End of the Road: For Sultan Machido and Co.?

By

Mahdi Shehu

Mahdi@wwlkad.com

 

 

When a man is said to be elderly, by religious Morality and cultural flavor, he is expected to be choosy of both the company he keeps, the places he visits, the words he utters and for reasons of declining Biological organs, even the food he eats. When he is both elderly and entrusted with the custody of age long cultural values, he is in addition expected to examine carefully and internalize the immediate and slow release effects of all his actions, inactions and reactions to issues, events and circumstances. But by the time he combines old age,  presides over cultural institutions and add it up with religiosity, then in addition to other expectations, he would of necessity require excess stock of caution in dealing with his immediate and lager environment in addition to being miserly in speech and select ive in the language he goes public with. Otherwise, he will be a case of a predictable end.

 

When five weeks ago on this very page, I wrote a two part letter to their royal highnesses, the northern Muslim Emirs, I highlighted certain factors both visible, silent and loud, associated with them that are gradually making it both difficult and impossible to see them being held in high esteem by majority of their subjects as enjoyed by their grand father and even to a greater extent their fathers.  The import of that letter if you like is to the effect that known or unknown to them, royal fathers have since parted ways with their subjects having abandoned them at the eleventh hour (May 1999 to date) unknown to me there were at the verge of parting ways with their “senior bread winners” – the federal government. Thus finding themselves in the cold, having no loyal subjects nor willing federal partner.

 

Between Thursday, the 10th – 19th of March 2005, twenty six (26) regular daily’s, five weekly magazines and eleven Lagos – Ibadan junk and Gossip cheap prints, reported what transpired between Mr Obasano and forty (40) other Northern Muslim traditional rulers along with certain selected Islamic Clerics, under the leadership of Sultan Machido Muhammad. Headlines such as Obasanjo rebuffs Muslim leaders, Sultan Machido disgraced, Obasanjo Disparages Muslim Emirs, Obasanjo silences Machido etc were given prominence.

 

Essentially they were in the villa to complain “on behalf” of the Nigerian Muslims the seeming lopsidedness in the selection of “National Dialogue” nominees particularly the ones appointed by Mr. Obasanjo.

 

After cellular consultations all the Emirs met at Kaduna on Tuesday the 8th of March 2005 preparatory to their Abuja journey the following day. Unknown to them two Emirs defected and left far Abuja by 11:00pm that some Tuesday against the agreed Wednesday Departure date. Later it was discovered that they had an early morning (3:00am) access to the powers that be, thus stabbing their colleagues from the back, hence played the JUDAS.

 

Those who expressed or are still expressing surprise on Mr. Obasonjo’s  reported shabby treatment to the Sultan and Co are either too forgetful, unmindful of history, naďve or both. Going down memory cane, one can recall a dozen instances when he subjected the same delegation to one form of shabby treatment or the other and may be the last is yet to come.

 

When the idea of “Gentlemen” Obasanjo was being peddled on both wholesale and retail measures, most of the Northern Emirs were cheaply enrolled, convinced, Cajoled, enlisted or blackmailed for the dubious project under the very “able” leadership of certain cold, callous and colorless Northerners. If only they had drawn a simple lesson from the antecedents of late Ahmadu Ahiajo of Cameroon and his confident, Paul Biya, who he Ahidjo enthroned against all mature advices and exhortations, and what followed thereafter, they would have acted differently or at least with extreme caution. They did not and that is part of the price they are paying today.

 

All together from May 1999 to date, sultan Machido had cause to lead delegations to the villa twelve times (12). In all only twice they left unscratched and un-insulted. These are when they paid him congratulatory messages during his first coronation and at his second imposition. For the remaining ten visits it was one form of disparaging insult or the other and justifiable too having planted the seed very much capable of germinating to public insult.

 

When they visited Mr. Obasanjo and complained to his (in Nov 1999) on what they perceived as deliberate policy of easing out northern military officers from service on all together subjective, selfish and sadistic criteria (the Paul Biya style), he clearly told them point Blank that retirement, promotion and discipline in the military is a purely professional matter and affair exclusive only to the military. And they kept mum and watched helplessly how officers of Northern extraction were humiliated.

 

When he appointed all his service chiefs and heads of all security outfits and it appeared he showed preference for his tribe only, they visited and complained. Again he told them pointedly that in masters of security religion, region or tribe are secondary (HM.) They heard and left.

