“…The tears we shed were of pity for those of us who, when bestowed with power by Allah, chose to misuse it in an unjust and misguided manner. We also shed tears of compassion for those of us opportuned to speak out against injustice who chose to be silent or even made haste to seek favour with the unjust ruler…..To be truly free, we must as a people learn to cherish the ideals of freedom, justice and the rule of law and resolve to defend them at the slightest abuse.” _____ Governor ‘Yar’aduwa at Arewa House on March 6, 1999.

That was ‘Yar’aduwa as a common man; at the receiving end; shedding tears of pity for leaders who misuse power in an  unjust and misguided manner. That was ‘Yar’aduwa again, shedding tears of compassion for those of us who refused to speak out against the injustice that was meted out to ‘Yar’aduwa the senior: Gen. Shehu ‘Yar’aduwa by the Abacha regime.

I decide to speak out now because I neither want to shed tears of pity for ‘Yar’aduwa nor do I want him to shed tears of compassion for me again. Though, I doubt if he will do that now because destiny has switched his position. He is no more at the receiving end; he is now at the giving end. And those of us at the receiving end of his rule now, I believe, should speak out, as loudly as possible, before posterity, generation to come and, most fearfully, people from other parts of the country, shed tears of compassion for us. Yes people from other parts of the country, because ‘Yar’aduwa is now being promoted to them as a presidential candidate of their country. 

A group of 33 LG Chairmen from Katsina state released a press statement in the Daily Trust of Tuesday; June 6 2006, adopting Gov. ‘Yar’aduwa as a presidential candidate of PDP. What I find puzzling is weather the activities of this forum of 33 selected LG Chairmen is known and sanctioned by his Excellency or not. Either way, I do not see how such sycophantic campaign, in radio and newspapers will benefit his Excellency.

If indeed the Governor is aware and even approved this campaign, then it makes nonsense and laughable the claim by the forum, in their press statement that ”‘Yar’aduwa has a strong moral standing to lead Nigeria”. The forum either does not understand the meaning of morality or it refers to the kind of morality of papa Aremu who allowed some opportunists in his government to rubbish his hard earned reputation of many years through their immoral activities for Tazarce. I believe, no Governor with “a strong moral standing” will either authorize or sit back and allow his LG chairmen to undertake this kind of campaign, probably, using public funds.

The forum also calls on all PDP presidential aspirants to “voluntarily back pedal on their desire in favour of Ummaru Musa ‘Yar’aduwa”. The PDP in Katsina, under Gov. ‘Yar’aduwa ‘The Leader’ (thanks to the genius invention of Papa Aremu) does not believe in internal democracy. All it takes to be a party candidate is to be in the good books of either his Excellency or any of the political lords in the state. Our Chairmen, being products of the same system, do not see anything wrong in telling all other aspirants in the party to give way for he-that-must-be-served. In fact, giving the chance, the forum would call on the National Assembly to make a law that will make ‘Yar’aduwa the President of this country comes 2007. Peoples rights to choice, does not matter – sycophancy at its best.

As if that is not damaging enough, one of the benefits ‘Yar’aduwa’s presidency promises us, according to the forum, is that “‘Yar’aduwa is the best material that can sustain the present administration’s economic (probably, political too) reform programmes’. No doubt about that. As a godson to Obasanjo he is indeed the best person to sustain, or even carry further all the reform programmes of this administration. But the big question is: Who, in his right senses, wants the present economic hardship and political irresponsibility and immaturity of this administration to continue? I believe, If Nigerians want the sustenance of the present economic situation, they wouldn’t have shot down, with so much anger and hatred, the plane of Tazarce. 

“Prudence, transparency, accountability, honesty and sincerity….”, together with “…‘Yar’aduwa’s records of performance in Katsina state” are other reasons why, the forum believes, Nigerians should accept ‘Yar’aduwa’s candidacy hook, line and sinker. ‘Yar’aduwa’s governance in Katsina state may be anything but just and fair: two most important qualities of any leader. And because there should, at least, be honour in dishonesty and being quite aware of the ways through which they got to their present positions, our honourables, consciously or unconsciously, omitted fairness, “justice and the rule of law” when they were listing out the qualities of our Governor.

