ZIK GBEMRE WORRIES AS WAVE OF COUP D’ETAT IN AFRICA CANNOT BE WISHED AWAY BY CORRUPT CIVILIAN LEADERSHIPS
The wave of coup d’etat sweeping through Africa is worrisome and stakeholders need to reflect on arresting the trend.
Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had cautioned in one of his public speeches that politicians are often blinded by power of office, such as president, governor, speaker, security officers, or sundry public offices.
His advice was for politicians not to choke the populace, if not young people could revolt against the government, citing examples of how he was sensitive to the feelings of the populace when he was in power.
He pointed to the danger in Burkina Faso where the president as stipulated in their constitution had no vice/deputy, and the speaker of national parliament acted in the absence of the sitting president. But Burkinabe youths revolted when then president made to influence the national parliament to elongate tenure with a third term.
Burkinabe people matched to the Parliament and the speaker ran for his life. They proceeded to the state House. The president escaped to another country, paving the way for the military takeover now in place.
Jonathan advised politicians and heads of government not to take for a ride the powerless masses who could mobilise against their leaders if society is squeezed. He advised them not to be intoxicated with power, that society is becoming more enlightened.
Though, Jonathan was power drunk himself at the helm of political power, he handed over peacefully to Mohammadu Buhari when he lost the 2015 elections. In his government then he surrounded himself with violent militants like Boyloaf, Tompolo, and others who were working from the Office of the NSA Sambo Dasuki.
I still recollect how Boyloaf called to threaten me when I spoke against then Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke when she donated Shell divested assets to NPDC/NNPC and bragged, “With me here is NSA in his office I am Gen Boyloaf speaking.”
Jonathan’s administration on power sharing to his home South South Zone was clannish in favour of his Ijaw folks majorly and his wife’s people in River state, of course, same way Buhari also favoured his Fulani people more.
I am impressed that Jonathan could see clearly in the end. I think the impunity leaders exercised in the past can no longer be tolerated by the people due to the power of the media and social media.
A data of one hundred naira can make any story go viral, yet politicians have not learnt from past mistakes in my opinion. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s NDDC board appointments is evident of the fact that Tinubu is undermining the people. The MD of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku was retained and other directors first appointed with him sacked.
Is he the only indigene of Bayelsa state that is qualified? Bernard Okumagba was appointed and cleared by Senate as Managing director of NDDC. That board wasn’t allowed to sit one day. He was removed with other directors duly cleared by Senate. No wrong done by the board, but Buhari used a fake forensic audit not to inaugurate the board led by Okumagba.
Bernard Okumagba was reappointed by Buhari as Director representing Delta to join the Ogbuku led board already in office. Again that board was dissolved by Tinubu with Okumagba not tasting a day in office, yet Tinubu retained Ogbuku as Sole Administrator.
Is Tinubu fair to Nigerians now. Does he mean well. I am highly disappointed that Tinubu is running a ‘paddy paddy’ administration. Tinubu has easily forgotten the past all of a sudden due to power intoxication of the Presidency and Commander-In-Chief. What a shame for the Jagagban.
MILITARY REGIMES ARE EVIL AND BAD, THOSE WHO CHEER SEIZURE OF POWER ULTIMATELY WILL REGRET IT WITH TIME. MILITARY REGIMES ARE NOT GOOD OPTION FOR ANY COUNTRY. I THINK GOOD GOVERNANCE WILL TOTALLY ERADICATE MILITARY TAKEOVERS IN AFRICA.
Politicians should strive to eradicate economic slavery of Nigerians and bring about a vibrant economy, not by ‘paddy paddy’ leadership. No foreigner will build your economy. It is our responsibility as Nigerians to develop Nigeria and certainly not through military regimes.
The politicians who are the ‘PATRICIANS’ shouldn’t undermine the powerless ‘PLEBEIANS’. It is dangerous to push them to the wall.
Only good and transparent governance can sustain democracy in Nigeria and all of Africa.
Civilian leaders in Africa are now scared of the wave of coups d’etat that are spreading in the continent, but only good governance will sustain democracy and this is the best time to put in their best in running credible administrations at all levels.
Everything currently is politicised. What has representatives of North West, North Central and North East got to do in NDDC board? What is the relevance of having directors from Northern Nigeria in NDDC, to do what? Is it not shameful for those national assembly members to input that in NDDC Act, directors from Northern Nigeria must be appointed in NDDC board?
Nigeria and Africa are shying away from genuine development with all sorts of nonsense. Think of the trending story on former Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, now Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, being allegedly involved in bribery scandal for collecting money from those who lobbied for ministerial and board appointments.
If this story is true and Tinubu doesn’t get rid of him then nothing good will come out of his administration. Chief of Staff office is not a creation of the constitution. It is a domestic appointee of the president who seems to be more powerful than the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF).
Chief of staff is the sheer domestic secretary of the president. That office duplicates the SGF’s roles. In US there is no SGF. They have the chief of staff. In Nigeria, the constitution recognises the SGF. I don’t know why an office that has no defined roles in Nigeria is super powerful just like the office of the First Lady.
Nigeria’s democracy is shaking and it is only Nigerians that can fix it.
Frequent coups d’etat in Africa are avoidable if there is good and transparent governance and not ‘paddy paddy’ one.
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