 

When at another visit, they complained about the Muslim-Christian ratio in army command positions appointments (1:18), air force (1:15) Ambassadors (30:50), federal permanent secretaries (16:45), ministers (17:41), heads of federal government parastatals (4:46), he lost his temper in full view of the public and told them “statistics could be dangerous and that expediency in democracy is more preferred than plain statistics.

 

At other Sunday visits such as those that have to do with interceding for the Abacha family in the face of official onslaught, detained general Bamauyi, Al – Mustapha & Co, Salisu Buhari’s case, embattled former managing director of bank of the north (Bulama), dredging of River Niger, oil prospecting in the north, disposal of federal government properties, polio vaccine conspiracy, national identity card project etc, it was all avoiding and shifting blames using local Yoruba proverbs and applying his self acclaimed local wisdom coupled with subtle insults and intimidations about the region they come from. Alas: they were all the same (in spite of the serial insults) unable and or unwilling to read the writing on the wall, based on fluid assumptions, when clearly Mr. Obasonjo was blowing his whistle against them.

 

In contrast, senior Yoruba traditional Rulers and leaders of thought visited Mr Obasanjo or he met with them 21 times publicly and secretly only God knows how many times. In non of these visits had he the guts, courage or audacity to disparage, insult or even work out of them in spite of the more than enough occasions warranting that. This is all in spite of his often reported intolerance and high temperament. When he summoned them on ife-modakeke crisis he was appealing to them. Just like when OPC was unlashing terror and death, it was still a subtle appeal to them. When Bola Tinibu was battling with his Toronto qualifications, they met with the president and the matter died silently. When N22billion was misappropriated at the educati on tax board, under the “able” leadership of a Yoruba woman, they paid a visit and the matter was denoted. Their visit on behalf of senator Omisore, a prime murder suspect (then) paid off as he regained freedom and won his senatorial seat from prison. When late Sunday Afolabi became marooned in the identity card project, they quickly paid a visit and the case started dying for want of diligent prosecution, but for death, he would have been a free man, probably a very senior minister. When last they visited Mr. Obasanjo in February 2005, it was to save the neck of “their own” Tafa Balogon, the “most efficient” police officer in the History of Nigeria. And for their visit, Tafa today is as good as free. Mum is the word. So the difference is clear. For one to remain above the law and relevant he must have the blood of oduduwa flowing in him.

 

But if the truth is to be told, and it ought to be told, then the cumulative behavior of Mr. Obasanjo towards the northern Emirs is not without justification. He might have “sized them up” over time and perhaps came to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that, “after all what moral justifications do they have to speak for the Muslims when before their very eyes, some of their state governors who claim to be implementing Sharia are doing more anti-Sharia things with peoples collective resources and there is nothing on the record to show that, they ever called them to order”. Perhaps, he might have seen in them competition in limousine cars, renovated palaces, extended holidays and medical treatments abroad, which contradicts their claim to speaking for the Muslims. If some of them had ever put forward a personal request, than the more his justifications.

 

Mr. Obasanjo might have dropped the names of Dr. Datti Ahmed, Malam Nafi’u Baba Ahmed and Malam Yakubu Musa Katsina on acount of their stand for Islam. But the beauty of his action lies in the fact that he dines with the likes of Gani Adams, airlifts Dokibo Ansari, leaders of Lagos area boys and even gave war lord Chales Tailor unilateral asylum. Carry on Mr. Obasanjo. We are all keenly watching. 

 

These cumulative behaviors of Mr. Obasanjo towards the Northern Muslim traditionalrulers are not without justifications. He might have deployed and factored many parameters, rightly or wrongly in sizing up the royal fathers to the point of his decisions, resolves and elections to treat them as he has been doing with absolute impunity, ignominy and insults. Funnily, ironically and surprisingly, all these insults he has been subjecting them to are in spite of all the documented facts that they were among the first callers to the villa to congratulate  Mr. Obasanjo for “winning “ both the 1999 and 2003  elections.

 

His inner mind might have instigated Mr. Obasanjo to ask many questions in an effort or perhaps out of desperation to justify his actions and reactions towards the Northern Muslims Emirs, such as : what moral(Islamic) justifications do the Emirs have to speak for the Muslims, when before their very eyes, some of there Governors who claim to be implementing shariah are doing and perpetrating more anti shariah things with peoples collective resources and there is nothing on record to suggest that they (royal fathers) ever called them to order  neither  any evidence to the effect  that they have disassociated and distanced themselves from these visible negative deeds of some of their Governors, deeds which on daily , continuous and sustained  bases keep on exposing millions of people (their subjects) to avoidable social, economic, environmental and psychological trauma and hazards by the day and all year through.

