I have not set my eyes on Prof.Funso Aiyejina for about 23 years now but every now and then the sheer musicality of his voice resonates in my ears anytime I flash back to his poetry class.Aiyejina was one of the crop of bright intellectuals at the Literature Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife under whose feet I learned several years back.
The great teachers included: Profs. Biodun Jeyifo, Ropo Sekoni, Oyin Ogunba, G.G. Darah, Adebayo Williams and a host of others.
Aiyejina's poetry class was an exciting one for me as I looked forward each moment to listen to him sing poetry into our ears. Two poems he sang that would never leave my consciousness are "Letter To Lynda" written by him and Odia Ofeimum's "The Poet Lied".
It was the latter that rushed to my memory as I listened to President Goodluck Jonathan address a media chat on national television on Sunday night. Under normal circumstance, the word of a president should flow with so much integrity that people would not ordinarily be tempted to cross-check as any holder of such office would not be expected to speak untruth to his countrymen and women.
However, I've learnt to double check whatever the President says ever since he said he was not aware of Article 7(C) in his party constitution until his opponents brought out his signature at the meeting where the provision was approved. I must say though that I was still ready to grant him the indulgence that he could have suffered some amnesia given that the meeting took place about 6 years earlier.
But my bag of indulgence for him became empty when I heard Dr Jonathan say "Nigerians should not forget that long before the House of Representatives set up its probe I have set up the Ribadu Committee to look into the problems in the oil sector. If I have anything to hide would I go for Ribadu who is accepted as an anti-corruption giant by Nigerians?"
I could not believe my ears that the President of Nigeria would manipulate events that occurred early this year to torture our memory and still keep a straight face.Even a toddler would recall that the House of Representatives convened a special session on Sunday,6th January 2012; to deliberate on the fuel subsidy crisis during which it set up the Lawan Farouk Committee to probe the subsidy regime. It took exactly a moment after, with all the mind-boggling revelations from the House probe for the Petroleum Minister to announce the Nuhu Ribadu Task Force on the petroleum industry.
And shortly after this blatant untruth, one of the panellists asked the president if Nigerians should still trust him in spite of all that have happened in the last one year and he still answered in the affirmative!
Now the big question is how anybody would believe the President when he denied being the director of the Otedola-Farouk opera after telling us that February comes before January and the gap between is "long"?
It was the latter that rushed to my memory as I listened to President Goodluck Jonathan address a media chat on national television on Sunday night. Under normal circumstance, the word of a president should flow with so much integrity that people would not ordinarily be tempted to cross-check as any holder of such office would not be expected to speak untruth to his countrymen and women.
However, I've learnt to double check whatever the President says ever since he said he was not aware of Article 7(C) in his party constitution until his opponents brought out his signature at the meeting where the provision was approved. I must say though that I was still ready to grant him the indulgence that he could have suffered some amnesia given that the meeting took place about 6 years earlier.
But my bag of indulgence for him became empty when I heard Dr Jonathan say "Nigerians should not forget that long before the House of Representatives set up its probe I have set up the Ribadu Committee to look into the problems in the oil sector. If I have anything to hide would I go for Ribadu who is accepted as an anti-corruption giant by Nigerians?"
I could not believe my ears that the President of Nigeria would manipulate events that occurred early this year to torture our memory and still keep a straight face.Even a toddler would recall that the House of Representatives convened a special session on Sunday,6th January 2012; to deliberate on the fuel subsidy crisis during which it set up the Lawan Farouk Committee to probe the subsidy regime. It took exactly a moment after, with all the mind-boggling revelations from the House probe for the Petroleum Minister to announce the Nuhu Ribadu Task Force on the petroleum industry.
And shortly after this blatant untruth, one of the panellists asked the president if Nigerians should still trust him in spite of all that have happened in the last one year and he still answered in the affirmative!
Now the big question is how anybody would believe the President when he denied being the director of the Otedola-Farouk opera after telling us that February comes before January and the gap between is "long"?
