June-Twelve,the Generals and the Doctrine of Killings

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Once were we ruled at the centre of governance by those who claimed to speak for the people. When they bellowed the acronym of their party, the corresponding response was, and is still, “power to the people”. Yet they failed and corruption was exalted hugely among them, their sympathizers and cronies. Contracts were awarded in a manner that favoured friends and families of those within the corridors of power. They failed even more when “the people” became “one man”. In other words, “power to the people” translated into “power to one man”. When that one man who calls the shots from his Hilltop abode in Ogun state felt his political relevance was threatened, he shot down the party from power airspace with letters like Albree Pigeon-Fraser Scout shot down by Man Portable Air Defence System and the party crash-landed out of power at the centre.

Then came the Progressives and for some reasons animals showed up, the Nigerian flag refused to fly on the day of inauguration of their principal as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Now, it is important to note that progress is desirable when it is in the positive direction. It may be apparent-a man on a vehicle sees trees “progressing backwards”, but when viewed in its true sense, the trees are only static. What progress is there in a government of rebellious rats, corrupt millionaire snakes, angry pigeons which refused to fly during inauguration, and confederation of jackals and hienas? Perhaps, this progress is only a mirage.

Away from the matters of these two parties. Shall we concentrate on the trending political discourse that has pervaded the faces of our print and electronic media of recent-the June-12 saga and the anointing of Chief M. K. O Abiola as the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). Many, including legal champions, Belgore and Falana (both SAsN), have argued about the legal correctness of the award announced to be posthumously given to the “presumed” winner of the 1993 Presidential election. It is no longer news that some lawmakers have demanded that Chief Abiola be pronounced the winner of the election of 1993 and that the results of the election be equally announced officially. Most of them cited relevant portions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and National Honours Act respectively. However, I have chosen not to toe the line of arguments of the legal or political correctness of this matter.

Let us beam our spotlight on two key actors, both of them erstwhile Generals in the military. One of the Generals fought endlessly in 2015 to install the other. Apart from the glaring fact that both of them had served the country as Heads-of-State on separate occasions, they also have many things in common- they participated in the fight against Biafrans. Like the case of David and Saul in the Bible, if one killed 1000, the other killed 10,000. Biafrans will never forget both of them. Odi and Zaki-Biam will not forget one; the people of Benue, Taraba, Kaduna and Zamfara states(though most of them are his sympathizers) will not forget the other.

In 2011, one of the Generals vowed to make Nigeria ungovernable for the then winner of Presidential election. Therefore, when Boko Haram struck, it was believed that if they weren’t working for him, at least he could be one of their sponsors. In 2016, one year after the said General became the president,some armless Biafran protesters were shot dead in Onitsha. Therefore, it is not too heavy, I say, to ask: “who among the Generals have not committed crime against humanity and by extension human right? ” I further ask, which of them is not corrupt? In my submission, if one is corrupt, the other is also corrupt. If not, why then can he not show Nigerians his hospital bills? The same Nigerians who pay his bills with their taxes. What infrastructural and social investment schemes has his administration actualized with the money recovered from anti-graft wars? His son who had an accident with his sportbike allegedly worth $157,000, why was he not probed? Where did he get such money from? WHO AMONG THE GENERALS DID NOT BETRAY ABIOLA? WHICH OF THEM IS UPHOLDING WHAT JUNE-12 STANDS FOR? Corruption and lie go hand-in-hand. A government which lies MUST be corrupt.If you award the dead but do not honour their struggles by keeping his dream alive,you are nothing but a liar who seeks to get political sympathy.

In conclusion,the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day and the award of Chief M. K. O Abiola as GCFR are merely a means of making political capital. It is technically a way of saying, “General, please tell the world how you betrayed your brother,Abiola”, given the fact that the said General, being a beneficiary of June 12, failed to honour his own brother while he was in office as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a fight between two Generals, it is tilted towards the 2019 general election which is only 249 days away. It is a plot to silence one of the Generals politically. It is a well calculated strategy. Nigerians should not be too excited. They should be resolute in their struggle to unseat the ruling and unruly party. They should ensure that both the party and its major opposition are not voted into power. Nigerians should leverage on the fight between these two parties and generals to install a better party come 2019.