If we categorized them by advanced age and exalted positions in which they served their country, Nigeria’s elderstatesmen are very small tribe. Those who make the sort of statements that have provoked GEAJ to make his now famous jibe belong to an even smaller of one: OBJ.
Just as GEAJ was warming up to kick off his election campaign, the pesky old man summoned a conclave at his Abeokuta Hill Top redoubt with leaders of market women from across the land.
You didn’t need to be a seer to know that he wasn’t about to lecture the women on Keynesian economics. It turns out that those who feared the worst had reason to do so. OBJ didn’t disappoint in his latest bid to torpedo MV GEAJ 2015. He accused GEAJ of squandering billions of dollars painstakingly built up in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) by his predecessors. The summary of the day out with the traders was that squandermania mixed with managerial incompetence that had brought Nigeria to her current sorry economic pass.
It was hardly the sort of testimonial with which PDP wanted to go into battle. Aso Villa went into firefighting mode. First, Minister of Finance offered a restrained rebuttal – leaving the brutal bit to the GEAJ himself. In a moment of uncommon transformation, mild and meek old GEAJ was charged into a fire-eating combatant who declared: ‘’Some people call themselves statesmen but they are just ordinary politicians. For you have occupied a big office before but the question is what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country? Or are you a part of people who tell lies to destroy this country?’’
‘’Making provocative statements in this country that will set this country ablaze and you tell me you are a senior citizen. You are not a senior citizen you can never be; you are ordinary MOTORPARK TOUT.’’
Although GEAJ didn’t mention names, the Naija decided there were enough hints in the soundbite to OBJ doorstep. There’s also the Yoruba proverb that says ‘’An Owl (witch) cries in the night and a child dies in the morning; who doesn’t know that it is the witch that killed the child.’’
The problem with GEAJ’s angry swipe at his elderly critics is that his failure to name names left the statement broad enough for anyone who sees himself as falling into that, hurling insults at others leaves you open to a sucker punch from those with the capacity to improve on whatever you dished out.
So, quick as a lightening the Maitama Sule –led Northern Elders Forum (NEF) hit back with choice commentary of its own. Group spokesman, Professor Ango Abdullahi, called out GEAJ for being abusive towards elders who fought for the unity of Nigeria. He said: ‘’ GEAJ should know that in a motorpark, there are TOUTS and there are PICKPOCKETS, so if some past leaders are touts, some sitting leaders are pickpockets and thieves. So, you have to make your pick from that.’’ Ouch! Still waiting for the fire back from the Edwin Clarke- led South-South Elders Forum
I agree that being at the receiving end of an unending stream of flak cannot be fun. Still, describing prominent but voluble old men as motor park touts’ just because they gave a less-than-flattering assessment of your performance is a disaster on any given day.
If the barb was aimed at OBJ then it missed him and landed in the ‘’OVERREACTION HALL OF FAME’’. For one thing the former head of state in his meeting with the market women leaders didn’t use foul language. His critique was cutting but he went out of his way to be civil – even saying that he didn’t have anything personal against GEAJ.
In our environment, and I dare say in many African societies not talk of the Yoruba society where I come from, scolding elders in such coarse manner is unacceptable – and that is putting it mildly. GEAJ might be the occupant of the most exalted office in the land but it isn’t licence to speak that way to people who may be nearly 20 years older than him, and who were even once his benefactors.
Indeed, the high office he holds demands a certain kind of behavior. A president is expected to project dignity poise and calm in his public interactions. He is the captain of the ship and in the midst of a storm when all around him are flustered and losing their cool, no one should know he’s sweating.
GEAJ lowered the dignity of the office of president with his crude insults. By so doing the invited the offended to dish out even more gross invectives in reply. He is entitled to be angry but presidents don’t get their hands dirty saying such things. That is why they have attack dogs (the Okugbes, the Agbayas, the Fanis, Methus, Alkalis etc). for him to have done the dirty job himself is further evidence that GEAJ is beginning to show the strain.
Embarrassingly, the ‘Motor Park touts’ episode came shortly after the same GEAJ asked his campaign team not to insult his opponents. But I guess it is tough practicing what you preach when there’s fire raging on all sides of the mountain.
All the same I ask myself when hurling abuse became electoral strategy. GEAJ and the Jonathanians seems content with just insulting their interlocutors. At this point in the game voting intentions are already set for the vast majority. Between 10 and 20 percent of the electorate might still be undecided. How does a volley of silly little insults convince them to vote for you? Insults are not going to win you friends; conviction would do it. I suspect, however, that those who have chosen to go negative don’t really
‘GIVE DAMN ANYMORE.’’