I almost passed out when the President admitted that Otedola, Dangote and co have always been around every PDP president from Obasanjo through Yaradua and to him "but they are not patrons of the ruling party since they are not on our Board of Trustees"
And the big one played out in the course of the interview when two numbers were displayed for people to call in and ask the president questions. I felt a practical joke was on for a president who struggles with written speeches to now face live questions. Even the questions from the panel which must have been given to him ahead presented their challenges. Where the president was expected to enunciate concrete policy directives, he kept on saying "did you not listen to the minister when he talked on that", "I don't want to contradict the minister", "I don't want to have the figures of our debts" and "I'm not the one managing the economy but Ngozi Iweala who has reputation". As if he was saying he lacks what N.O.I. has!
My apprehension that the call-in gesture was a gimmick was confirmed as I called the two numbers and none was active. I have since called a lot of respected Nigerians who told me they had a similar experience. Among those who also tried but in vain like me are Prof. Niyi Osundare and Pastor Tunde Bakare. One of the other people I called cracked my ribs when he said "the few calls that made it in could be from Reuben Abati's office".
By and large, it was a punishing task listening to Mr President for two hours Sunday night as he stumbled from one comedy of error to another. Like him saying that he has not declared his asset as a matter of "principle" and that when he did so as Vice-President it was at the insistence of Yaradua whom he told they were creating an "anomalous" situation. He went on the arrogant lane by saying that he would not give a damn if the media talked about his non-declaration of assets till kingdom come. And his parting shot was "is it my declaration of assets that would stop Boko Haram?" But I didn't hear in two hours talking about what he is doing to stop Boko Haram even as his June deadline to exterminate the group remains a few days to end!
If anything all I heard him do was setting agenda for Boko Haram when he said "...the same Boko Haram will start attacking mosques to instigate Muslim youths to attack Christians ".
The most pathetic non-coordination of thought of the night came with the president defending his Brazil trip when Kaduna and Yobe were burning thus: "The day the international community gets to know that the President of Nigeria could not travel because of Boko Haram, we are finished".
But the President within the same interview explained that the reason he had yet to visit Damaturu and Maiduguri, two hottest flash-points of Boko Haram was because the airport is ill-equipped for his plane to land; and that he could not travel by helicopter for security reasons.
Now that the international community know that our president who junkets around the world but cannot maintain airports at home is scared of flying helicopter in his country for the fear of Boko Haram, what is left of us?
Truth is that our rulers, which include President Jonathan, finished us before Boko Haram!
Written by Yinka Odumakin
And the big one played out in the course of the interview when two numbers were displayed for people to call in and ask the president questions. I felt a practical joke was on for a president who struggles with written speeches to now face live questions. Even the questions from the panel which must have been given to him ahead presented their challenges. Where the president was expected to enunciate concrete policy directives, he kept on saying "did you not listen to the minister when he talked on that", "I don't want to contradict the minister", "I don't want to have the figures of our debts" and "I'm not the one managing the economy but Ngozi Iweala who has reputation". As if he was saying he lacks what N.O.I. has!
My apprehension that the call-in gesture was a gimmick was confirmed as I called the two numbers and none was active. I have since called a lot of respected Nigerians who told me they had a similar experience. Among those who also tried but in vain like me are Prof. Niyi Osundare and Pastor Tunde Bakare. One of the other people I called cracked my ribs when he said "the few calls that made it in could be from Reuben Abati's office".
By and large, it was a punishing task listening to Mr President for two hours Sunday night as he stumbled from one comedy of error to another. Like him saying that he has not declared his asset as a matter of "principle" and that when he did so as Vice-President it was at the insistence of Yaradua whom he told they were creating an "anomalous" situation. He went on the arrogant lane by saying that he would not give a damn if the media talked about his non-declaration of assets till kingdom come. And his parting shot was "is it my declaration of assets that would stop Boko Haram?" But I didn't hear in two hours talking about what he is doing to stop Boko Haram even as his June deadline to exterminate the group remains a few days to end!
If anything all I heard him do was setting agenda for Boko Haram when he said "...the same Boko Haram will start attacking mosques to instigate Muslim youths to attack Christians ".
The most pathetic non-coordination of thought of the night came with the president defending his Brazil trip when Kaduna and Yobe were burning thus: "The day the international community gets to know that the President of Nigeria could not travel because of Boko Haram, we are finished".
