14-12-2024.

The topic of this article ‘My Pet Topics, again’, is actually about one broad topic, NIGERIA, but broken into two. The two topics are ‘NIGERIA’, and ‘Northern Nigeria’.

Everything about Nigeria attracts my attention and interest, so also is everything about Northern Nigeria. The two intertwined entities are of no small significance and interest to me, which is why I always comment on the two in my pedestrian way, in a very pedestrian English language.

After all, we are the only people who can salvage the country, or any part of it, as nobody else from somewhere else will come and do it for us, and our intervention is more needed now than ever. The country is in a dire situation, as it has been captured by COVID ‘23, a very deadly virus that visited these shores, and has so far sent many to their graves through either hunger or poverty.

I may be only human, who is susceptible to untruths (sometimes unconscious, sometimes deliberate, but most often unintentional), but yours sincerely must raise to be counted in the battle to save Nigeria from the deadly virus.

For that reason, I am but amazed at the confidence oozing from the country’s traducers, who think that gullible and hapless Nigerian voters, will ‘elect’ them again in 2027 Presidential election. So much confidence indeed, that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, told all presidential hopefuls for 2027 from the North, to shelve their plans and wait for 2031, and allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do his second term “so as not to disturb the rotation agreement”.

Akume’s disingenuous argument is as faulty as it is unacceptable. Who or what stops the South fielding a credible candidate in 2027?

The North would have no problem with that choice, and would vote for such a candidate. But to argue in support of more perversive corruption, poverty, hardship, bigotry, hunger and anger, just so as “not to upset the rotation arrangement”, is a faulty argument. 

Besides, the argument snarks of ‘self service’, since SGF was reported by the media to be one of the three people pencilled to replace the Vice President, Senator Shettima Imam, for the 2023 election. Also, look at his appearance, the he does not look like he is suffering from malnutrition. He looks so well fed as to appear not to belong to a country where excruciating hunger is the constant companion of most of the citizens.

In any case, Mr. Akume, who comes from, and an indigene of, Benue State, was earlier himself reportedly penciled for replacement, due to his alleged ‘non performance’ as SGF. Many Northerners, and even non Northerners, rose and bared their minds against the move. 

But the same Akume, because he is said to be one of the three shortlisted to replace the vice president, is now telling Northern presidential aspirants to allow Tinubu to finish his two terms, because he is a party to the avaricious eating of the national cake with no remorse in sight.

Look at (either the picture or live) the people in, and close to the corridors of power, or in the National Assembly (NASS), and their well fed physical appearance and bulging bellies would not convince a stranger that there is pervasive poverty and hunger in the country. Their images would go down very well in France, where the president uttered the lie of the century, by saying that “there is no hunger in Nigeria”. A very blatant lie, which even his hosts, the French, did not believe him.

The Nigerian president is DEFINITELY not working to improve the living condition of fellow Nigerians, but he is doing all the EVIL things in the country for his Western masters, and his pockets. This must be behind the VODOO economic policies he unleashed on Nigerians, which all but the rent seekers, and the few stupendously rich business people, are paying the price.

In case that the AGF is unaware of the severe pervasive poverty, hunger and anger that is in the country, he should ask Mr. Onopasa, a former Yoruba die-hard supporter, NOW, a die-hard opponent of President Tinubu, who vows NEVER to vote for the president again.

At the time he was a die hard supporter of the then new president, Mr. Onopasa told the Arise Television that, “Are we pretending as if hunger came to Nigeria today, did hunger come to Nigeria because of Bola Tinubu? Bola Tinubu did not remove fuel subsidy. You are practicing a sectional journalism, what is the matter with you?” 

Mr. Onopasa was garrulously being uncouth and ill mannered in his attempt to defend the president. He was so egregious and self opinionated that he would not even allow the television interviewers to ask their questions. He kept on insulting, and telling them that whatever negative things were happening in the country, were not caused by President Tinubu. He even called one of the interviewers (Husaini) the four letter word, and claimed that the man was “not my equal”. The moderator had to come in and pacify him.

But NOW Mr. Onopasa has done an about turn, becoming a virulent opposer of President Tinubu, saying, “Prices keep on skyrocketing out of control. I don’t know what is happening to Asiwaju, seriously. In fact, I have taken to visiting Catholic Churches to be booking Masses for him. Whatever is his problem, let God delivere him from it. 

Honesty, I can’t understand it, you are the president and prices keep skyrocketing. If you can’t reduce the fuel price, can’t we feed people? People are HUNGR. And it is a shame, A VERY BIG SHAME that Asiwaju seems DETACHED from the reality of the majority of Nigerians”. He concluded by EMPHATICALLY saying “NOT AT ALL”, to the question whether he would vote for Tinubu in 2027. 

A trip to all the parts of the country would avail, in no small measure, a pervasive hunger and poverty, as a result of very bad and unfeeling governance from the so called leaders in the country, most of whom would rather enrich themselves from the Commonwealth than to lead the people with the fear of God in their hearts.

Tinubu has nothing to give to the people but more hardship in the unlikely event (God forbid it) that he returns for a second term. There is therefore, absolutely nothing for most Nigerians to gain from him, to wish for his second term in office as the president of Nigeria. An Akume, a Nuhu and a Kwankwaso are not the solution, but REGARDING  and CONSIDERING Nigerians over and above everything else. Otherwise, replacing the vice president with any of the three, would only mean the continuation of the same bad governance in the country.

May God get rid of all those who have anything to do with the terrible situation in the country, from the positions that gave them the power to take and execute decisions and policies that are very damaging to the well being of Nigeria.

Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.