Mantu's Diabolical Hypocricy and the 3^rd Term Conspiracy

By

tanimu umar

tanimuu@yahoo.com

 

 

Sometimes in 2002 I happened to be in a restaurant waiting for the transmission of a live football match in Jos, the Plateau state capital. Before the kick off an NTA news update was been broadcasted during which the deputy senate president, Ibra him Nasiru Mantu, was shown answering questions from National Assembly reporters. I suddenly noticed that as soon as Mantu appeared on the screen an elderly man amongst us turned his face away until after Mantu’s image gave way for another piece of news. I become very inquisitive and had a nagging urge to ask him the reason for his actions, but I was patient enough until after the end of the first half of the match. “Ibro”, the elderly man told me with charged expression. “I don’t ever want to see his face”. I ventured to ask why, and he went on to narrate to me that he knew Mantu for more than 30 years, how they fell out due to what he referred to as Mantu’s “diabolical lies and hypocrisy”.

       

The wisdom of that man’s narration came to the fore a year later, when the FCT Minister, Ibrahim Nasiru el-Rufai accused the Deputy Senate President along with Senator Jonathan Zwingina of boldly demanding for N54 Million for the Senate to screen him for the ministerial appointment. The duo has heatedly denied that accusation and they were absolved by the Senate, but events that followed the scandal have invariably proved el-Rufai right. The manner and impudence by which the (un)distinguished Senators requested for the bribe signified they were very used to the trend of screening ministerial and other nominees after collecting substantial “settlements”.

       

That was not the only major accusation against the busy – body Deputy Senate President: he was recently accused of pocketing N10 Million of Plateau State’s Ecological Funds, an allegation which true to his nature, he denied. He even had the audacity of taking himself to EFCC to read out a prepared speech of denial. My opinion while watching him on television was the man can be a very good actor.  The fact however, remains that the government of Plateau State have challenged Mantu to prove he has not receive his “share” of the state’s Ecological Funds. A good actor he can be, but I doubt if he can defend himself, and being one of the errand boys in the good books of Obasanjo, EFCC will never investigate the allegations. Ironically, EFCC’s motto of Nobody is above the law is not applicable to those on the side of the President; it only applies to those that fall out with him.

 

Senator Ibrahim Nasira Mantu has schemed his way into many lucrative and controversial appointments, his recent role as the chairman of the National Assembly Joint Committee and constitution Amendment been the most controversial. The setting up of that committee aggravated the wide spread allegation that Obasanjo and his cohorts are hell bent to swindle a 3^rd term for the unpopular President. Before the committee’s jamboree of a national tour, Mantu was severally asked on the 3^rd term rumors, his answers then were there was no hidden agenda. The committee went on with the tour to the nation’s six geographical regions and no less than 24 states gave the constitution amendment a red card. If Nigeria is practicing a decent democracy the issue could have died there; the majority of the popular have voiced their opposition to any attempt to impose Obasanjo on us again. Nigerians have had enough of Obasanjo’s misrule; we have had enough of poverty, deprivation, instability, political thuggery, high-handedness and corruption, all of which this government perpetrate.

  

Before Mantu’s committee submits its report and admit their failure to lure Nigerians into consenting to the mischievous hidden agenda, mantu recently went on radio to announce, tongue in check, which all hands are on deck to amend the constitution so as to give room for Obasanjo to vie for the presidency again come 2007. He said this will be actualized in a matter of two to three months’ time. For the number two man in the nation legislature to make that unjustifiable and despicable utterance it all sums up to the fact that our polity is in shambles. And with that utterance Mantu has shown his true colours: the colours of a hypocrite. All the speculation that Mantu and other yes-men and sycophants of the President are swindling to desecrate the Constitution, in spite of all odds, have been substantiated.

    

The perpetration of the insidious 3^rd term for Obasanjo is, to a large extend, going to destabilise Nigeria. It is time that the President has not himself said anything about the perpetration, but Mantu and his co-conspirators will not venture into those daring moves without his consent. Obviously Obasanjo want to copy other African leaders in holding on to power as if it’s their birthright; he probably want to borrow a leaf from the likes of Omar Bongo, Mobutu Sese-Sekoh, Gnassingbe Eyadema, Paul Biya and Yoweri Moseveni, among many others.  I was reliably informed that the ‘3^rd Termers’ are studying the recent happening in Uganda with keen interest. They are seeing the possibility of taking a stead from Moseveni, who master- minded and succeeded in am ending Uganda’s Constitution and recently got himself reelected, having led the East African country for the last twenty years. Moseveni, unlike Obasanjo, had overturned Uganda’s flailing economy, but he certainly has no business staying in power that long. The Moseveni formula will not work in Nigeria. Nigerians are going to fight off the hypocrisy of Mantu and co. and will not allow Obasanjo to stay in Aso Rock a day after the 29^th of May 2007.

    

Obasanjo should have sensibly played the role of  statesmen like Nelson Mandela and retire to his farm after serving out his constitutional two terms in office. He should have listened to advises from noblemen like Yakubu Gowon, who warned him any attempt top prolong his unwelcome stay in power will be tantamount to bringing catastrophe to the impoverished  country. But it seems the President and his henchmen are poised to sacrifice the peaceful coexistence of the country for their own selfish a varice and penchant for power.

   

For the Nigerian Constitution to be amended National and state assemblies have to pass the proposal. In the recent retreat in Port Harcourt members of the National Assembly have invariably passed the “proposal”. To fulfill his chivalrous quest to hang on to power the President is rumoured to be ready to distribute Ghana-Must-Go full of currency to the legislatures, and Mantu will probably be in charge of the distribution. He is of course highly experienced in that aspect, as exemplified by the el-Rufai scandal. Obasanjo and his henchmen can use financial power to man euver the legislature, but no matter the amount embezzled money at their disposal they cannot maneuver Almighty God: Nigerians are earnestly praying for God to intercede on our behalf and rid our country of its so-called leaders who only care for themselves. Our beneficent God will shame them all so that Nigeria can move forward.