I once wrote an article titled, ‘No, Your Excellency’, to warn the chief executives at federal and state levels to be wary of the ‘yes people’ who populate the villa and the various government houses across the country.

 I am again writing to advise their excellencies to beware of fair weather friends, most politicians are anyway, but the known ‘hobby’ of this category of persons is not only to be with you but also seen to be with you for their personal benefit, not anyone’s or anything’s interest.

Recently, I saw a video clip where a politician was swearing to high heavens, telling Governor Dr. Dikko Umar Radda, PhD, CON  that he was the best thing to ever happen to Katsina state. 

And that was a lie, because the same person had told your immediate predecessor the same thing, and would tell your successor the same thing, perhaps even more flowery, the moment you become an ex. 

I am giving the free advice because I had worked on the corridors of power, where you once worked before transferring your services to higher office elsewhere, then coming back to be the number one citizen in the state. Anyway, I witnessed the same politician telling your immediate predecessor the same ingratiating platitudes.

 When I first watched the video clip, I was flabbergasted before it dawned on me that you people are politicians who cherish being in the middle of sycophants. Knowing that you are professional politicians, many of who are not exactly averse to being lied to by them, they always tell you what they thought you would want to hear, but not the unblemished truth.

They live a life of the lies, because they are good at nothing else but to shore up ‘Their Excellencies’ for what they would put in their pockets, not minding the consequences of their actions to the nation or the states.

But the moment you become a former this or that, the same people who were yesterday telling you that ‘you are the best thing to happen to the society’, would now turn their attention to your immediate successor and tell him or her exactly what they said to you, or even more flattering words.

Always stick to and with the people who have been with and around you whether in good times or in bad times, because they are indeed the ones who love you for what you are and not what you have. As well as those who will always tell you the truth to your face regardless of your present status. 

These people genuinely care, and know, about you very well. They also know that the sycophants, the praise singers and their like, whose false adulation most of you politicians lap up, lead you to nothing but the equally false belief of your self worth, importance and infallibility in the society. 

You, many of who were in big government offices before, and the rest of the thoughtful members of the society, know it is the life of lies that you live. But still lap up the false adulation.

Meanwhile, there was a bandit attack (again) on town of Ruwan Godiya katsina state on the night of Wednesday, the 30th of July, 2024. I know the governor of the state was doing everything possible within his powers to ensure Katsina state, the north west, the north, and the whole country are permanently free of the not infrequent bandit attacks and their deadly consequences, but deploying ONLY sixty policemen when the event had happened was simply not enough.

It is thought that an official of the state or the affected local government would go immediately or with the detachment of the policemen and sympathised with the people of the town and assure them that it would never happen again. But no official from any government bothered to visit the attacked town so far. Most of the people are now refugees in a primary school in Funtua town, the headquarters of Funtua, the affected local government area.

And, majority of Nigerians still say ‘no’ to the so called nationwide strike, because it was sponsored by the Western World and some organisations within it for selfish reasons, through a few unpatriotic country people living with them, and some local rogue politicians among us. 

May Allah save us from being with the people who would not tell us the truth or act the truth, but always tell and act the lies that will benefit them, only temporarily on this earth. May we also continue to receive His endless blessings in this world and the hereafter.

Malam Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.