By James Omale, writing from Abuja.
Incidentally, people who have worked with these men, have one thing in common to say about them: they are extremely greedy. While Dino Meleye was described as very parochial and crude, Festus Keyamo, a celebrated lawyer was said to be unreliable; Fani Kayode, on his own was said to be propelled by insensitivity. No one knows where Kassim Afegbua fits; he seems to oscillate around where his bread is buttered. However, when it comes to the subject of greed they are in a class of their own! You may not like them, but it is precisely for this reason that their respective political parties picked them as spokesmen. And they have lived up to that billing without question.
Festus Keyamo has gone further to escalate the game by insulting the late Head of State, Shehu Musa Yardua, who although, long dead, was not spared by the uncouth Keyamo who lampooned cerebral Olusegun Obasanjo, a. k. a. OBJ, for bringing a man, “who was half dead, with half liver, half heart!” Oops! What a terrible thing to say about a man who is resting in his grave! The last thing expected of any reasonable personality is to use somebody’s disability against him. Keyamo did that in front of the television cameras—and he has not denied it! Yar Adua, was one of the best presidents Nigeria ever produced. He united the nation; identified with the three major tribes, giving appointments on merit; Yar Adua did not inflame tension as Keyamo’s party and principal has done, the past 8 years.
It is a shame, a man highly placed like him who ought to know could speak in that manner. For Dino Meleye, everyone knows that he is in politics to live big —certainly not for Nigerians. He showed that off during his time in the Senate and Reps before he was booted out by the electorate. He displayed obscene wealth by showing off his long haul of assorted cars, perfumes, and wristwatches. When asked how he got them, he lied that his investments paid off. But the truth was that he creams off the State, craftily stealing what belongs to the people. Dino has never helped anyone but himself. He used his closeness to Bukola Saraki to rip off the nation especially when he served as FCT Senate Chair. Dino equally disrespected the late Prince Tony Momoh who in 2016, sent a letter to him asking for help; he turned it down without blinking!
Now, he has been accused of openly stealing campaign funds! This is not new for those who know. Tambuwal, the Sokoto State Governor revealed this without bias! Dino has tried to deny; but that won’t hold water. His character is well known. That’s why he is rooting for a man who has continually recycled himself in politics. The good news here is that his loot will end up in perfumes, cars and wristwatches! And perhaps women! Fani Kayode on his own is a puzzle. He is hard to place. Someone like him with rich family background should have done better with his life. But there he is, soiled in every strategic department of life; his marriage broken, his businesses collapsed, and no visible means of livelihood except now that a lifeline has been thrown at him. In 2015, some journalists posted to work with him in the public relations department saw hell, as Fani ‘Power’, as some fondly call him allegedly hijacked their pay packets. The hijacked funds ended up—according to sources—in a Range Rover purchase for his girlfriend! Fani Kayode, instead of paying journalists opted to buy a $70,000 Range Rover for his girlfriend! These are the nature and caliber of people working with Nigeria’s leading political parties, the APC and PDP.
So, Nigerians need not wait to taste the soup they are cooking before they are served, should their principals emerge victorious. So far, they have fed Nigerians with anything but lies, deceit, and fraud. It is therefore frightening what to expect post-Buhari era. Yet, political contractors like Kassim Afegbua and Dele Momodu lurk in the wings. Unlike Kassim, Dele has conducted himself so well. He has shown himself to be very polished and well-informed. But Kassim has betrayed the confidence Nigerians have in him. Clearly, he derailed big time for ramping up what is not there for Asiwaju—his new paymaster. Kassim once betrayed Oshiomole who made him commissioner and also Obaseki who brought him close. Kassim talks brashly on television and makes no pretense of where his loyalty lies. He said in his recent article that he will celebrate next Tuesday ‘when Asiwaju wins’; note the ‘I will celecbrate’–not Nigerians.
This is what has killed democracy in Nigeria; when selfish and opportunistic people like Kassim place themselves far above the interest of the common man; it is unfortunate. Asiwaju is not the anointed for Nigerians and Saturday would prove that. They exploit the gullible nature of members of the public who have been severally impoverished by the likes of Kassim and his evil paymasters. The truth will always prevail—no matter how long. In the same vein, the sit-tight politicians like Godswill Akpabio who has been rotating himself in government is a serious matter. He has again secured a costly Supreme Court judgment that would see him back in government. Another is Ahmed Lawan, who has been in the National Assembly since 1999. Though he did not participate in any election, he managed to get the same Supreme Court to hand him ‘justice’.
The man who contested and won was dismissed-his case thrown out! Senator Lawan who disclosed to a shocked public that ‘anything’ from Buhari would be approved, pursued that case vigorously from the lower courts to the Supreme court! This shows how much he ‘loves’ Nigerians. Now, the battle of insanity has shifted to the general public with their only means of survival seized; their flow of cash has now been blocked and the fad now is to spend hours at the empty banks and cash points! When Elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers as they say. The heartless politicians have now touched their base depriving the masses of their very means of existence. What a country! No POS, No ATM, closed Banks and what have you. This is the reality on the ground. And so a party that promised ‘change’ has now turned a monster crushing its citizens to smithereens! If the APC has failed woefully, don’t expect anything from the PDP because, for 16 years, they looted the nation dry and rendered Nigerians homeless—not to mention being impoverished. Atiku Abubakar, a former Customs officer and vice president of the nation, has been unrelenting, using every means to foist himself on Nigerians—even bribing and cajoling to win his party’s presidential ticket. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is weak and unfit, but he is out there refusing to give up. The man has lots of baggage around him, but it is disappointing to see some Nigerians rooting for him.
So, to some, it is not all about the welfare of the nation, but that of self. This has been the problem to the extent that the belief has been propounded that Nigerians are really the architect of their misfortune; they are so proud, haughty yet cowardly. This means that whoever is elected as president after the February 25 election is not coming to serve the people but these select cliques of greedy individuals like Femi Fani Kayode, Dino Meleye, Festus Keyamo, and Kassim Afegbua. Can reason prevail over these men? For now, no one knows, except God. It is really a hard road to travel.
