POLSCOPE
with Eddy Odivwri; eddy.odivwri@thisdaylive.com 08053069356
Yahyah Jammeh, the outgoing president of The Gambia, has managed, by his recent conduct to reinforce the notion among the civilised world, that Africa is truly a backward and dark continent. Until last Wednesday, he had seemed poised to set the tiny West African country on edge when he reversed his earlier acceptance of defeat by Adama Barrow after the December 1 presidential election. On December 2, Jammeh had called Barrow on phone (the telephone conversation went viral) to concede defeat, when he declared that, “The Gambian people have spoken, and I have no reason to contest the will of the almighty Allah”. Jammeh who had ruled The Gambia for 22 years describes himself as a self-avowed “proud” dictator, and had further told Barrow, “The country will be in your hands in January [2017] and you are assured of my guidance on your transition and in selecting your new government.”
Then few days later, he reversed himself, claiming that the results of the election are filled with “serious and unacceptable abnormalities”, manipulated to favour Barrow, and so was no longer willing to accept the outcome of the election. This was said to have been triggered by alleged (untimely) threat by Barrow to probe Jammeh when he gets into office. That means Jammeh’s reversal was a bid to protect himself from undue harassment or persecution by the incoming government. But worried that this new position could threaten the peace of the country, other West African leaders led by our President Muhammadu Buhari had intervened by visiting Jammeh and pleading with him to respect the wish of the people and provisions of the constitution of The Gambian nation. But Jammeh would not listen. He threatened to stay on in office, got his party to challenge the outcome of the polls at the country’s Supreme Court. That is after he had clamped down on the media by shutting down many media houses, frightening opposition leaders, etc. He maintained that any intervention by outsiders amounts to an affront to the sovereignty of The Gambia and that it would be resisted.
Tension was building, people were fleeing the country, fearing that doomsday was near… The ECOWAS leaders met again in Abuja and had planned to visit Jammeh again last Wednesday, but the latter said they should come last Friday. Jammeh still thought he could use the Supreme Court to hang on to power. Unfortunately, the apex court headed by Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle (a Nigerian), late Tuesday, ruled that there are not enough judges to hear the case and so adjourned for months until there is a full bench. Left with no choice, Jammeh had finally settled for the much sought-after peace option by appointing a liaison between him and Barrow. Until that redeeming wisdom, the ECOWAS leaders had considered all options, including using military force to remove Jammeh from office. What was a man who had ruled for 22 years still looking for in office, if he is not stung by the Mugabe bee? This is the same man who had said by losing the election Allah was telling him that his time was up. Well, all is well that ends well.
The drum beats of war have been staved off, thankfully, hopefully. But if Jammeh was a bad specimen of an African politician, Senator Ali Ndume has shown that he is a redeeming specimen of the political class. His ready acceptance of his removal as the Majority Leader in the Senate is instructive. Here was a man who was removed from office in a coup d’état manner, while he went to pray. There was no hint that he had done anything wrong, even though we know his refutal of the rejection of Ibrahim Magu as the EFCC chair, by the Senate, is a major precursor to his ouster. He had denied that the Senate did not reject Magu, whereas indeed, the Senate did. In a warm and kind spirit, Ndume accepted his ouster without fuss, noting that the sanctity of the institution of the Senate needs to be respected and preserved. More importantly, he recognised and affirmed the fact that his ascension to the position was by the grace of the APC caucus in the Senate and so if the same APC caucus suddenly thinks he has lost their confidence, he surrenders without any kick. This is coming less than two years after occupying the office.
This contrasts sharply with Jammeh who had spent 22 years and was yet willing to “scatter ground”. In my opinion, it is not only noble and democratic, it also shows that Senator Ndume is not desperate for power. But more insightful in the chess game playing out in the Senate is the fact that the “sacrifice” of Ndume is to further appease aggrieved forces that have plagued the eight Senate. With the new rapprochement birthing in the Senate by way of the enchanting amity between the Senate president, Bukola Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari; and the near death of the Saraki trial, the coming on board of Senator Ahmed Lawan (as the new Majority Leader), who was initially tipped for the Senate presidency by the powers that be, there will be less friction in the red chamber to make for a more noticeable legislative progress.