But the President within the same interview explained that the reason he had yet to visit Damaturu and Maiduguri, two hottest flash-points of Boko Haram was because the airport is ill-equipped for his plane to land; and that he could not travel by helicopter for security reasons.
Now that the international community know that our president who junkets around the world but cannot maintain airports at home is scared of flying helicopter in his country for the fear of Boko Haram, what is left of us?
Truth is that our rulers, which include President Jonathan, finished us before Boko Haram!
Written by Yinka Odumakin
Sadly this Jonathan of a man doesnt know that TRUST is earned. He just keeps telling us to trust him for no reason. Na wa o! OI
ReplyDeleteI dont think there is any politician in Nigeria that doesnt lie, after that is the currency with which they deal with the citizens...
ReplyDeletePlease, am intrigued by Yinka Odumakins's conclusion and I will like to ask him if that conclusion includes his pay masters Buhari and IBB
ReplyDelete@ odumakin.. Waa da gba ! Well done . Same vex in me when I wasted my 2hrs to listen to un-coordinated junks by Mr. President . - Tunday
ReplyDeleteI noticed d fumbling and non cordination of thought by Mr Jonathan at first interview he gave ace Veteran Journalist Christiana Amanpour on CNN on his first visit to d US after he was elected President.
ReplyDeleteEach time he was asked a question,d answer was one incoherent fumble to d other as he wagged his finger in d air! I sat there wondering how a PHD holder as he claims ,could have such an uncordinated trend of thought.
One year after and he is still fumbling tells me dat he is not up to the job! Very soon,ppl wil start taking this man like a joke if he continue to reason like a mental midget and d arrogance he is beginning to exhibit is exactly what d sponsors of Boko Haram needs to rope him in!
Yinka is an ugly bufoon and a stooge of buhari and d north! When he was in AIT he mumblled with d english language and made a lot of Gaffes! He is in No position to critize Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteOponu sowelenu...
DeleteWhat has this issue discussed got to do with the writer. May you rot in your misery... Prove to us that Jonathan has done or even said the right thing while the nation disintegrates under his Balyesan Cap! Ole...
May u also rot in ur misery wt hz d issue discussed got to do wit bayelsa??
DeleteAn animal like Yinka who begs d owner of THISDAY for money,has started again to talk Rubbish about our President, A man who was fired on his job, for talKing like a village man, has d audacity to mess with Jonathan! God punish Yinka and all d animals dat open their corrupt mouths! Ole buruku!!
ReplyDeleteI watched d Interviw of President Jonathan and he came off as some clueless Moron! Asked why he hasn't declared his assets which is by d way a constitutional requirement of Mr President,and he wonders if his asset declaration will tackle d problem of Boko Haram?
ReplyDeleteThis man is a mediocre who needs to brush up his act cos he is beginning to look like a big Embarrassment to Nigeria!
YINKA ADDRESSED D ISSUES, SO U GUYS SHOULD STICK TO THE REAL ISSUES.
ReplyDeleteIn as much as Yinka is from anybody political party
ReplyDeleteHe said the TRUTH!!!
Only if you didnt watch or you just purely sentimental like some Nigerians are!
At this time and age why use dead networks for phone lines@ a presidential chat when even him made use of internet and bulk smsing during his campaign
If he wanted to be patriotic to use Nitel lines what about the internet?
Christiana
What good can come from a stolen throne, a rigged mandate and a regime that came to power through "let's try this man", "let's give it to this tribe" sentiment. Those of us that said we should not trust this man a year ago are not only justified and proved right, but we are laughing at your lack of knowledge of the past. Has anything good come from "aso rock"? We deserve whatever we are getting from GEJ. Did he force himself on us? No! We gave it to him,based on sentiment. Israelites suffered in the hands of their kings when they rejected GOD, even after Samuel had warned them.Now Your Suffering As Just Begun.
ReplyDeleteEven wif all dese heart breakin issues goin on in d country some of u senseless idiots r still goin 2 vote in dat bastard (Jonathan) if e contests for 2nd term
ReplyDelete