As usual, good, bad and ugly events saturated Nigeria’s political scene last week.
In our Politics Roundup, we considered among the events, those very ridiculous including the supposed goof by the former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
Read through to find out other events that also appeared absurd, which made our picks. Aside from picking these events to keep them fresh in our hearts lest we forget them, we also looked at their implications to the nation’s development.
1 Ex-IGP’s goof
Former Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, on Monday, April 5, alleged that the Indigenous People of Biafra was responsible for the attacks on Imo Police Headquarters and the state Correctional Centre all located in the heart of Owerri, the state capital.
In a statement by Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, Adamu had said: “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers, who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons … are members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN).”
Implications: The IGP’s position on Imo attacks smacks of bias and unprofessionalism. He did not only ridicule himself but of also the police profession, Nigeria and its citizens. It was very preposterous how Adamu, with his position as the IGP, would make such a hasty conclusion without any evidence to prove it.
Why it may not be impossible for the agitators to have carried out the act, Adamu should have conducted a thorough investigation backed with evidence before pointing an accusing finger and giving a shoot aside order against the IPOB group.
By his action, he appeared to have justified the claim by some Nigerians that he was biased in handling issues involving killer herdsmen, bandits, many of them are from his ethnic group.
No wonder many Nigerians were happy with his disgraceful act. The former IGP’s action tells how ethnic sentiments remain a serious issue to the nation’s development.
2. Dambazau’s horrible comparison
Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdul-Rahman Dambazau (rtd), on Friday, April 9, said that a South-West group, O’odua People’s Congress and the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra of South-East are extremist groups like the Boko Haram insurgents.
Speaking at the Army War College, Abuja, while delivering a lecture to participants of course 5/2021, he said, “The two groups (OPC and IPOB) have been making efforts to ignite nationwide inter-ethnic conflicts through their violent attacks on northern residents or transacting businesses in the South as a quick way to realise their dream for a divided Nigeria.
“We see parallels between Boko Haram and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), both ethnic extremist groups. All the three groups operate on the platform of extremism.”
Implications: It is difficult to make out any meaning from Dambazau’s comparison of IPOB, OPC with Boko Haram if not that the former army chief expressing primordial and ethnic sentiments.
For a person like Dambazau to have claimed that a terrorist group that have wasted lives and property of Nigerians are the same as agitators who are not known to be destructive or are yet to be found guilty of such, speaks a lot.
If Nigeria must be united, certainly, its elites and stakeholders must be sincere to themselves and call a spade a spade regardless of ethnic, political and religious leaning.
3. El-Rufai’s surprise position on ransom
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Friday, April 9, sustained his position that he would never pay ransom to bandits, kidnappers or any criminal.
The governor speaking during a radio interview on Friday said, “I mean it and I will say it again here. Even if my son is kidnapped, I will rather pray for him to make heaven instead, because I won’t pay any ransom.”
Implications: It is surprising to see Governor El-Rufai, who once told Nigerians that he paid foreign herdsmen to stop slaughtering Nigerians vowing that he would never pay ransom to any criminal even if his own son is kidnapped.
As hard as El-Rufai tries to make Nigerians believe him in his new position, many still doubt him. For them, the governor’s claim is mere politics.
The question El-Rufai may have to provide an answer to is, what has happened to the man who was paid foreign herdsmen who slaughtered his own citizens?
4. Abdulsalami’s lament
A former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), on Wednesday, April 7, cried out over the proliferation of weapons in the country, disclosing that an estimated six million illegal arms are in circulation in Nigeria.
The chairman of the National Peace Committee decried the vexed situation, when he spoke at a dialogue session of the committee with key stakeholders in Abuja.
He said, “The proliferation of all calibre of weapons not only in our sub-region in general and in Nigeria, in particular, is worrying. It is estimated that there are over six million such weapons in circulation in the country.
“This certainly exacerbated the insecurity that led to over 80,000 deaths and close to three million internally displaced persons.”
Implications: The insecurity situation in the country has gone beyond lamentation. It is very ridiculous to think that about six million illegal arms are being circulated illegally in a country with a government.
Rather than cry and lament, Abdulsalami and other statesman and stakeholders should be talking about a solution to the menace and how to get the government to checkmate the evil before it gets out of hand; if it has not already.
It is very possible that the insecurity situation in the country is even worse than currently perceived.
Adesina’s ridiculous attack
On April 9, Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on April 9, in an article titled ‘Nigeria and the war of Tongues’, maintained his habitual attacks on his principal’s critics.
Part of that article read, “You (Buhari’s critics) find all sorts of commentators in the media condemning everything and everybody, but themselves. In their lives, they have probably never been a class monitor, not to talk of school prefect.
“They can’t even run their riotous homes, with obstreperous children and wards, yet they come out to abuse the President daily. Ask them what they have achieved in life, compared to that of the President, and they are blank.”
Implications: It is ridiculous how Buhari’s media handlers often try to use attacks to silence Nigerians from criticizing the president and his perceived failures.
It is important Adesina and his likes learn how to employ constructive criticisms and engagements to address matters rather than always attacking. The Presidency and Buhari’s administration should not forget tenets of democracy and the opportunity it affords citizens. Adesina and his likes should try hiding their hurts and calming down while addressing the concerns of the electorate.