Rejoinder

Rejoinder: Of Jubril and Aminu

Razaque Bello

One would have being tempted to ignore the uncomplimentary remarks, half-truths and outright lies being churned out by a write up done recently by one of the obvious hatchet men being employed by some discredited, out-dated and at times demented politicians that have outlived their usefulness and purpose in our political landscape.

Employing these crude methods are still part of the shenanigans draped in confused and dubious academic brilliance to appear attractive to unsuspecting victims. The consolation now is that the observing public is increasingly discerning rightly those that are worthy politically and stable psychologically because of the short but important test most of them have undergone lately. Need to say that most incoherent outbursts of some of them is a sign of frustration and an attempt at redemption that seems not to be forthcoming.

It is okay if the writer of the article ‘Of Jubril and Aminu’ would continue to recognise that his ‘erudite’ idol of late has become so incoherent and degenerated so pitiably that he has lost all the appeal he must have gotten before. So that he aptly referred to him of now having a pitiable two personalities ……….’.Of Jubril and Aminu’.

However the crass opportunism exhibited by the writer in attempting to drag the vice president into a clear case of an individual undergoing a self inflicted turmoil as a result of his actions, mis-deeds, pettiness, misjudgements and arrogance over the years that beat my imagination. It smells like a case of a mad mind that deludes himself of being better than every other sane person.

Not to appear to have degenerated into playing the callous game of mudslinging and petty rubbishing of hard –earned reputation as the writer attempted to do to a true, dedicated, consistent and compassionate democrat Atiku has become over the years, which ‘Prof. Jubril and Aminu’ seems to be still seeking after years of ‘selfless service’ to the nation, I will therefore limit this rejoinder to the fundamental issues raised by the malicious article.

First and foremost, the vice president is not an academic that acquired several PhDs and professorial chairs. He has never and will never pretend to be one. He is just an educated, hard-working genial man that chooses business and politics as his calling after a glorious stint with the civil service of customs and excise. The calling, he has being undertaking diligently in such a way that he has being adding value to the society and making life more abundant to all and sundry. To say the VP is very successful in this calling is to be stating that the name of the West African most populated country is Nigeria (stating the obvious)

He has being so successful in business that he makes moneymaking looks so easy and politicking like descending stairs for an able young man, despite the fact that he never took political appointment with the military as ‘Prof.Jubril and Aminu’ cajoled, begged, blackmail and abandoned his academics for it. We are all a living witnesses of the evil the military perpetuated in those era of free looting with their kleptomaniac ‘academic’ friends aiding and abetting with their ‘brain power’ .The writer should know that no independent body has checked the books of that era and that mere submission by an equally hired ‘academic stooge to pronounce that ‘Prof.Jubril and Aminu’ is not fabulously rich is not and will never be a true measure of his wealth or does not pass a clean bill of health as yet.

That ‘Prof Jubril and Aminu’ even performs so wonderfully when he was holding public office is standing the truth in the head. If not so, why was our petroleum sector was such in comatose before the present reform? The only petroleum minister that stood above board with the benefit of hindsight is Prof Tam David-West. It is a common knowledge that it was because this erudite and prudent man refused to play ball that he was given the boot and consequently roped into a phantom corruption charge clearing him out of the way for people like ‘Prof Jubril and Aminu’ where anything and everything goes. It may interest you to know that Prof.Tam David West still criticise his policies and actions while he was an anointed conduct pipe for IBB with the medical professor always cowardly dismissing him for being jealous of him because the virology professor would have preferred to be a medical doctor. How petty and ridiculous your idol can be!

It is also on record that our educational system began to fall at accelerated pace during his tenure as education minister because of policy somersaults, selfishness, arrogance and out- right incompetence. I still recollect his running battles with ASSU over lack of funding, incessant closure of our universities and the rampant persecution of their members. Infact he did more that yo’ man’s job in encouraging brain drain. In many academic forums then he was derogatively referred to as Prof. WA MINU by ASSU top hierarchy meaning in Yoruba, a driver that will drive you to the middle of no-where! Has he not proven all these to be truth. If any body calls these, ‘life-long achievements’ then the judgment is a farce.

