There are critics and there are critics. Some Critics criticise for the fun of it. Others do so to be noticed. Yet, some others do so for altruistic reasons. Yours sincerely falls into this last category. As a Social Critic, Human Rights Activist and Pro-democracy Campaigner (leave out the Lawyer and Writer in me), I criticise and critique governments and their actions, with a view to making our country and society better. I use available and unassailable data, backed with hard cold facts, law, logic and common sense. I do this from a non-blurred set of analytical binoculars; akin to Galileo’s telescope, which totally changed mankind’s view about the entire universe. That is why I always proffer solutions, after raising the problems and challenges. I always ask the questions about our challenges. I then answer the questions.
Occasionally, I also question the answers. As a Pan-Nigerian, non-partisan and non-card-carrying member of any of the existing Nigerian political parties, I discuss and analyse events and issues most dispassionately, with uncommon candour. I then proceed ahead to proffer the panacea. Most humbly, that is the difference between me and other Social Critics.
You can always disagree with me. It is your Constitutional right to so do. You may even dislike, loathe, insult or abuse me for my strong views. That is also your right. I cannot force anyone to like me. In any event, I am not in any popularity contest. But, one thing you may not be able to do is to fault my hard, cold facts and data. As Uthman Dan Fodio once put it, “conscience is an open wound; only the truth can heal it”. This position signposts my today’s discourse which takes us back to 2015, where my views and suggestions, wholly ignored by this government, have today resonated from their cold graves and are today hunting us, like a phoenix from its ashes. The following two pieces which I wrote, respectively, on 21ST OF APRIL, 2015, and 3RD OF MAY, 2015 (ever before Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as Nigerian President), will demonstrate how I tackled the then President Goodluck Jonathan and the then President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari. These views and suggestions were contained in my series, titled, “THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: THE WINNERS AND LOSERS”, published in my weekly Sunday Telegraph column, “THE NIGERIAN PROJECT”.
Had President Buhari hearkened to my patriotic pieces of advice and humble intervention, Nigerian would not today, literally be on fire. And President Buhari would not today be holed up in Aso Villa, contending with nearly two weeks of “#ENDSARS” protests. By the way, #ENDSARS, in its full nakedness, is nothing but an euphemism for Nigerians’ deep – seated anger, exasperation, despondency, provocation and disappointment, about Buhari’s clueless, lack-lustre, but dictatorial iron-fist rule. Read both articles carefully, and judge for yourselves, those who are the genuine patriots, and those who are the corridors -of-power-hypocrites, bootlickers, fawners and emergency contractors. Now, read this first part. Part 2 follows immediately. I humbly urge you to also read and digest it carefully.
