Nigeria: Three Books and Other Stories

18 January 2022
opinion

We have had a dizzying last 10 days at home and abroad: Novak Djokovic, with his COVID time-line of humiliation, from Melbourne to Dubai, and probably back to his home land of Serbia, where a disgraceful hero's welcome awaits him for his abominable conduct which may have far-reaching implications for his legacy and career, the Party Gate Scandal at No 10 Downing Street, where PM Boris Johnson and his team have been downing booze during COVID restrictions (May - December 2021) and pretending to be holier than thou on top of it. BoJo needs to be reminded that he is not above the law. The UK needs to remind its leader that if the Chairman of Credit Suisse can be forced to resign for failing the test of personal responsibility and accountability, and Her Majesty's favourite son can lose his pampered kid privileges because of bad association and conduct, then journalist turned Prime Minister Boris Johnson also needs to be reminded that the laws of England do not allow him to disobey the people's laws and his own government's guidelines, and get away with impunity. The Labour Party is 10 points ahead in the polls, and Boris Johnson is about to lead the Conservatives to perdition. His hurriedly concocted "Operation Red Meat" and populist sops may not save him and his government. China has recorded a GDP growth of 8.1%, above the target of about 6%, but retail sales is down to 1.7 %, the property sector which accounts for 25% of GDP is in trouble, the country's zero COVID policy has impacted on productivity and efficiency, the People's Bank of China's reduction of interest rates has raised questions about how far China is willing to go to make key loans cheaper for businesses even as that amounts to a loosening of President Xi Jinping's "common prosperity policies". Nonetheless, the President of China is beating a different tune on interest rates, and the path to economic recovery. The Chinese should keep their troubles to themselves!

Back home: There is the on-going African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon. The Super Eagles seem to be doing well. But there have been killings in the North East of Nigeria and yet the Governor of Yobe State and Caretaker Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC), Mai Mala Buni says there is so much peace in Nigeria, that the people can now sleep with two eyes closed, because President Muhammadu Buhari has tackled the insecurity problem in the country effectively. Pure sycophantic tosh. That is what that is - in a country where the people have been blinded by killings and sundry forms of terrorism in all directions. And on top of all that, in the week that just ended, more Nigerians showed interest in the 2003 Presidential race: Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) increased the volume with his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari to declare his interest in the Presidency of Nigeria and seek the President's support. Questions: Is the Tinubu dream realizable? And what next for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo just in case he is also interested? Can he stand up to his former boss and mentor? In a copy-cat move, the Governor of Ebonyi State also rushed to the Presidential Villa to announce that he is also interested in the Nigerian Presidency. He also met with the President and addressed the State House Press Corps. Can someone in charge please stop this charade of going to the President to announce Presidential interest? Nigeria does not run a branch of any political party secretariat at the Presidential Villa. I honestly hope that one of these days we would not wake up to see some elements pasting their campaign posters in front of the President's office and other parts of the Presidential Villa! These are definitely issues of interest, but sometimes the big issues can be boring and so repetitive, "the God of small things" speaks truth to power, and that is why I have chosen today to talk about books and something else, and here goes.

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