It is quite true that ‘Yar’aduwa has done a lot for Katsina state especially in the areas of roads and education. He has really done prudently and creditably well, but unjustly and untransparently well too, for the state. One example here suffices. During the first phase of the Secondary Schools Rehabilitation Programme six schools were selected. Ideally two schools per zone, but the government picked one school in Funtua zone, two schools in Daura zone and three schools in Katsina zones. Worse again, of all the LGs in Katsina zone, all the three projects were sited in Katsina town. Reason – one’s guess is as good as mine. Again, the process through which the contractors emerged, as I learnt, is anything but just and “transparent”. Already the second phase, in which seven schools are earmarked, is taking the same pattern. 

At this juncture, I find it necessary to advise us on the concept of justice as it “is next to piety..” (Q. 5:9). That development projects are not synonymous to justice. We should not forget that the tourism industry of Egypt earns a lot of revenue from some of the massive and impressive pyramids built by the Pharaohs which, of course, Moses did not build. But Moses excelled in one area: justice and fairness to his people. Pharaoh, with all his “record of performance” would be doomed to perdition.  

We should remember that though, leadership today promotes sycophancy, deceit, lies, mischief and hypocrisy to the level of virtues, these vices are still haram in the site of Allah(SWA). On the other hand, respect, honour and integrity are not free gifts of nature. They must be earned in a very hard way, and maintained in a much harder way. These virtues are not determined by position or wealth, rather by one’s words and corresponding actions. Sheik Usman Bin Fodio even opined that a nation may survive and prosper on Godlessness but, definitely, certainly not on INJUSTICE. For injustice breaks the backbone of powerful nations and highly placed individuals and brings them down crashing on their knees. Subhanallah!

It’s unfortunate, very painful and disheartening that mankind having learnt to swim the oceans like fishes centuries ago; having learnt to fly the skies like birds century ago, we are yet to learn, with all our university certificates, the simple art of living together. That the simple art of peaceful co-existence still eludes us. And this is because our leaders: those who Allah (SWA) placed in authority over us; those, in whose hands, Allah (SWA) has entrusted our care and well being, decide to act otherwise. They decide to abandon that trust and play ‘gods’ themselves. Instead of allowing justice to prevail; allowing things to take their natural cause, they (leaders) want to play ‘gods’ to decide who gets what and who becomes whom. Subhanallah!

I advise our leaders to find people around them with certain level of pride, fear of God, honour and integrity; people who can tell them the truth at all the times, not the sycophants and the praise singers. Yes, the truth is always bitter, just like any orthodox or conventional medicine. That bitterness is the healing substance and is always temporary - never permanent!. And only the large and strong hearted can accommodate it. Remember sayyidina Ali (AS) had once blamed the crises that characterised his period on people around him who were lacking in knowledge and the fear of God. These people would always fly around one like bees and would surely desert one when one needs them most.

My brothers! The person we need as a President is someone who is truly of “high moral standing”; who believes in “freedom, justice and the rule of law” in the true sense and meaning of the words. A President whose belief in those ideals would stop him from rigging elections in favour of his party; whose “high moral standing” would make him realize that robbing people of their will is so dehumanizing that the wound created is so deep, wide and hurting that it will not be healed by a few renovated roads and schools.A President, who in the face of national confusion lile Tazarce, will not "chose to be silent" but rather come out to identify with his  people. Someone, who will ensure an equitable distribution of projects across the country with justice and fairness – JUSTICE my brothers, is the watch word.

All I am trying to do above is to hold up a mirror, as Wilmot would say, so that those concerned will see their own reflections. And if they do not like what they see inside, breaking the mirror will change nothing – nothing at all.