The painful confessions of a vice-president

Last Sunday, at the 50th-anniversary thanksgiving service of the senator representing Adamawa North, Mrs. Binta Masi Garba, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo made a statement that appears innocuous but which, in actual fact, is loaded with meaning when a content analysis of it is attempted. The statement, terse as it was, nevertheless tore in shreds the sanctimonious veil of promoters of Muhammadu Buhari’s sainthood as well as offered an explanation not only for the obvious failings of the VP himself but also for those of many of his fellow sojourners in the corridors of power.

The venue was perfect – a church – and Osinbajo’s call for prayers could not have been more apt. Those needing prayers – and why – however, let the cat out of the bag. The VP solicited prayers for those of them Christians holding top positions in the Buhari administration; mentioning specifically himself, the SGF Boss Mustapha, and Head of the Federal Civil Service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita. There are many other top-notch officials in the Buhari administration who are professed Christians. Each time Christians and Southerners have complained about the marginalisation of the South/Christians by the Buhari administration, reeling off names of top-notch Christians/Southerners in Buhari’s administration had usually been the easy defence of those pleading Buhari’s fairness to the South/Christians. Osinbajo himself had previously played that card but last week, he plainly contradicted himself. That is the problem with untruths; they cannot be fully buried as they have an uncanny way of popping up now and again. Osinbajo asked for prayers so that he and other Christians in the corridors of power can make the desired impact in government. Please underline “make the desired impact in government.” What this means is that they are not making the desired impact at the moment. Why this is so will soon be made clear.

Osinbajo was quoted as saying that “it is not enough to have Christians in government – like myself. If you look through the scriptures, whether it was Joseph, Daniel or Esther, every person who made an impact in government in the scriptures that we see, was supported by the prayers of the people of God. God is not moved unless we move His hands in the place of prayer. We are in a period in history when God wants to do something; that is why some of us are in government. The opportunity must not be lost. Your prayers to God will make that difference.” Osinbajo is telling us that the opportunity of having Christians in power has not been fulfilled; is not being fulfilled, and may not be fulfilled – except we pray hard unto God. What is that if not an admission of the marginalization of Christians in the Buhari administration? It is not about numbers in government or even the positions held. It is about power relations and the man who holds the levers of power – Buhari. He determines who gets what, when, and how.

Now, what should our prayer points be – that God should cause a change of heart in Buhari since the same scriptures quoted by Osinbajo say the heart of kings are in the hands of God and that He directs it as He does the flow of rivers? Or should we beseech God to continue to harden Buhari’s heart like he did Pharaoh’s – and like Buhari himself seems to be doing with his relentless policies and appointments favourable to the North/Muslims – so he can come to the same end as Pharaoh? Osinbajo said pointedly the “opportunity” or the reason why Christians are in top positions in the Buhari government has not been fulfilled and may remain unfulfilled except we pray. He identifies a problem and it is either the problem is beyond President Buhari or the president is the problem. It can be inferred that Buhari is unwilling to solve the problem unless he is compelled by a greater force to do so – in the same manner Pharaoh was compelled by God to let the children of Israel go out of slavery in Egypt. If we heed the admonition of Osinbajo to “move (God’s) hand” with our prayers, how will He accede to our prayer: Is it with or without Buhari?  And why has the “opportunity” spoken about by the VP not been realised? Is the fault with us or in our stars? Is it because the Christians in top positions have not been pushing hard enough? Osinbajo will most likely disagree with this assertion. Is it that there are forces more powerful than them working against their best efforts? Most likely! Since, by the VP’s confession the problem appears beyond the capabilities of man and God’s intervention is needed, is it that it is not yet the appointed time for God to do the “something” that Osinbajo is, presumably, expecting to happen or we are the ones not praying hard enough to force God’s hand for Him to act in our favour – right now?

