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Posers For Vice President Atiku By Maxwell James
Nigeria’s Print and Electronic media have been inundated with the news of the embattled Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s formal declaration to vie for the presidency of Nigeria at the April 2007 general elections. The said declaration happens to coincide with his 60th birthday celebration and the declaration campaign has been scheduled to hold at the Old Parade Ground Garki, Abuja. Well, to the VP, I would say “Bon Anniversaire!’’ The choice of the Old Parade Ground, according to the Chairman of the declaration committee, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, was informed by the fact that “ Atiku is a man of the people. He has a common touch. He is taking his quest to ordinary Nigerians. One may wonder if the highbrow Area 10 is in Mararaba or Karmo or even the semi-urban Kubwa all in Abuja.
In the last three years since he fell out with his boss, Vice President Atiku Abubakar has perhaps devoted more time and attention to the rehabilitation of President Obasanjo’s used and dumped democrats (more like political refugees). This he has done through creating a niche for himself, an international reputation of a seasoned Peacemaker. This is also evidenced in the long list of the 85-Member Declaration Committee that is expected to coordinate the political event. But one may not be surprised because this scenario is encapsulated in the apt aphorism that Nigerians have a penchant for populist and ‘owambe’ tendencies.
To be fair to the Vice President, people say he is a political strategist, but to be candid, it is only in Nigeria that political quietness is being celebrated as a strategy. In an economy that has only being successful on the pages of newspapers and by the administration’s voodoo Economists, one expects the contending Vice President to engage his marauders in serious political debate, or at worse, resign on principle and face the challenges of the political mêlée. To some of us, that is more like political strategy. Looking at the intimidating list of his Declaration Committee, one can not but marvel at the brand of democracy we are practicing which has continually subsisted in its nascent stage. Does one need such a glut of political gladiators to make a statement?
Vice President Atiku has never found anything wrong in the government that has practically edged him out of relevance except its brazen fondness for unconstitutionality. Hear him: “it has become evident that Nigerians desire a leader who is truly convinced about the tenets of constitutionalism and democracy”. Ordinarily, any discerning mind would say he is part and parcel of the government, but is really he?
As Atiku declares, is Nigeria’s human capital development index not enough to spark of issues for serious debates? Unemployment keeps getting worse with attendant rise in the rate of crime and other social vices including hunger and prostitution, street begging, e.t.c. Despite the much-mouthed hysteria about “the greatest political event of the year”, Nigerians are less informed about the strategies that the Second-in-Command will initiate to check this myriad of problems that the Obasanjo Presidency has plunged Nigeria into. This writer is not in anyway out to belittle or ridicule the Vice President in view of the high esteem of his office and his person. But it is germane to note that as one of the topmost contenders à la Nigeria kind of politics, his Associates that have been singing all sort of unsavoury tales about the President’s face-off with the VP should provide a credible and viable alternative in their Boss in terms of possible turnaround from the status quo. For the benefit of doubt, it is imperative to tell the Media Consultants and Associates of the VP that it is not a show of conspiracy against the man of the moment nor a happenstance or a telepathic manifestation that quite a number of Nigerians have not been sympathetic to the unpalatable and sordid travails of the Vice President.
The concept of declaration for an elective office is a western idea. In the United States for example, declaring for a political office is a barometer for measuring an Aspirants grasp of issues and a gauge upon which to base Aspirants’ acceptability. It is not an occasion for vainglory, jamboree, owambe, self-adulation or crowd renting but a moment of bringing one’s opponent to task. As we come to the threshold of our democratic experiment, Atiku’s declaration must make effort to see how far things have gone in the interim. The news of course is not good. The condition of an average Nigerian who elected a democracy has progressively and astronomically worsened. The majority of Nigerian population is suffering more economic hardship than any other time in the chequered history of this great country.
