a tough job for experts and committed people! Therefore, President Bola Tinubu must keep working round the clock, looking for leaks and blocking same.

Lest we forget, the evolution of democracy has its rich history in a rebellion against dictatorship, against monarchical institutions, against bigotry, and anything that prevents mass participation. Be that as it may, democratic governments function only to the extent of the understanding of the society and the political gladiators practising it. So, for the society to have a functional democratic system, it must have a robust understanding of the tenets as well as the intrinsic attributes of democracy so that it won’t appear alien to its practitioners and/or those over whom it is being practised. Since everybody will have to be part of it, it also has to be a general, not restricted, knowledge.

As the saying goes, the wrong we see are oftentimes symptoms of a deeper ailment! Well, it is common knowledge that no country can develop without a predetermined solid structure. Unfortunately, Nigeria has none! Year in, year out, governments come up with pretty and fantastic policy names. But that’s where it ends, simply because those with zero understanding of what a particular policy entails are the ones in government, directing its affairs. While ‘elected’ leaders lack the coherent vision of development needed to implement the change our country needs, those who have what it takes to move it forward cannot get elected into public office because they do not have the means. Again, how did we get here?