It baffles me that some people have not regarded this all-encompassing meteorological agent known as TIME. Indeed, time has proved to be a patient and keen stalker, walker, observer, and therefore a righteous recompenser of reward the world over. Although the scripture in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 1 says, “To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven,” some unscrupulous political figures especially have shown blatant and flippant disregard for this serious injunction. A timely case study is the now-at-large former governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state regarding his running battles with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His Abuja residence was surrounded by security operatives on 17th April 2024. While they waited with bated breath for Bello, his successor had whisked him away almost invisible to the field operatives. 24 hours later, he was declared wanted by the EFCC. The Nigeria Immigration Services, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and all border manning authorities are thus called to keep on their toes. Perhaps they are preemptive to avoid the recurrence of Diepreye Solomon Peter “D.S.P.” Alamieyeseigha’s maneuvering stunt escaping London disguised as a woman. DSP was the Bayelsa state governor from 1999 to 2005 when he was impeached to face charges of money laundering and other financial crimes in England. Barely two decades after, a similar scenario is playing out.
The shocking and disgusting thing about this undulating political phenomenon and anomaly remains that, as Bello’s time matures for stewardship reckoning, there are countless other cases of his counterparts in other states, both former and incumbent, who had done worse and or are presently doing worse than him. Be that as it may, the critical lessons are hardly learned by the species of politicians that Nigeria breeds. They forget too soon as they win the gubernatorial position of their state. The defining interest… forget about all the loud and lying electioneering jingles and jamboree… is to get in to squander, pillage, and plunder whatever they could find available in the state. The pursuit of the people’s welfare, although it has to be on the wings of that that they ascend the throne, the true selfish desire will hold them hostage and therefore the proper labouring for the people shall remain a mirage.
Nevertheless, with the agency of time, there is no hurrying, no hissing, and no deferred harvesting. In due time, its delivery of justice is sure and without prejudice or partiality. I’m not a committed fan of the current Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I might have my grievances and grouses but I cannot take this away today from him that he’s demonstratively intolerant to the ravaging and wild spread corruption monster in Nigeria. Like or hate him, Tinubu is the man who could muster the political clout to clamp down on corruption that was clamouring for liberty in a peddler who played a pivotal role during the president’s electioneering. He doesn’t care. Justice has no face for sycophants. Kudos Jagagbam! You are doing well His Excellency Sir.
To all and sundry, the roller-coaster justice administrator will sooner or later catch up with you. Ticktok the wall clock says, this is how gradually but steadily the fragile hand of time draws events to its execution moment. When will we the fleeting mortals learn? Who stuffed our ears with deafness and eyes with blindfolds? Who made us perishing slaves to filthy lucre and exchanged precious souls for flammable riches? For the entire worldly wealth shall a contented soul not trade his never-dying soul. For “what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul,” that’s pennywise, pound foolish.
Formerly, a terror-inflicting governor who wielded political powers so cruelly, not just on the opposition but even to his commoners. Each election in Kogi state during his tenure was marked by a display of maximum suppression and oppression. The opposition hardly can breathe. This writer witnessed it literally during the 2023 general elections. The passing of his long entourage alone inflicts unfounded fear on standbys let alone any perceived or real dissidents. The manner of picking his protégé successor, who presently is faithfully paying bills of the established pact, is a topic for another day..
Drawing the curtain, the time is now in Nigeria when responsible and responsive leadership is sought and installed. The sanitising project of political space by upright and strong-willed folks whose slates are clean cannot be forever postponed. The stage is set.
Steve Obum Orajiaku,
Lagos
[email protected]
