The frequent vilification of past administrations not only encourage witch-hunt, but has made it difficult for continuity of developmental projects. It has encouraged social unrest and stunt sustainability of people based policies. The unfortunate duck and dive antics between the past and incumbent administrations have become a recurring decimal across states of the federation including the center.
The politics of hate, witch-hunt has indeed denied Nigeria trillions in money worth and immeasurable human and material hemorrhage in peace and unity value. Sadly we have carcasses of truncated projects and jettisoned policies on account of the senseless rivalry instead of ‘discreet’ continuity for the good of all. Noble laurel, Prof. Wale Soyinka averred, “deleting priority projects is sabotage and economic crime against the nation”.
The Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, while speaking at a valedictory court session in honour of outgoing Chief Justice of Niger State, Justice Fati Abubakar, recently in Minna urged politicians to shun throwing blame on past governments. While speaking on state of the judiciary sector, Bello maintained that the past administrations have their faults but urged politicians not to be bugged down ruminating over the past.
I tried to freeze time within my deep subconscious to savour the temperature in the courtroom. I ran my thought through scenes replete with hate mantra, which some hybrid politicians brought to the change mantra of the All Progressives Congress. These hybrid politicians were staunch members of the Peoples Democratic Party. I wondered how much pangs of pains they would have felt when the words of Governor Ballo hit their earlobes.
Not many politicians in the state, especially those on mission of vengeance, will want to agree with Governor Bello. Those whose mindset has been programmed to construct a thousand ways to probe, convict and jail former Governor of the state, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, to satisfy their political vendetta suffered storm at the stern on what suddenly appeared like a mission impossible.
Not many people understand that politicians behind hate campaign against the immediate past PDP government in Niger were not mere party chieftains of the erstwhile ruling party, they were indeed integral part of the government. Savoring their lugubrious opportunity to re-write history, they turncoat and threw blames like pebbles at the “usual suspect” to curry attention and satisfy political angst against their erstwhile benefactor.
Some people may want to know why the political sojourners would turn full circle against an establishment that made them influential and wealthy. The answer is not far fetched. They are interested in remaining politically relevant and financially solvent. The other factor is not unconnected to the 2015 general election. Most of them wanted elective positions. The major stake was the position of governor. When the hopefuls got their ambitions dashed under the PDP, they went for the jugular, by decamping hours before campaign flag off to play the spoiler card.
Very instructive to intimate that the change train embraced every possible political name that could paddle the Buhari ship to safe coast during campaigns. People quickly forgot where some of these unfaithful breeds of politicians were rooted. Sadly, some “simple” minded Nigerlites were already fed with poisonous perspective of Aliyu led administration. The simple minded swallowed every ounce of the defalcated information, filling their gullibility to the seams with loath.
It didn’t take long before hate became bait that held those with mutilated opinion against Dr. Aliyu and every fragment of value he stood for. Suffice to say that some people hate to accept he ever did anything good. All they want is for him to be escorted in handcuffs to jail over what they can hardly place their fingers on.
Interestingly, the self-inflicted disaster suffered by the PDP in character and principle at the national level, affected the general goodwill of states, Niger was not an exception. Now those who are saddled with responsibility of managing affairs of government can understand the challenges in governance under daunting circumstance.
Governor Bello has indeed expressed himself resoundingly clear that he is certainly nobody’s stooge. He has also proved he is not a leader on errand of parochial objectives. He is therefore able to maintain that he is not a leader that can be pushed into accepting sentimental understanding of a clique of politicians without due process or justifications.
Instructive to note also that Governor Abu Bello understands the antics of these former PDP politicians. Shortly after assumption of office, he set up a panel to probe into peddled ‘grey areas’ of the past administration. He was trying to respond to calls by these few pretenders and at the same time to perform checks on what he met. Interestingly, even the worst critics are yet to find substance in all allegations thrown at the immediate past administration.
The hidden message behind governor Bello’s position is for Nigerians, Nigerlites to look beyond politically induced vendetta to push the nation forward. He didn’t however infer to turning blind eyes at wrong deeds of the past that can be remedied or monies appropriated to private pockets that can be recovered. His message clearly harps on the need to focus more on developmental aspirations after examining the pros and the cons of the immediate past administration.
It is therefore absolutely wrong to allow PDP members disguised as APC chieftains to continue with the hate propaganda. The more the propaganda, the less they hope people will remember they were ever part of PDP government. Nobody should be hoodwinked, its time to correct the social, political and economic gaps in the system, its time to set records straight.
I therefore see Niger as a microcosm example of the insatiable quest by politicians and misled Nigerians to perpetuate hate against past administrations. Instructive to intimate that politicians inject hate virus into their supporters against their political competitor (s) for a predetermined satisfaction, interest or vendetta. Sadly, some Nigerians are blind followers who only see through the lens of their “blind” leaders.
. Ebije can be reached via: ebijeo5@gmail.com or @ebijeisrael.
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