In politics, which he latter dabbles into because he believes he cannot survive without being at the corridors of power being his birth right as the only ‘educated and intelligent’ northerner, he has proven to be a disaster. He is always putting his selfish interest first. He courts political appointment like courting life. He would go to any length to lobby, cajole and blackmail to get any position he desires. Did he not go behind Atiku’s back to beg late Yaradua without approaching Atiku directly as the right hand man of Yaradua and in-charge of his state?

In fact if not because of Atiku’s magnanimity and his political sagacity where would he be today politically? Atiku was instrumental to making him an ambassador and lately the senator of the federal republic of Nigeria in a legal-legitimate way contrary to what the writer would want us to believe The VP did all these and rightly so because he posses the academic credentials he throws in your face at a jiffy to be fielded and supported. Of course he also believes in politics you make friend not enemies as it well known that ‘Prof Jubril and Aminu’ is an IBB stooge. If for any reason best known to him he will not renounce this toga, best of luck to him.

He should just remember that you could disagree with any body politically and still be civil about it, as the VP does not even want to be seen to have zombies as his political associates. A recent example is that of Dr. Kanu Agabi who submitted that OBJ did not send him to discuss 3^rd term issue with the VP, while still insisting the VP is his mentor and benefactor. Although one can decipher the truth here as he admitted they only discuss ‘constitutional amendments’ and also because Prof. Jerry Gana mentioned along side the errand did not refute the VP’s assertion.

The good people of Adamawa state duly elected Atiku in 1999 before he became the VP of Nigeria as at today because of his hard work, political networking and above all his magnanimity. He has attracted attention and development to his state more than anybody else. ‘Prof Jubril and Aminu’ cannot even think of encouraging the establishment of a ‘mushroom’ higher institution in the state talk less of a high- flying American University to the VP’s credit. So what is the writer talking about?

All the development Adamawa has today was as result of the VP’s ingenuity and the networks he has, because the state was rural in inception. More so, he has invested in people he believes would carry on after he would have left the stage. If he has invested in ‘Prof.Jubril and Aminu’ and he decides to turn himself into a monster instead of helping the cause of the state, then he should know that he can only destroy himself and not the state.

It is of no use repeating that the writer agreed that he did not do anything for the state throughout his public life due to ‘selfless service ‘. Not even his nomadic nonsense was successful! So there is no basis for comparing an arrogant underachiever to an achiever whom is an encourager of people, organiser of people and materials extraordinaire.

If the Prof. is so piqued by his recall from the senate next time he should totally align with his people. Every body knows that all electorates in Nigeria during the 3^rd term hullabaloo would have recall all third term lawmakers because of the unpopularity of the agenda, if not because OBJ and INEC frustrated the veritable democratic check and balancing instrument. So that heaping the blame of the recall on Atiku and Gov Haruna to say the least is petty and remains an affront on the people of Adamawa. Need to say that he doesn’t appear to be aligning with this people now again as he continue to constitute himself as a one –man antagonistic entity to the VP in a state that knows her true friends and. leaders.2007 is around the corner and Prof. Jubril Aminu will soon know where he belongs…in the back-waters of Adamawa politics not to talk of Nigeria.

If not let him come out and contest on his own instead of scheming, waiting, blackmailing and name-calling perceived opponents to seek relevance. Let us see the alliances, political networks and goodwill he has ratchet up over the years. Let him go to the length and breath of the country seeking votes. I doubt if even the cattle in his nomadic contraption will welcome him. My only fear is that he might not be suited for any classroom again as his erudition, scholarship and power of logic appeared to have deserted him due to consuming hatred, greed, seflessness, short-sight ness, bias, ingratitude, sycophancy and arrogance.

I will conclude here again by expressing the believe of one of my favourites columnists in Nigeria, Mr Dele Shobowale of the frankly speaking fame, that he would rather be a smart, street-wise, constructive, responsible, patriotic and productive area boy than be a greedy, bootlicking, dubious, selfish and irresponsible academic mercenary that readily makes himself available to be used against the people.

So, will the real Prof. Aminu stand up? No, sorry, Prof.Jubril and Aminu are the same and will always be. God bless Nigeria.

Chris Apologun contributes this piece from Sweden.