“We used to hear of land-grabbing. One notable traditional ruler reportedly grabbed a sizable portion of land belonging to a first-generation university in the South-west… Some have been fingered in illegal mining, which fuels insecurity all over the country (but now, traditional rulers as kidnapping kingpins) is spreading like fire in a harmattan haze.”
“Last week we discussed ‘Yes, Daddy’ and his chances in 2027…”
“Yes! At the moment, ‘Yes, Daddy’ appears lost in the wilderness of Nigerian politics. Or don’t you know that Nigerian politics is a forest of demons?“
“I am hearing that for the very first time!”
“Ah! Then you don’t know anything. Nigeria’s political landscape is populated by legions of demons more terrifying than those in D. O. Fagunwa’s ‘Igbo Irunmale’…”
“That is serious! It then means only the ‘akoni’, ‘ogboju-ode’, and ‘aranmada’ can survive there!”
“Not even all of them! Politics here is a game of the audacious, what in those childhood days we called the forests where mothers’ prying or dotting eyes cannot be of help to any child. ‘Igbo odaju’! ‘Igbo oju olomo o to”!
“The more reason why ‘Yes, Daddy’ should thrive! Won’t his spiritual daddy cast out the demons?“
“Which spiritual daddy? There are demons and there are demons! There are local government-level demons; governorship-level demons, and presidential-level demons”
“Wonderful! But all demons are to be cast out nonetheless…”
“Even the disciples of Jesus Christ could not cast out some demons. Tell me, are Yes Daddy’s spiritual fathers more anointed than Peter, James, John, Andrew and the other disciples who ate from the hand of Jesus?“
“I see! Even Jesus said some demons cannot be cast out except by prayer and fasting…”
“That is the point! With the easy life available to many men and women of God these days, how many are still fasting and praying like the prophets of old?“
“I see your point! With the way they are acquiring property and living life to the hilt like the epicureans, how many of them still have enough space left in their stomach for the Holy Ghost?”
“Besides, Jesus Himself described the devil as the prince of this world. If he comes to you and finds his property or something with you, you are done for!”
“I see! Do you think if he visits Yes Daddy he will find something?“
“Plenty! Have you seen a stinking rich man that does not have skeletons in his or her cupboard? How many of them can stand the devil’s scrutiny? Since Yes Daddy lost the last election, how many times has he visited all the churches he went visiting before the election?”
“That is a very serious one. We should even ask whether he has called his daddy ever since! But one thing that intrigues me is when the devil tempted Jesus and told Him that the whole world and its glory had been handed over to him, Jesus did not dispute it…”
“How can He when He knew the devil spoke the truth? It is even possible that the devil speaks more truth than many so-called children of God these days! Didn’t Jesus tell us that His own true followers are in this world but are not of this world?”
“I simply cannot understand that! How can you be in a place and not be of the place?“
“The choice is yours! Jesus’s government is not of this world. His disciples were disappointed when they learnt that bitter truth the hard way. It was a lesson they were least prepared for. If you want to participate in the government of this world, the prerequisites are different from those required for the Kingdom of Heaven”
“Who, then, will salvage this country?“
“A God-sent will, but he must be prepared to commit what the Marxists call class suicide. He must deny his class interests and side with the masses…”
“What is bad about that? Isn’t that what we are clamouring for? A people-oriented government…”
“Ask Murtala Muhammed! Ask Lagbaja! If you are afraid to ask questions here, ask Patrice Lumumba! Ask Salvador Allende. The list is endless!”
“One thing I know is this: in God’s own time, He will deliver His people!”
“Amen! But let the people themselves first realise that the ingredients for a pot of ‘okra’ soup are not the same as for ‘gbegiri’ ”
“What has soup got to do with what we are discussing?“
“Plenty! The criteria for the kingdom of God are different from those for the kingdom of this world. The wisdom of our people teaches that to eat “gboin-gboin”, you must lock your door “gboin-gboin. But here, we muddle up things”
“I don’t understand…”
”You should! Tell me, when two religious countries, Israel and Iran, fought the other day, they hauled prayers at each other, abi?“
“Prayer ke? Bombs and missiles!”
