June 12th: On listening to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Address to the Nation on Democracy Day in Nigeria.
Cornelius Hamelberg
My Better Half has her Book Club people over to dinner this evening. A few minutes ago, I told one of them ( all women),” Today is Democracy Day in Nigeria and Russia”
She asked me, “Do they have democracy there ?”
I asked her, “Which do you mean, Nigeria or Russia? “
She didn’t answer. Maybe, she at all costs ( typically Swedish) wanted to avoid direct confrontation and palaver.
I told her the story of Chief Moshood Abiola winning the most free and fair 1993 Presidential Election in Nigeria and then being thrown in jail by the Nigerian Military , and that that's where he eventually died.
As the old Saro saying goes,” He who is down fears no fall” - and I for one am not that ambitious, I don’t want to be the next president here or anywhere else. Unlike some of the sycophants, I am not canvassing for promotion anywhere; nor do I need to do any ass-licking to ascend to some kind of glory; or posthumous glory. I have no permanent enemies. As Igboland’s greatest highlife guitarist Oliver De Coque sang in Identity
“Mama advice, make I respect all my seniors
Always cut my coat according to my size”
I guess that’s why I can afford to stick my head out like this - first into the uncharted waters of the cooking pot.:I haven’t even phoned Baba Kadiri and that’s because I don’t want whatever opinions he might have on Jagaban’s address to the nation to influence my own first impression/s and first-hand perception ,unduly. Baba can be very persuasive without ever sounding self-righteous or holier-than- thou. I haven't phoned a certain someone else, because I don’t want him to pollute my ears or try to poison my mind with his negativity.
This is the very first time that I have ever listened to a Nigerian President addressing his nation on Democracy Day, a National Holiday in Nigeria.
I could understand President Tinubu perfectly because he had not chosen to convey his message in Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani or Kalabari. He rightfully chose to address his people in HIs Majesty's English, Nigeria’s official language. Of course, if he had chosen to address everybody in the Igbo Language, some people would have regarded that choice of language as a provocation, and if he had .started in Arabic, with Audhu billahi mina shaitan nir rajim and then continued with the real beginning, Bismillah hir rahman ir rahim - Tony Adepoju would have started braying or praying that we need look no further for evidence of Muslim dominance marching forward to declaring Nigeria a Democratic Muslim Republic.
To the point :The Jagaban struck me was being very much his own man. Strong-willed, force of personality - he will not be led astray by some cabal which would like to keep him in the dark about what’s actually going on and start manipulating him like a puppet on steroids or a puppet on strings.
With complete presence of mind he started in 1993, the tragic point in the history of democracy in Nigeria and the message must have gone home to the real losers, causing them and all of us to think, reflect…..
I have ended this short introduction where it should actually begin
To be continued….