 

Or perhaps, he might have seen in there quest, acquisition, propensity and competition in limousine cars, renovated, restructured, rehabilitated and tastefully furnished palaces, purchase and breeding of local and foreign horses, frequent medical trips and extended holidays abroad, squandering of large sums of monies when their children are getting married or when organizing ego massaging durbars etc as contradicting their claims to be speaking  for the Muslims , more so when the resources they expend or are being expended on there behalf by both their local and state governments, colossal as the resources are , are both sufficient and adequate enough to be deployed in addressing pressing and substantial social  problems pervading their domains.

 

Or even the moments he recalls how he is being bombarded by some of the royal fathers, for one personal request or the other (not on behalf of the Muslims), it simply further emboldens Mr. Obasanjo to go on rampage towards the Emirs. And such instances abound. Some two month ago, the Magajin Gari of one of the very senior Northern Emirs escorted his Emir to the villa where they met with Mr. Obasanjo for about one hour thirty minutes. When it was time for them to go and mid way to seeing them off, the tall Magajin Gari  went close to Mr. Obasanjo and whispered to him the need to have something for the royal father. Mr. Obasanjo thanked the Magajin Gari and went back immediately and re emerged with two parcels which he handed over to the Magajin Gari with loud instructions that the blue parcel is for Baba (the royal father) and the white one is for you the Magajin Gari for reminding me.

 

 

While inside the CVU vehicle which was conveying them back to the guest house, the royal father directed the Magajin Gari who was seating along with the driver, to open the two parcels and tell him whether they contain local or foreign currency. It turned out that the Royal fathers parcel contains ten bundles (20,000 per bundle) of #200 denominations, thus #200,000.00 and that of the Magajin Gari  contained  five bundles (10,000 per bundle) of #100 denominations, thus #50,000.00 . If Mr. Obasanjo‘s insults are being promoted and encourage by these type of avoidable self inflicting inj uries then one can see some justifications. Because it is most un royal and a persons with such material propensity can not in all honesty succeed in being respected particularly when he goes with the coloration, flavor and garb of religion.

 

It may also turnout to be that he saw in some of them clear unwillingness to account for monies send to their emirates in the past, monies which were directly deducted from the monthly subventions of their local governments, monies that were both huge and colossal, knowing fully or having being informed, or having gone out of his way to enquire, Mr. Obasanjo might have discovered that Islam insist on continuous bases that those who happen to be presiding over peoples resources must account for them as at and when due and must offer sufficient explanation about those resources when ever asked by whosoever no matter the time of the day or night .

 

Mr. Obasanjo might have realized that the Emirs are not in unison, they are fictionalized along so many lines. They are not totally united. They can not speak with one voice even if they appeared to. They have a Judas or two among them who can do any thing for money and consequently he reassured himself that insulting them the way he has been doing carries little or no consequence along with it. Thus he gets more emboldened.

 

By the time Mr. Obasanjo saw traditional rulers all over the country demanding for constitutional roles, it might have downed on him that they are more of active politicians than people representing a cultural milieu or a religious influence there by making it easy for him to subject them to all the indignities. Even the way and manner they dispense traditional titles to different type of character would have encourage Mr. Obasanjo to refuse believing them  when ever they present themselves as accredited representatives of the Muslims.

 

Mr. Obasanjo might have dropped the names of Dr. Datti Ahmad, Mallam Nafi’u Baba Ahmed, and Sheik Yakubu Musa Katsina on account of their stand for Islam. But the beauty of Mr. Obasanjo’s action in relation to the people he dropped from the Sultan’s Entourage is that, he dines with the likes of Murderer Ganiyu Adams, air lifts Dakibo Asari, wrote a thank you letter to disgraced Tafa Balogun, two month before his purported resignation, associates with Senator Omisore, who was a former prime murder suspect and even unilaterally gave illegal political asylum to war monger Charles Taylor.

 

Carry on Mr. Obasanjo. We are all watching as you personally elect to push your self to a tall wall that will be difficult or impossible for you to climb even with a ladder or Julius Berger crane made available to you.

 

Mahdi Shehu

Mahdi@wwlkad.com