As the Vice President declares, will he see this as a normal phenomenon because he is/was a part and parcel of the present administration? If he doesn’t agree with this statement, may His Excellency propose a way out? If Abuja, the nation’s greatest theatre of diversion is removed, one cannot but marvel at the level of unbearable poverty in the land. How will His Excellency solve this problem? As His Excellency declares, it will be worthwhile to tell Nigerians categorically if it will not be business as usual. For the first time, let the Vice President stop sinking it into our ears that “I remain focused, I’m on course, I’m not shaken, no going back” and such dull and flat lines.
As the Vice President declares, may Nigerians know how he is going to address the issues of poverty, unemployment, and healthcare? How about agriculture and high cost of living even in the remotest rural areas of Yobe State where I did my national youth service? How is he going to rehabilitate social and public infrastructures? How about the comatose manufacturing sector? What policy or policies will be put in place to promote commerce and job creation? Or is he going to consolidate the unseen gains of NEEDS I and continues with NEEDS II as being bandied around by a mouthful of presidential pretenders? Another issue that is raging is the University system. How is His Excellency planning to stem the chaos and degradation in the Ivory Towers that are largely occasioned by poor funding?
As Atiku declares, looking at the plethora of the above questions, two things readily come to mind: if Atiku remains on the side of Obasanjo albeit redundantly, then he is not worthy of our (my) vote, but if not, he should resign and tell Nigerians the way forward. Personally, I think that it will be a monumental tragedy for Nigerians to be burdened by an Atiku presidency. It would be akin to giving Obasanjo a third term or worse. It is important to note that there are several vital issues that could engage every serious Presidential Aspirant than constantly making bland and vague comments. How about security? Does he subscribe to State Police? What is his own version of Police Reforms? Or is he with Baba’s overbearing reforms? How much does he think that a Police Constable should earn and what about the qualification? How about Workers’ salary? Pensioners are not being paid their stipends, some for donkey years. The backlog of Pensions has billowed to trillions of naira. For several years, the economy has been run without proper budget, but constantly, the President continues to request for supplementary budget. How on earth can there be second budget when the first one has not been actualised. This aspect of our national life must be corrected or else we keep on wallowing in agonizing poverty.
As Atiku declares, what is his plan to the cavalier and rude attitude to finance and budgetary discipline? It is pertinent to note that issue-based politicking has taken a seemingly permanent flight from our mother land, rather, what is been celebrated is one’s ability to mobilize all shades of characters that have “lets join hands and boot him out of office” as unifying ideology. In the last seven days, the Vice President has been trying to muddle his way through the many challenges before him by evoking the sympathy of the ever-emotional Nigerian public. In one breath, the Vice President alleges threat to his life, which is of course, is a serious matter. In another instance, the Vice Presidency has relocated to Kaduna “to deal with pressing issues” concerning his presidential bid. The message is clear: Nigerians, see what the President is doing to me! That to me, is akin to a politics of pity and sympathy.
As the Vice President declares, it should serve as a wake up call to all Nigerians to begin to task their presidential aspirants or else, we will continue to find ourselves in leadership mirage or political abracadabra where anything goes. Our increasing foreboding future can only find sustenance if we continue to play I-don’t-care attitude towards issues such as this. On the foreign scene, the ongoing Presidential debate in France should serve as an eye-opener to all political gladiators in our clime. A popular aspirant is paying duly for her paltry knowledge of nuclear weaponry vis-à-vis foreign policies. That to some of us, is the height of democratic practice.
As Atiku declares, can we hear what he has to say about Iraq, Iran US and North Korea? Yes we need a carefully tailored debate that can convey an impression of seriousness and dynamism. In fact, Nigeria even has an Iraq in the Niger Delta region. The problems there are a legion. It definitely remains precarious with grievous losses of lives and property. As the VP declares, our prostrate condition in the midst of these multi-faceted challenges only makes sense when a Presidential Challenger perfectly marshals his angle of national elevation from the potpourri of global solutions that presently encircle us. May the Vice President rise above these posers!
Maxwell James Freelance Journalist Wuse II – Abuja
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