New NIA DG and Matters Arising

SATURDAY POLSCOPE 

I had thought the only angst against the appointment of Ahmed Rufai Abubakar as the new Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is the fact that he is from the northern part of the country, the same region that has been begrudged for grabbing all the juicy posts, especially in the security architecture of the country. I had expected that President Buhari , in exercise of his discretion, would, out of public expediency, appoint somebody from the southern part, especially South East, if nothing else, to assuage the complaints of marginalisation.

But it is intriguing to hear of all the campaigns that have been stacked against Mr Abubakar.

First it was said he is a Chadian, not a Nigerian. Then, they say he is not qualified having failed to be a Director in the agency. But this 65-year old man has been working in various agencies in and outside Nigeria, all his life. How come his nationality question had never arisen?

He had worked in Katsina State government, worked in United Nations office for West Africa, Dakar, worked in African Union United Nations Hybrid operations in Dafur; worked as political adviser to the Multi National Joint Taskforce which had its headquarters in Ndjamena, Chad Republic, and until his recent appointment was serving as Senior Special assistant to Mr President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations. So while he was in all these other services, it did not matter whether he was a Nigerian or Chadian?  Does his brief stint in Chad while working with MNJTF or having schooled in Chad make him a Chadian? How many people school in foreign countries and yet retain their native nationalities?

Last Thursday, some petitioners claiming to be Directors in the NIA wrote to the House of Representatives, using pseudonyms (which vitiate the veracity of the petition), rehashing some of the rumours and ill campaigns against Abubakar, threatening to leak vital national intelligence to hostile countries if the appointment of Abubakar was not reversed. Talk of treachery and seditious blackmail!

They however did not say the President lacks the power and discretion to appoint whom he wants, a man who has acquired cognate experience in the service, armed with a Master’s Degree etc. The petitioners seem to be afraid of their shadows and thus their arguments lack critical logic. But one thing good is that they have drawn public attention to the agency and Nigerians will be watching to see what A.R Abubakar will do with his new-found powers. We hope he proves his critics wrong on all counts.

Gentleman, Niyi Adebayo is 60

It was sometime in 1997, Idowu Ajanaku, now an aide of Gov Akinwunmi Ambode and I, had booked an interview with then-dashing young man who was stepping out of his paternal luxury into the notorious murky waters of politics. We were both of The Guardian Newspapers at the time. The young Richard Adeniyi Adebayo had aligned, then with the defunct United Nigerian Congress Party (UNCP), being coordinated by Dr Bode Olajumoke, at the time.  Mr Niyi Adebayo wanted to be governor of his home state, Ekiti. But he was a typical Lagos Boy, who looked too burnished for the rough tackles of politics. But that afternoon, after the interview, he not only impressed us, he convinced us that he understood what he was going into.

I recall that the headline of our interview was, “I will Never Steal a Kobo from Ekiti Government Coffers”. Two years later, under a new political dispensation, (after the collapse of the political machination of the five leprous fingers of the late Gen Sani Abacha), Niyi Adebayo was elected as the first executive governor of Ekiti State. He was the third-youngest governor at the time. Saminu Turaki (Jigawa) and Donald Duke (Cross River) were the first and second youngest respectively.

At the time, Ekiti and Kogi States were almost always at the lowest rung of the FAAC allocation table. Very little was their federal allocation. But Niyi Adebayo, a lawyer, was determined to grow the pristine state from its rustic status. And because he wanted to carry his party men along, he was almost always at his wit’s end trying to get everybody on board. I recall how he would fractionalize the contract of a single drainage among several party men, each taking some meters or so.

Even then, he embarked on some great projects like rebuilding the then Owena Hotels, building what Rueben Abati, then called Bulletproof Legislators’ Quarters, along with several road projects.

While Adebayo governed Ekiti State, the incidents of crime and violence were rarely heard. The state was remarkably peaceful, until the political Buccaneers took over and we started hearing of assassinations and all sorts of violence and social disquiet.

And while he was yet planning to consolidate and raise the bar of governance in the state, the old fox called President Olusegun Obasanjo tricked them out of office. And the rest, they say, is history.

But ever since he left office in 2003, Niyi Adebayo has remained one of the very few former governors (in the class of 1999) that has held his head verily high, and has continued to earn public respect, as he kept to his vow of not stealing a kobo from the Ekiti purse. He has one of the cleanest records of public service in Nigeria.  It was not so much because there wasn’t quite enough to steal, because many of his successors have been enmeshed in the deep dye of corruption allegations, but because he is a perfect gentleman that went, saw and conquered the allure and fad to be roguish.

Humble, amiable and unassuming, Otunba Adebayo, a consummate politician and loyal chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to operate like a silent colossus both in the business and political terrains. Sitting cool on the board of many companies, he has managed to sustain his political career by keeping in touch with his allies and friends, one of whom I am.

Few years ago, when I turned 50, I had invited Otunba and his elegant stallion of a wife, Erelu Angela Adebayo to the thanksgiving service in my church. He refused to confirm if he would attend. I was impressively surprised to find that he  arrived the church premises with his wife, even before me, waiting for the service to commence.

Ever since then, he has remained a great boss, friend and confidant.

