Authorities at Twitter and President Muhammadu Buhari’s enforcers are two sides of a coin. I have zero sympathy for either. Only those who have chosen to be lifetime ABB, (Anything But Buhari), would hold Twitter and its grotesque definition of free speech and hypocritical application of its rabidly-prejudiced censure as the sacrament for the rest of the world. For President Buhari and his kitchen cabinet, they have almost hopped to the hopeless point of oro pesi je (flabbergasted). In all of the shameful missteps they got themselves into, over the social media row, the only question I have for them is: did they just realise that private businesses should register to operate in Nigeria and must it be when the President’s tweet was taken down?
The Bible in James 3 talks of wisdom without hypocrisy and the superficial. The first, is divine. The earthly, obviously, is the jaundiced application of influence by both sides. Twitter in particular needs a shocker like the one injected by the Buhari administration, only that it was a good message delivered by a bad messenger. After all the shenanigans the microblogging platform had gone away with, in advanced democracies like America, it is fittingly humiliating that a major blow came from a struggling democracy, with practically non-existent leadership. It is also fittingly humiliating that after slamming powerful personalities and presidents, it is in the hand of a band of banal fellows that Twitter would eat the humble pie. When floored by a big problem, smallies crawl all over.
Since the blossoming of the information age, social media platforms have carried on like the goat of the family head, which is beyond reproach or accountability. It decides its predatory adventures. Because it belongs to the one who must be respected, the goat senses that while others are blocked from wrecking havoc on yams for lunch, it is practically left to roam destructively. Such goat always faces comeuppance when the owner isn’t around. Because it is used to free-styling, the unbridled fellow is easily trapped.
I remember Amosun/Tinubu’s attrition over Ogun APC governorship ticket, which Asiwaju eventually appropriated for his protégé, incumbent Dapo Abiodun. The day Buhari came calling, seeking presidential votes in the state, a visibly-incensed Amosun openly remonstrated with Tinubu et al, saying in Yoruba, “a nberu alaja, aja se bi ohun la nbe ru.” If that was loaded, it doesn’t appear the hate-laden battle is over yet. But, I digress.
In obedience to constituted authority which is Will of God, (Romans 13:1-2) my Twitter account has remained deactivated and I plan no short-cut, reconnecting it. You don’t do God’s Will when it is only convenient. Does that make Generals of God like Pastors E.A Adeboye and Williams Kumuyi ecclesiastic rebels? Far from it. I have no global ministry and if you consider my craft a virtual business, the good news is that my personal handle doesn’t feature official business, including Gibbers. You ask what I use it for then. The truth is, I rarely tweet, but I was an active visitor before the Buhari ban.
Biblically, the men of God have obeyed leaders as demanded by God, tweeting as globally citizens from Nigeria. They could as well tweet from Ghana.
For the rest of the revolting citizenry, it might be about mirroring official lawlessness, with government constantly spitting on constitutional values. Global Peace Initiative known as The Fund for Peace listed as a precondition for a failed state, the erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions. Perhaps, this is the most unpopular decision to be made by the Buhari administration, not because Twitter is not a deserving victim or that freedom of speech has stopped not being absolute, but because the regime lacked the moral standpoint to argue against extreme communication–the recent history of Jonathan years bear witness against Lai Mohammed and co– and secondly, because it was a personal war, made a national malaise.
Nigerians easily saw through it and even those. who in the past, constantly turned the sympathetic ear to the President in his low moments, simply turned away this time, ignoring the one they had consistently given the benefit of the doubt. I listened to Papa Kumuyi’s interview on RCCG’s Dove TV. He espoused the concept of one for all, all for one. He appealed a change of attitude from We vs. Them to collective responsibility and sustained intervention for the leaders, in the place of prayer. A patriot, isn’t it?
Late April, Papa Kumuyi was on a courtesy visit to Aso Rock. Presidential spokesperson, Deacon Femi Adesina, praised him to high heavens, as the ideal vessel of God. As usual, he went caustic against pastors prophesying doom.
He ended his sermon by saying, “If only we can listen to people like Kumuyi, then we will have a better country”.
Now, that Papa has joined the growing tribe of those not ready to make excuses for Buhari’s bumbling presidency, is Adesina still recommending him as a national asset or a fit-for-prison turncoat?
Very likely, Malami and Lai Mohammed won’t know about not touching God’s anointed. But Deacon should know, except the praise of weeks back, was just calling the mad man, the handsome groom. Certainly, Papa, is not seeking Adesina’s validation and if only those who agree with Adesina’s god, are the patriots, then maybe some men are lighter in quality than taken to be.
Last week, I reached out to Dr. Umar Gwandu, Malami’s media enabler on the planned prosecution. He promised to revert. As of press time, he was yet to.
By asking the senate again, to screen his P.A (social media), Lauretta Onochie as a top dog in future election management, President Buhari is signaling that public repudiation, now count for nothing but before the historic arraignment of Pastors Kumuyi and Adeboye, is it not better for Malami to first test in court, the constitutionality of his mass trial, to avoid paying mass damages?
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