Agreed! These quotes are not entirely new. They keep on coming at intervals. They have become a singsong of sorts. But we cannot be tired of them. They are evergreen and eternal, until they are adequately addressed.
The utterances are really words on marble. They are new each time they appear. They are a form of renewal, the very reason they refuse to go away, and will never go away anyway.
Though we are blessed with acute short memories, these ones have refused to depart from our hearts. They are differently unique. That is why we meditate on them in the morning, afternoon and evening. We talk about them when we lie down and when we wake up.
You see why we are pained to the marrow that those concerned ignore us. They pretend like they never said so. They care less if our ox is gored or bruised brutally. They carry on as if nothing happened, that our feelings never matter, not even in these critical and perilous times.
We cannot deny this fact. They obviously spoke to some of our pressing needs then. We are equally mindful of their dirty tricks, those were never lost on us. We were very much aware they were merely appealing to our sentiments.
They realised we were and still are gullible. They knew we would fall for it. And we did to their admiration, as we coasted along almost effortlessly. They loved that.
So? They crudely explored and exploited that to their own selfish and maximum advantage. They feasted so well on our perceived ignorance. They had the correct idea of what we wanted. And gave it to us in good and full measures. Do you blame them?
We were turned to a chessboard. We became ready pawns in the game of power politics. We were used, abused and dumped. These are irritant and typical Nigerian politicians. They are office seekers for the sake of it only. They are doing what they know how to do best: DECEIT!
Honest. We need a deserved break from the huge mess in NDDC and EFCC. Let the dead bury the dead. Not that we are sweeping those damaging national concerns under the carpet. No, far from it. But, sincerely, we merit a reprieve and relief from those houses of rot and shame.
Let us look back and brainstorm a little. How far, so far? And we would rely heavily on these words on marble; a collector’s collection. No mischief, no pranks intended.
Let’s get serious. It is high time we held our leaders accountable. No more frivolities, no more trivialities. Speakers of these quotes should stand up and be counted. Are they truly walking their talk? Great doubt!
You would be devastated about the integrity of these leaders after taking the pains to go through these quotes again. It is a sad reminder. Then you would appreciate why we are where we are today.
Perhaps, they took us for granted. They did not know we would take genuine notice. These samplers were picked from a WhatsApp platform. Very damning indeed: “A serious government will fix power problem in six months.” – Babatunde Raji Fashola, November 12, 2014. Fashola, now Minister of Works and Housing, spoke as governor of Lagos State.
“Stone us if we do not perform after two years.” – Tony Momoh, The Guardian.” April 3, 2016. Momoh, ex-Minister of Information, famous for his Letters to My Countrymen, spoke as chieftain of the APC.
“The only way to have stable electricity is to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party.” – Babatunde Raji Fashola, The Nation, July 12, 2014.
“We seriously frown at President Goodluck Jonathan, over the unceremonious removal of the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu.” – APC, August 4, 2014.
“It is time to restructure Nigeria: The present situation of things where all component units get monthly allocations from the Federal Government only makes the states lazy and unproductive.” – Nasir El-Rufai, August 2010. El-Rufai is Governor, Kaduna State.
“Jonathan should resign if he has no solution to the violence being unleashed on some parts of the country.” – Nasir El-Rufai, August 2012.
“The only solution to the present political uncertainty in the country is for the National Assembly to set machineries in motion for the impeachment of ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.” – Muhammadu Buhari, Daily Sun,” March 10, 2010.
“Waste: Let me give an instance, presently, there are more than six aircraft in the presidential fleet. What do you call that? Billions of naira is budgeted every year for the maintenance of these aircraft not to talk of operational cost and other expenses.
“We intend, for instance, to bring back our national carrier, the Nigerian Airways. We shall do this by bringing all the aircraft in the presidential fleet into the Nigerian Airways and, within a year increase the fleet into about 20.
“Why do I need to embark on a foreign trip as a president with a huge crowd with public funds? Why do I need to go for foreign medical trip, if we cannot make our hospitals functional?” – Muhammadu Buhari, February 2015, speaking with Nigerians in UK.
“Why is the nation’s currency, the naira, now trading for N180 per dollar, while the South African rand is trading at R11 to one dollar?” – Babatunde Raji Fashola, December 26, 2014.
“Give Nigerians a daily update on the health of President Umaru Yar’Adua to stem the growing rumours surrounding his state of health.” – Lai Mohammed, December 21, 2009. Mohammed spoke as APC Publicity Secretary.
“Amaechi is not only clean but a tool to free Nigeria from the corruption imposed on us by those who hate our nation.” – APC, October 24, 2016. Rotimi Amaechi was two-term governor, Rivers State, on the platform of PDP. He is now Minister of Transport under APC.
“The recent proscription of Boko Haram and Ansaru violates the Constitution.” – Lai Mohammed, June 10, 2013.
Our leaders are comfortably long in words but tragically short in actions. This awkward collection of quotes exposed the deception in our leaders. It punctured their self-righteousness. It nailed them as pathological liars through and through.
They are outrageously shameless, very unrepentant. They brazenly speak from both sides of their dirty mouths. They are loud and noisy.
Let us be cautious of what we say and do today. People are watching and taking note. Never take them for granted. It is risky. Tomorrow is equally waiting anxiously.