By next Thursday, the young man will hit the Diamond age even as he still looks 40ish. I join his many followers and friends to wish him a Happy Birthday and many greater feats in the years ahead.

Canticles…

Obasanjo: Patriot or Parrot?

I hear the old man is making effort to re-launch himself in the political arena.

Which old man?

Who else? Can’t you fill the gap? I am talking of Chief Olusegun Aremu Matthew Okikiola Obasanjo

Oh, the latest Ph.D holder in town?

That reminds me, did that old man really read for Ph.D at 80 plus?

Are you doubting the degree? It is not honorary. The old man can be focused, you know. He studied for it and got it. If you have read any of his books, you will know he is a doctoral material.

So, as I was saying, you know Baba is an exceptional extrovert: restless and vocal. A man who has been a friend of fate. A man on whom God has been so kind. A man whose life has been intertwined with the Nigerian story…

A man who….

(cuts in) Enough of this citation. What exactly are you driving at? Just shoot straight.

Ok. You have followed this his letter to President Buhari?

Yes, what about it? Did he not speak the truth? Anyone who disagrees with the content of that letter is not a friend of Nigeria. Look, that letter spoke the minds of many Nigerians. It echoes the grumblings and noises among the hapless, and many are they.

So you are admitting that former president Obasanjo was merely playing to the gallery? He was speaking so he can appear to be on the side of the people? Have you asked yourself why he is speaking only now? Did he not admit in the letter that he was one of the promoters of the Buhari presidency? Why is he regretting now? And pray, why is he often getting it wrong? He chose and foisted President Yar’adua on Nigerians. He could barely do two years before he joined his ancestors and then ex-President Jonathan became a Philistinic consequence. Here again, he chose and propped up President Buhari… now he is regretting and trying to form a political party, even though he claims it is a mere movement. But have you not seen from the launch of the Coalition for National Movement last Wednesday in Abuja, that it has all the trappings of a political party?  How can a man gather confirmed politicians like Olgunsoye Oyinlola, Donald Duke etc.,  on the eve of a national election and claim that it is a mere movement? Can’t you see through the gimmick?

Before you do a critique of the intent, let’s look at the content. You will admit that everything Obasanjo said about the Buhari government is verily true: the great expectations of Nigerians have been reduced to monumental disappointment on all fronts. And that is why there is a huge disenchantment among the populace.

That is not exactly true. In fact, there is a great appreciation among the larger majority that Buhari has re-ordered the national value in many areas. He is still very popular among the discerning members of the public. Those who see beyond the kleighlight of political showmanship. Imagine Nigeria Customs raking in over one trillion Naira last year. Never before have we had this. Imagine NIMASA and JAMB paying huge sums into the Nigerian purse. Something that was an anathema even under the Obasanjo presidency. Look, it depends on how you see the feats. If you look at it from the eye of a partisan critic, you will not see any good thing he has done. But if you look at it with the eye of a constructive critic, you will discover that a lot has been done to strengthen the Nigerian federation on all fronts. Imagine the steady growth of the foreign reserves and all that.

(raising the index finger) Don’t go there! Of what use is a swelling foreign reserve when hunger is driving many to commit suicide back at home? Please don’t go there at all.

But do you realize that this same Obasanjo ‘s failure to lay a solid foundation in the eight years of his presidency is what is still plaguing us today? All the battles with electricity, public infrastructure, health and education amongst other is all because his administration failed to set the right model on which those sectors can run. Even as a farmer, do you know that the Obasanjo administration was very huge on the importation of food items including even beans from Niger and Mali? Can’t you see that he’s been more of a parrot than a patriot?

Look, you are missing the point. This conversation is not about Obasanjo and what he did or what he failed to do. Don’t focus on the messenger to the detriment of the message.

And let me note that irrespective of what you think, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is one of Africa’s most respected Statesmen. He is a global icon who is quite informed and respected across the board. If you disparage him, it will simply confirm that a prophet has no regard in his home.

I am not disparaging Baba. I am only saying that he is such an acidic critic who is almost always playing to the gallery. He courts public applause and attention. He says he has both age and authority. But you wont forget he had craved and worked for a third term in office before the plan failed, even though he denies it today. That project was what sank Senator Ibrahim Mantu’s political career. Now Baba says Buhari should not run for a second term. He has only one vote just like you and I. Let Nigerians decide. Nobody knows who his new organization (CNM) will throw up. There is no guarantee that he won’t get it wrong again. So….

(Cuts in) … So, let’s see new faces. We are tired of the old foxes who play the rest of Nigerians like pawns on the chess board. Or didn’t you see how Obasanjo and Buhari were laughing so heartily during the week in Addis Ababa, while we are at each other’s throat here in defence of either Obasanjo or Buhari? ? Let’s have something fresh. Away from the toxic crowd of the past. That is what I believe. Nigeria is blessed. We cannot be told that out of the 180 million people, it is these tired actors on the stage are the only ones who can ride the Nigerian horse, according to Baba Obj.

Hmmmm. It is easier said than done. Nigeria is complex and deep. The raw emotions of the social media are not what drive the dynamics of Nigerian politics.  But I agree with you that we need someone fresh and young, something like our own George Weah.