Free speech will outlast Alh Lai

BEFORE I had my first and last-till-date interview with Alhaji Lai Mohammed then, as the face of the opposition, he was already a rock-star, made by the fawning Nigerian media, which promoted him beyond his real ability. I was ushered before a heavyweight who became a Lilliputian in the course of the interview. Maya Angelou says when people show you who they are, believe them the first time.

My first question brought out the entire hypocrisy defining his persona. At a time he was busy throwing earth-shaking figures around of looted public funds under Jonathan’s watch, he almost walked away from the interview when I asked him a simple question about his GRA Ikeja home and its controversial acquisition as Tinubu’s CoS. The man who was accusing all, couldn’t take a little heat and hit. He abused the daylight out of me and called me names. The only thing I didn’t get, was a slap. I smiled all through his fits. In my little time in journalism, I have come to discover that an angry interview subject is already a toast. Didn’t the Bible say anger is in the bosom of a fool? Once, I realised the psychological advantage, I pressed further, even asking him about the corrupt variation of his name; Lie Mohammed. Still spewing, he answered.

I personally knew he would be a disaster in government, because a man trained to kill, can hardly preserve. It’s like expecting the devil to give life, when his mission, according to John 10:10, is to steal, kill and destroy. No, Alhaji isn’t a devil, but he regularly acts the advocate of the ugly one, like he is doing now.

One major problem I have noticed with the Nigerian media is the fixation with financial corruption alone when dissecting fitness for public offices and always too quick, to gaslight vacuous characters, possibly for the pecuniary. The Nigerian society is equally as guilty. Public offices, no matter how high, mighty and influential, don’t change men. In climes where laws are at least obeyed, beastly behaviours are only tamed, not eradicated and when the light is out, beasts still do come out of the best of men the society revere.

William Jefferson Blythe (a.k.a Bill Clinton) was a decent persona to the rest of the world. But a Monica Lewinsky spirit was hidden somewhere in his soul. I have seen Alhaji at close quarter trying to be pious and despite the unmistaken despicableness around the Lagos gang he belongs, he had tried so far, tethering the beast in him and keeping it away from doing public damage. But knowing nothing was exorcised, his sustained, first subtle, now desperate, assault on free speech, in the name of curbing hate speech, isn’t a surprise.

If anyone should be paying heavy reparation for the combined evil of hate speech and fake news, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, won’t finish paying for his guilt in a lifetime. And if anyone should be doing regular Black Maria trips for hate speech and fake news trial, that guilty-as-accused person should be him. Asking for evidence? Just Google it.

But God isn’t man. There are times, He would want people to learn and restitute without going down first, before climbing again. It is called Mercy. Right in the middle of influence and affluence, He can tug at the heart of the one who won’t be destroyed and the fellow, by His grace, would just harken and mend his ways. Why going spiritual when the issues in the media gag what had always been in Alhaji’s plan the moment the sky began looking blue for his party in 2014, are all constitutional and should be fought on that plane? It is because the man assaulting free speech today has adopted piousness as his charm on people. He is quick to serve you the spiritual side of his person, while trying to sound very reasonable. But prod him and the real man, jumps out, possibly subconsciously. Yoruba will say efin ni wa (you can’t hide your real being for long).

I remember a contentious headline he complained of early 2015 when I was minded writing his everyday press statements. The headline wasn’t too patronising for him and he had to complain because the media had over-pampered him as opposition spokesperson. After a back and forth, he dropped a line I laughed off then, but which I think the nation is inching nearer under his watch as Information minister. “Lanre, when we get into government, your paper will pay for all these. Only on tax payment, we can shut you down for a long time.” From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Imagine if all media houses in Nigeria had to pay N5 million per contentious interview granted the minister as opposition spokesperson, NBC under Goodluck Jonathan, would be grossing the highest IGR between 2011 and 2015 and many of the news outlets would have definitely gone under, paying Alhaji’s debt. This is the lesson for the Nigerian media; before toasting the next canonisation CUPP, let’s remember the seemingly-meek Lai of GRA and the transmogrified Lion Mohammed in Abuja.

For sure, I know Alhaji will soon tank with his thin skin. At a press briefing in Lagos years back, trying to create a mob around the alleged earth-shaking revelation of looting under Jonathan, an attendee from AIT had taken issues with Alhaji’s complaints of un-presidential characterisation of his principal and because the minister’s conscience was too heavy to give a factual response and admit he started the denigration culture when Jonathan was president, he went banal, asking the fellow to tell his chairman to refund Nigeria’s money he looted. I simply sat through the one-sided lecturing session, watching majority in attendance helping a fumbling fellow to feel godlike.

Now, we are where we are now and all parties must deal with it. There are no bags of rice to share again. Only pains and groans. The masquerade has now decided to dance and only a timeous rain would stop it. Alhaji has lost face at home, the relationship with his governor is at best frosty. He needs Abuja to shine, but heeding wise counsel coming from his allies like Femi Falana, would do him a lot of good. He should also allow recent and ancient history to pull his ears. Proverbs 29:1 says “he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy. On this Lord’s day, I pray Alhaji will receive special grace to harken.

 

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