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Behold The Naija Politics Person Of The Year, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala By Dr. Wunmi Akintide
The choice of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Naija Politics Person of the Year is a superb move and very well deserved. In more progressive polities around the world, this extraordinary lady should have been considered a Shoo-in for the Presidency of Nigeria at this point in our History. Our President DoGood dare not tap her for such a job because in the political Lexicon of General Obasanjo, the best candidate is never supposed to win or lead our country because every decision is subject to quota including those who will represent Nigeria even in World Olympics.
WAZOBIA and our slavish tie to that concept has precluded our leaders from thinking straight most of the time. If Obasanjo can bypass Jerry Gana, Abubakar Rimi, El Rufai and other well qualified candidates from the North only to settle for Umaru Yar Adua and projecting him as the very best candidate to lead Nigeria at this point, in large part because he did not spend much of the Federal revenues allocated to Katsina State, and because they say he is honest and frugal, I can perfectly understand Sigmund Freud classifying most Nigerians as insane, using his analogy that, if we keep doing the same thing, time and again, but expecting a different result, we are in deed insane and naive.
Under the nine years of Yakubu Gowon in Nigeria, I recall one particular Governor, Samuel Osaigbovowon Ogbemudia proving himself to be primus inter pares among his fellow Governors by what he did in Bendel State. Some of his fine legacies including Afuze Sports Center not to talk of his other notable achievements would forever be remembered, just like Awolowo's footprints in the old Western Region would never be forgotten, come rain or shine. By the same token I recall the virtuoso performance of Baba Kekere, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande as "Action Governor" of Lagos State would never be forgotten just like the woeful performance of one silly and visionless Governor Lawal who, with the stroke of the pen, simply canceled the Mass Transit Initiative of LKJ which would have cost only a fraction of what it would cost today had poor Lawal shown a modicum of vision and leadership.
As I make this statement, I cannot help but draw attention again, in this little write-up, to an objective appraisal of Governor Segun Osoba, one of the better Governors of Ogun State when he, as a top notch journalist once tried to summarize for anybody who will care to listen, his impressions of our new President in the Governors Forum during Obasanjo's first term. You have got to read the statement to believe it.
I could care less about all the hype about this President-elect.The prognosis doesn't look too good to me, because the leopard does not, so easily change his skin, and morning shows the day as boyhood shows manhood. Yar Adua already knows he lacks legitimacy, going in, because he was rigged into that position in a make-believe election that was more abracadabra than any realistic attempt at picking a leader. I guess my question is where is the adrenalin going to suddenly come from? Your guess is as good as mine and I feel sorry for Nigeria. Period.
It is simply mind-boggling that the best candidate that outgoing President Obasanjo can find for Nigeria, considering the enormity of the problems that Nigeria faces today and would face tomorrow, is a man with little or no track record to go by. Well, I say welcome to the Big League President Yar Adua. You will soon find out that governing Nigeria is no cakewalk and it is a far cry from governing Katsina.
This is not the kind of a job a rational employer would want to give to a J.J.C. who is going to learn on the job again for another four or eight years.
Nigeria deserves something better than that and I dare say that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Naija Politics Person of the Year or someone like her from the North of the River Niger would have made a better President, if the choice were left to me alone. I could be wrong though, because I am not Matthew Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo.
I rest my case
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