Canticles…
Wetin Concern Government with Church Matter? Did you hear of the bad breeze that blew across the country last week? Not at all. The meteorological service did not warn Nigerians ahead. Meteorological service? Nooooo, I am not talking about that kind of breeze. I am talking of the breeze that blew across the churches. The one that forced Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), to step down as the “Daddy G.O” of the Nigerian arm of the church Oh yes! I have been following. And I heard the fellow who was heading the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Jim Obaze, has been sacrificed. What do you mean by ‘sacrificed’? What a choice of word! I am sure the poor man was trying to do his job by enforcing the provisions of an Act of law. And see where it landed him, all in the service of fa…
(cuts in) What stupid Act of law are you talking about? Does the Obaze not have sense? Is he going to be more Catholic than the Pope? Why was he going to meddle in the affairs of the Church? Does he not know the meaning of expediency? Look, that young man went to hang his cloth at a place he cannot get it back. And what happened to him last Tuesday is the beginning of a chain of unpleasantries lined up for him. How dare he force down Daddy G.O? He dabbled into the sacrilegious and he got his fingers very badly burnt. I can assure you that… (cuts in) You are being sentimental. The question to ask is whether or not the law, i.e. the Governance Code, Obaze was trying to enforce exists or not? Was the FRCN being arbitrary in trying to force heads of Not-for-profit-organisations to hand over leadership after 20 years of occupying the said position?
Don’t join Obaze to ask stupid question, or else you will partake of his bread of sorrow.
God forbid!
Now let me ask you: Is the Church owned or formed or run by government? Or is the Church an extension of government agencies and parastatals? Why is government suddenly interested in regulating the activities and operations of the Church? And for crying out loud, how many Emirs or Imams did the FRC also force to step down? Wetin concern government for church or mosque matter? Don’t mope at me, answer me! I insist that you are being sentimental sir. You have not answered my earlier question: whether the law by which Adeboye was forced to step down exists or not?
And before you rain curses again, is it not true that many of the churches hide under the guise of not-for-profit organisations to run very big and flourishing business outfits? Don’t you know many of the said churches run and operate schools, hospitals, water factories, banks, bakeries etc etc? Are these endeavours not profit-making outfits? Or do the churches give out the bread from their bakeries free to people? Or don’t you know that many of the schools (including universities) run by these churches charge the most expensive fees in the country?
Another round of useless questions! That obnoxious law does not or should not apply to churches. Are you also not aware that even mosques run Islamic teaching centres? Why were the Imams of such mosques not forced to step down? And In any case, if the government is interested in the business aspect of the religious organisations, let government ask them to pay tax. It is as simple as that! But to decree by law that a spiritual leader of a church should be tenure–based as if he/she is a political appointee or elected by politicians is clearly a handshake beyond the elbow! After all, was it not the same government that approved and registered the said schools run by the churches? Do you know the number of people the church provides jobs for in those same business outfits? Pray, do Obaze and his FRCN think that the anointing and unction that governs such spiritual leadership of mass of faithful is a matter of wishful or flippant legislation? Is it a gift that can be picked from the shelf? Was Obaze there when they were called into their various ministries? Was Obaze so drunk with the little powers he had that he completely forgot the ethos of ecclesiastical discretion? Did he not betray arrogance and mischief when he dared the Church leaders to either comply with the regulations or take their churches to heaven? Did he think he was talking to Board members of government parastatals? He surely crossed the line! Is this not the same Obaze that was accused of sexual harassment of his PA, Mrs Abimbola Yakubu in 2013, although he denied? Is this not the same Obaze that also recommended the sack of then Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the CBN governor in 2014? Is this not the same Obaze that suspended the FRC number of Atedo Peterside, chairman of Stanbic IBTC, in October 2015?
Can’t you see that this Obaze has been biting more than he can chew? But is that why the government which he is trying to serve and protect summarily sack him, just like that? You do not understand! Do you realise the amount of damage that singular reckless act of Obaze did to the government and image of President Buhari? Do you know that people were already interpreting it that it was Buhari who ordered Adeboye to step down because he (Adeboye) had recently gone to pray for Gov Ayo Fayose, the philistinic critic of the Buhari administration? Do you know that the impression was being created that Buhari was planning to wage war against Christendom, especially as the law did not force down any Muslim cleric? It was a great de-marketing streak, my dear. Only the sack of the FRCN boss would have helped to redeem the image damage. Or did you not hear that an angry Pastor Adeboye had ordered all his church members to go and register in any political party of their choice? You don’t know the implication of that? Or are you ignorant of the huge voting power/influence of the church, especially RCCG members? All you have done is to intimidate me with some unseen metaphysical might. And you have succeeded in declaring that in the application of government laws and regulations, there are some No-Go areas; that there are sacred cows and that … (cuts in) Look, I am not going to continue this fruitless argument with you. If all that you have seen manifesting within one week is not enough sign to tell you that what Obaze did was a path to perdition, then you are, of all men, most miserable!