“Oh-ooo! But did that mean they did not also pray?“
“I cannot really say!”
“They must have! Didn’t Nigerian Christians and Muslims also pray for the side they supported? There is a place for prayer but technology has taken over the world. Don’t make the mistake of applying prayer when technology is needed. Don’t deceive yourself saying ‘Yes, Daddy’ all over the place when your competitors are out there cutting the ground from under your feet…”
“But Obi is a leading partner in the ADC coalition…”
“For where? He is unequally yoked with people more sinister and smarter than himself. He is floating at the moment. He has not formally joined. His legs are shaking in Labour. He is also said to be eyeing a return to PDP now that the party has zoned its presidential ticket to the South…”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“That is what you get when you over-price yourself. When a footballer over-prices himself, no matter how good he is, he ends up in the less fancied leagues of USA, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, rubbing shoulders with players like Ronaldo and Messi that have seen better days in the ivy leagues of Europe!”
“But he came a respectable third in the last presidential election…”
“The people who came first and second, have they left the field? His credential is that he has been a two-term governor; so also has el-Rufai, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf Aregbesola among others. In addition, unlike Obi, those ones had also been Ministers…”
“But he has six million plus votes in his kitty…”
“Buhari’s 12 million votes amounted to nothing until he joined forces with Tinubu. Nigeria’s successful politicians have learnt useful lessons from the hyenas which hunt together. Our people say failure to bind together makes snakes easy prey for enemies.”
“That is deep. What, then, is the way out for Yes, Daddy?”
“Fortunately, age is still on his side. He should learn from the masters of the game. How many years did it take Tinubu to garner the audacity to say Emilokan?”
“Decades, not years!
“You see! Build solid bridges – handshake across the Niger and bridges across the Benue. Desperation, blackmail, intimidation and impatience take you nowhere. But we have allowed Yes Daddy to take up our time again today! There is a much more serious issue that we cannot leave till next week. You must have heard the news?“
“What news?”
“That traditional rulers are the new kidnapping kingpins in many states of the federation!”
“No longer the Fulani herdsmen and bandits? “
“Those ones are still active in the illicit and dastardly business, but an increasing number of traditional rulers have joined them”
“We used to hear of land-grabbing. One notable traditional ruler reportedly grabbed a sizable portion of land belonging to a first-generation university in the South-west …”
“Not only that! Some have been fingered in illegal mining, which fuels insecurity all over the country. Remember we mentioned the case of two traditional rulers in Kwara state and their wives caught in the web of kidnapping for ransom?“
“Yes, yes, yes! We also mentioned the case of the one from Osun state jailed for 419 in the US…”
“Making at least two Osun state traditional rulers that have been convicted in the same US…”
“Which is the other one? I am not familiar with that…
“Ah-aah? The emir…“
“Yes, yes, yes!”
“Now, it is spreading like fire in a harmattan haze. A traditional ruler in Imo state was paraded over kidnapping and robbery. Another one and a pastor were arrested for kidnapping in the same state. In Enugu state, a traditional ruler, his wife, son and five others were paraded by the police over the abduction of a 20-year-old medical student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In Edo state, a traditional ruler has been arrested by the police for collaborating with Fulani herdsmen to attack Igueben train station, kidnapping 20 passengers and two railway workers. A Chief in Ondo state was arrested for kidnapping and raping a 12-year-old. Kidnapping and killing were said to have become so rampant in a community in Edo state that the state governor had to suspend its traditional ruler. In another community in the same Edo, the police have begun investigation into the activities of the monarch and one police officer over kidnapping allegations”
“I am lost for words!”
“Where there is no consequence for bad behaviour, impunity reigns!”
FORMER EDITOR OF PUNCH NEWSPAPERS, CHAIRMAN OF ITS EDITORIAL BOARD AND DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BOLAWOLE WAS ALSO THE MANAGING DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE WESTERNER NEWS MAGAZINE. HE WRITES THE ON THE LORD’S DAY COLUMN IN THE SUNDAY TRIBUNE AND TREASURES COLUMN IN NEW TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPER ON WEDNESDAYS. HE IS ALSO A PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST ON RADIO AND TELEVISION.
turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533, 0803 251 0193
