He is too old to cry and definitely too hurt to laugh. Again, when the possibility of becoming Nigeria’s minister slipped from his hands, like a dog-eared rainbow fading from the skies, James Faleke was forced to quietly accept the fact that some dreams are far more charming and enjoyable in the realms of desire. James now has to deal with the sad, bitter truth of his unattractiveness to President Muhammadu Buhari as a candidate to replace the late minister James Enojo Ocholi. He has lost the position to Stephen Ocheni. This is indeed, a sad stroke of reality for James who had until his replacement been courted and feted by the creme of Nigeria’s high society in frantic bid to curry his favour prior to his pronouncement and emergence as the nation’s new minister. Suddenly, James’s coterie of friends increased and he became a darling to every notable politician, technocrat and entrepreneur seeking desperately to befriend him. To caress his ego, they called him ‘Distinguished’ and all other manners of adoring titles. Now that he has been dropped from the list of ministerial nominees, James has to deal with the sad, bitter reality of defeat; his coterie of so-called friends and well-wishers in Kogi state, has diminished as the latter retrace their steps to flock around the man to whom he lost the seat, Stephen.
The move to use James to replace the late Ocholi believed to be hinged on compensating the House of Representatives member for losing out in his calculated bid to become Kogi governor.
