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If I Were the President By Cletus Emaikwu
Frankly speaking Nigerians are very unique set of people with peculiar characteristics. Nigeria is the most exciting country in the world. Patriotism out of the picture. I once met a guy outside the country who after discovering my country of origin (Nigeria) told me that he wished he was a Nigerian. He said it is only in Nigeria where issue that has divided very close allies and dismembered great countries, lives and properties worth millions of dollars lost as a result are treated with kit gloves and sometimes negligently handled. Issue of great national concern are played like a scene from one of the numerous films produced in Nigeria by Nigerians with ASO ROCK being the centre stage.
The issue of the President seeking extension of his tenure of office is one of the numerous topical issues in Nigeria today. One will think that by now the President should not be a green horn in the corridor of power. Where people working with the various leaders of Nigeria will do anything to protect their jobs as such do everything possible to tell the President to stay put. Telling him that without him in power the country will cease to exist. Making him forget that before he assume power, somebody handed over to him. These crop of Nigerians most times claim they are speaking the minds of the people. They are just protecting their appointment in the Villa. Of course this is Operation Protect Your Garri (Appointment). The Hausa man may say" Yana Gyara Garrin sa".
I am quite sure that a good number of our past leaders were told to sit tight while in office. IBB was told to remain. Some even proposed to finance his campaign should he decide to contest. Associations after Associations with different with different name and slogan were spring up from every part of the country calling on him to remain. It is even believe in some quotas that these individuals contributed in no small measure in making him annual the June 12 1993 election. Most of these Associations ceased to exit immediately the man left the Villa. They either thinned out or change their nomenclatures to something else.
The late Gen Sani Abacha was not left in this game. His ascension to the throng was as dramatic as his exit. Immediately his regime lifted the ban on party politics, the call for him to remain permanently glue to the sit resurfaced. This time around not only did Associations resurfaced, all the registered political parties adopted him as their candidate. sourvinirs were printed with his picture placed on them. Television jingles were made portraying him as the only key that can open the door of success in the Nigeria. A two million man match was organise with prominent Nigerians cajoled into attending. Speeches were made calling for the then Head of state to transmute into civilian President. I can vividly recall a particular speech made by one of the numerous guests. He was insisting that if Abacha did not answer their clarion call they will not leave the Eagle Square as he was the only hope for Nigeria. Needless to say that he did not answer the call from they Eagle Square. Few weeks after he was invited to the great beyong. An invitation he is still honouring.
Unconfirmed report has it that Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar was also persuade to remain but he thought wise of it and handed over in 1999. I like the zeal and the focuse these Associations and the individuals behind them porcesses. Even though not to the best interest of the nation, they have been very committed to their task. It will take great guts for any Nigerian President to resist them. But immediately they fail they discard the losing individual for the man on the throne. Check out this cenario. IBB out, Abacha became the messiah. Abacha out, Abdulsalam became the Golden man. Now it is no longer Abdulsalam but Obasanjo. They are really focuse in performing their duties (Protecting their Garri) in the Villa.
One hope the President will look and think wisely. They say his economic policies will suffer should he leave office in 2007. It is no news that since independence in 1960, all Nigeria rulers had economic programmes none of them could boldly tell you that they have completed their programmes while in office. None of the American President completed his economic programme for the country before leaving office. The late Togolese President Mr Gnassingbe Eyadema, Col Mamou Gaddafi will definitely tell you that they are there to complete their economic programmes. Obasanjo should know that even if he is made Nigeria Live President he will not complete economic policies. If I were the President I will run now that is better for him and for us all. Others will come and go too like him.
Anebi C. Emaikwu No 3 Holiness Avenue Oturkpo Benue State
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