Leadership (Abuja)
17 August 2008
opinion
I have always been fascinated by the title which Howard Cossell gave his wonderful book: "I Never Played The Game."
Cossell, a lawyer, who took to the profession of broadcasting, was one of the best in sports broadcasting, especially, the popular American Football League (NFL) (not the type we play here), and boxing. He was a star in TV commentary in US, but 'notoriously' frank in exposing the hypocrisy of those who ran the game while he was in the saddle.
Expectedly, he ran into trouble with the owners of the broadcasting outfits he worked with and the owners of NFL. But he never cared as long as he said the truth sometimes in critical ways, not minding the kind of controversies he generated and the discomfort it brought his way occasionally.
Ultimately, Cossell, who wrote the celebrated book, with Peter Bonaventure, became a celebrity, even though he never played the game at any point in time, at least professionally.
I had to recall my thoughts about this book, when I decided to write on the intrigues currently going on to unseat two illustrious children of Igbo extraction, who are holding top positions in this administration, even though, they are among the best in their chosen fields.
I am not commenting on this issue because they are of Igbo origin (which perhaps is why they are being tormented, at least psychologically), but I feel for Nigeria, if this is the way those two Nigerians are going to be rewarded for being brilliant and dedicated to their jobs. Is this the way we are going to build Nigeria of our dreams?
Some politicians from a certain part of the country and their collaborators in the private and public sectors have decided in their wicked imagination to give Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the current Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) and Mrs. Irene Chigbue, the current Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, (BPE), bad names in other to pave way for their dethronement before their first tenure in office expires.
Yes, as Cossell would say, I never played the game of politics, especially, the partisan brand being played in Nigeria, but I certainly have seen how they hatched their intrigues, at times, at the middle of the night in other to claim 'victorious' at the field of play.
But like Cossell, I am a professional journalist of many years experience who had watched and reported how politicians played their brutal political games in most crude manners unimaginable to civilised minds.
So, the game to remove Soludo and Chigbue is currently going on. It has never been a secret issue that indeed, some people had expected Soludo and Chigbue to be thrown out of their duty posts, immediately Yar'Adua came to power.
Many Nigerians, including some journalists whose ears were close to the corridors of power at Aso Rock Villa, knew that plans to 'retrieve' the two plum positions from "Obasanjo people' and hand them over to "Yar'Adua people" who are real 'prince' or 'princess' few months after Yar'Adua came to power, had almost got through before caution prevailed and the matter delayed for another time.
Those who have been spearheading the plots never really expected Soludo and Chigbue to have lasted up to this moment, hence their renewed vigour to succeed at all cost, even if it entails heaping damaging allegations against them.
In their thoughts and designs, they want to rubbish whatever reputation Soludo and Chigbue had gathered, before the did is done.
Accusations against Professor Soludo is very familiar to many Nigerians and does not warrant full-scale repetition here.
However, the issues which have received wide publicity and commentaries are the money he was said to have invested in the African Finance Corporation (AFC) (already recovered), sacking of some workers at CBN, and issues relating to the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Corporation, which as CBN governor, Soludo is the chairman.
Even before the probe panel set up by the Attorney General of the Federation submitted its report, the content of the report was leaked to the media, some of which feasted on their "exclusive" as a prelude to their real game plan which is to find an excuse to 'undo' him.
While no sane person who wishes this country well will support corruption and nepotism, every sane person must support the due process and rule of law of this regime, justice and fairness at all times. But certainly not the kind of kangaroo rule of law we are beginning to witness in this country.
Professor Soludo is yet to be found guilty of all the charges against him, but some people are working very hard to find any lead that could help them in their plans to humiliate him out of office through the EFCC or ICPC. Some are already celebrating.
Interestingly, it is a two plunged attack, as another front has now been opened at the BPE. To those plotters, Irene Chigbue must be pushed out in a humiliating way as well. Or how could anybody explain the rationale behind the recent action when she was "invited" by the EFCC on a matter which a reply had been supplied since February 2007. Did any one notice how a section of the press "blasted" the news that she had been "arrested" for alleged money laundering.
When does paying pension money of deserving BPE workers into their personal accounts in line with the new Pension Act become a money laundering matter, if not in the wicked imaginations of those looking for her seat at all cost.
Anybody who had gone closer to Mrs. Chigbue and interacted with her, would not deny that she is a brilliant woman who does not take nonsense and cannot be intimidated. She had built her career at the BPE before her appointment.
She was the most senior director before her appointment in 2006 as BPE D-G purely on merit. And this is the person somebody claimed paid government money into her private account.
Yet, this is the same issue which ICPC in their own style and wisdom wrote a commendation letter to the BPE boss. This is because, from what I learnt, the BPE DG had to write both EFCC and ICPC, informing them that staff pension funds were being paid into the individual accounts of the owners not in Mrs Chigbue's personal account. But they want to hang something on her neck so as to drag her to the EFCC gallows.
But in my estimation, this simply showed that those who want her job badly are either ignorant, mischievous or plane fools, who wants to capitalise on the fact that "their brother is now in power" to cause trouble or embarrassment to her, and others.
It did not bother them that the two patriotic Nigerians have been working extra-ordinarily hard to reposition this country. Apparently some people are not impressed, no matter what they do.
I had it on good authority that the two top government functionaries would have been removed long time ago, if President Yar'Adua had not resisted the pressure. But they are not relenting, even if it means inventing something where there is nothing.
But those who want them out should do three things namely; Wait for their first tenure to expire (as it is already clear that they may not be reappointed if they eventually stay to the end); wait for clear indictment for corruption, which could force them to resign and possible prosecution, or mount more pressure on President Yar'Adua to sack them since he is competent to do that. But until then, they should leave them alone.
This piece was contributed by Obinna Nwanze.
Nwanze is an Abuja based journalist
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