• Dapchi: National youth group demands immediate release of Leah Sharibu

There are three types of Christians/Southerners in top positions in this country. The first are selfish and self-centred. They have been invited “to come and eat” to quote the late Sunday Afolabi’s admonition to the late Bola Ige. So, they are only interested in putting their heads down and eating the crumbs thrown their way. They have no business with group or ethnic sentiments but only panders to where their bread is buttered. Even if the opportunity presents itself for them to help their region or religion, they will be less concerned. The second are realists; they have seen where the levers of power are tilted and have advised themselves that it is of no use standing in front of a moving train, to quote the late MKO Abiola. If you can’t beat them, then, join them. They would have loved to do something but unfortunately they have seen that they would be out-classed and thoroughly beaten. So they settle down like the first type to help themselves. The third are supposedly in the VP’s class. They suffer anguish seeing the suffering of their people; their conscience is not dulled that they do not squirm at the monumental injustice going on around them. They may have made attempts but have been viciously put them. They are confused and stranded in the corridors of power. Being dreamers, they hope for a better tomorrow and hang on, day-in day-out, hoping after hope. Usually, they are naive to think that if they show loyalty to the real powers in the government where they have been used for window-dressing, they could pull some nuts out of the fire. In doing this, they often compromise by defending the indefensible, turning blind eyes to blue murder, and allowing themselves to be sent on dirty errands as well as be used for hatchet jobs.

Why can’t they resign? If they do, someone else will step into their shoes and the music continues. When Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe resisted the insults of Sani Abacha and other Northern military officers and was pushed out of the way, Augustus Aikhomu happily stepped into the position vacated by Ukiwe and did the masters’ bidding. The Nigerian presidency is a tyranny. Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan suffered ignominious treatment in the hands of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s kitchen cabinet made up largely of his region and religion. Osinbajo and other top Christians/Southerners in top positions in Buhari’s administration have been treated as intruders by the Cabals that superintend Buhari’s presidency. It is not for failing to act or speak out – but the Big Man himself shuts them up and sides with his region and religion. We saw that in the Ibe Kachikwu and Maikanti Baru row; we saw it also in the Health Minister versus the National Health Insurance Scheme boss. We saw it in Oyo-Ita versus Chief of Staff; and in Maina-gate it was all so evident. In the Fulani herdsmen’s atrocious killings all over the country, religion and region have taken pre-eminence; and in the country’s security architecture this has been no less so.

It is no coincidence that the two top officials of the Buhari administration fired for corruption are Christians and are not Hausa/Fulani while worse culprits from the “correct” tribe and religion have escaped reprimand. For reasons best known to him, the actions and inactions; speeches and body language of President Buhari leave no one in doubt where he stands on this issue; even his VP is now unable to pretend otherwise. A power superior to Buhari’s is needed to redress the situation since Buhari is set in his perilous ways. To my mind, this is the import of Osinbajo’s statement that, on the surface, looks ordinary but when critically analysed, says a lot. It is a subtle rebuke; whether or not it will do the trick remains to be seen; that, however, should not stop the prayers to move God’s hands from starting or proceeding in earnest.
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IBB: June 12 will not go away quietly

SELF-STYLED military president and evil genius, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, says if he writes his memoirs, no one will read it on account of his annulment of the June 12, 1993 election adjudged the freest and fairest in the country’s history. IBB’s government annulled June 12, as it has come to be known, for reasons yet to be clearly and unambiguously stated. He may be right.

He bemoans that no one ever remembers that he organised the country’s best-ever election; only the annulment is spoken about. Sheer sophistry! What is the use singing IBB’s praises for organising a free and fair election that he turned round to unhinge by himself? Let IBB read William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and learn that the evil that men do lives after them but the good is often interred with their bones.

IBB missed the point again when he dwelt on his friendship with MKO Abiola, winner of that landmark election. It is travesty that a national election was trivialised on the altar of animosity and settling of scores by friends turned mortal foes. No; there is no use for IBB trying to “Maradona” us on June 12. Some broken hearts never mend.

IBB will never come clean. Neither the best Arabian perfumes nor River Jordan will cleanse him of his June 12 leprosy.