Loud Whispers
You know one of the easiest things to do in this system is to constantly rail against how things are not going well in the society. Armchair critics are everywhere and when the opportunity comes to make a difference they shy away. For me, I feel the time has come to seek the mantle of leadership and begin to implement some of the ideas and vision that one has been expounding as a critic all of these years. My resolve to vie for the Presidency of the Command secondary School Alumni Association is predicated upon my firm belief that if carefully exploited, Alumni Associations could form veritable bedrock for socio-economic development. If properly harnessed, the evolving effects of a nostalgia-fuelled communalism could lend itself to a massively orchestrated vehicle of wealth creation. This is the plank on which I situate my clarion call to my colleagues as we move towards building a financially independent association.
A viable association that would in turn positively affect its members, the school and much more importantly, the society. As a nine-year-old, my father dropped me in the school and what first struck me was the unusual warmth and friendship that cascaded the whole school. It was a fun-filled and exciting five years of my life that has today defined my person while giving me the stoic belief in not only myself but a firm believer in the innate goodness of my fellow human being. As the campaign season opens, I stretch out my hand of fellowship to my colleagues and co-contestants even as I seek our usual brotherly and sweet hand of fellowship in this exercise. We would all work together to deliver a highly transparent, issue-driven campaign process that would throw up the best of the best. Like I have told some of my colleagues, there will be no winner and no vanquished in this exercise as we would all put hands together to deliver an enviable period of productive excellence to our Alumni. (He no go funny if Duke lose sha. There is god o. Who send me, now I am afraid. Where is that Atiku? I need to learn to carve out a Plan B. just in case?
Kemi Adeosun vs Mounir Gwarzo :Â A Nollywood Affair
Let me just say one thing here very quickly, that it is true o. Nothing is permanent in this life o. You see this Kemi Adeosun who is suspending people up and down was once a capital market operator working for one mid-sized firm while Mounir Gwazo, the embattled suspended SEC Director General was already wielding considerable power and influence at the SEC Head Office in Abuja. Today see as she just suspended the guy just like that. Life is hard o. This also reminds me of my egbon Fashola who as governor would have been asking Osinbajo to stand and face the wall for coming late to the Lagos State Exco meeting. Today, if Fashola dares to open his eyes when Osinbajo is walking through, his case will be more than a suspension o. That is all I am learning from this almost childish game of dancing chairs. The integrity of the market and the government’s avowed war against corruption is once again being tarnished by the actions and inactions of these players. I really refuse to comment on the issue because there are so many moving parts so I will just dwell on the lesson of no condition is permanent that we are seeing in this matter. That is how one person who was wearing bowler hat and sitting on the rock now went to the Central Bank to suspend one person who now eventually emerged the Emir of one of the most powerful enclaves with millions of votes needed.
So you can imagine the state the bowler hat-wearing international man of mystery and the only shoeless wonder in the land would have found himself when he realised that he had to swallow the humble pie to reach out to the new Emir in a bid to secure votes from his emirate. So my advice to madam Kemi is to calm down o on this matter because this Mounir no be an ordinary man o. From this suspension, the bobo can just emerge President of IMF. I tell you and you will now be begging him for debt forgiveness. It is true o. One day, the guy and I were in Habib Bank as officers and the next minute, the he surfaced at SEC. Look, seriously, there is nothing going on here that cannot be resolved with maturity and a clear and introspective look at the issues involved and decisions taken for the betterment of Nigerians. I hear there are over two hundred thousand shareholders that stand a risk of losing their investments if this whole thing is not handled properly. Please do not let me run into slavery instead of this continuous game of musical chairs that we are seeing. As I write, I am seeing that the House of Representatives has stepped in asking for status quo to remain and seeking to probe the decision. Those ones can probe. Any small thing they will probe, they can probe for Africa. Please where lies the hope for the common man with all these intrigues, power play and horse trading over a little decision of wanting to do the right thing just once. That is the real question that needs an answer.
Lai Muhammed, Bolanle Austen Peters and Fela
At the premiere of Bolanle’s new musical, ‘Fela’, I stumbled on the great Uncle Lai Mohamed. As I was walking in, he was just alighting from his car. He was alone o; no security. Immediately, I decided to rush him and wrestle him to the ground but then again, the guy no do me anything o. So I decided to approach him very cautiously to ask him one or two things about this our ‘change’. As I approached him, he looked at me. I could see fear in his eyes as he was not sure who this good-looking young man was and his mission. This was the Duke walking towards him so he had to be really afraid. The kind of questions I had would definitely floor him and lead him to tears if not make him retire from politics finally. My people, na him perfume floor me o. As the smell hit me, I suddenly became numb. Na very powerful and expensive one o. I became tongue-tied as I just prostrated myself and hailed him like those area boys in Oshodi. He acknowledged my greetings and walked away while I was still flat on the floor still singing his praise. It took my madam, to get me off the floor.
TY Danjuma: Only You!!!!!!!
You know I do not eat or do anything until I read my column. Last Saturday, I kept on going online in search of this very important column but could not find it. I waited for my vendor to come and alas it was nowhere to be found. A cursory flip through, I could see that General Danjuma and his people had taken almost the whole paper with congratulatory messages on his 80th birthday. I was kinda relieved that I was making this great national sacrifice for a man that has given so much to the country. It was his 80th birthday and deservedly so, a lot of his admirers had taken up advert spaces to celebrate with him as a respected statesman but in the process, they kicked out my column. As the calls began to pour in by concerned readers, I had to explain to them what I thought must have happened and the role General Danjuma played in the whole saga. Well, my lord I wish you happy celebrations and many more years of fruitful advisory service to the country. But by way of advice, next time, try make the birthday no land for Saturday, na beg. Thank you Sir. Happy birthday
Timaya and his Grammy Nominations
I always knew this boy will do things. He has just been nominated for a Grammy and I really pray he wins. He is a wonderful musician and I am a great fan of his. Here is wishing him the very best.