By Reuben Abati
"I am so angry if I see that fellow called Senator Nuhu Aliyu, I will call him a coward and an irresponsible fellow to his face. Being a Senator does not give him the right to take Nigerians for granted."
"Easy. Easy. His colleagues are baying for blood. He has apologised to them. But they want him to appear before the Senate Ethics Committee."
"That is not enough. He should apologise to all Nigerians and to the people that voted for him. This is a three-time Senator, a police man for 35 years and a former Deputy Inspector General of Police behaving so badly."
"I think the man is just responding to pressure that's all. Easy."
"What pressure? He stood up on the floor of the Senate to announce that the National Assembly is full of 419ers, and fraudsters. It was the second time he was making such a declaration. He even wanted to name names but he was hushed up by the Senate President."
"But the same man has now chickened out. I saw him on television eating his own words and begging his colleagues. In fact, he sounded as if he was going to burst into tears"
"I find his reasons for that cowardly volte-face completely silly."
"He says his friends have deserted him and that many of his colleagues do not want to have anything to do with him again."
"So? Which means being liked by other people is more important to him than the truth about the character of persons in the National assembly. How old is the man by the way?"
"He also said his lawyers had advised him that it is wrong to refer to a man who has not been convicted for any crime as a criminal. He was told hat he could be sued for defamation if he mentioned the names of persons who were only being investigated and were not at any time convicted for a crime"
"I think what we are seeing in this case is a reflection of the problem with the police. When people insist that you cannot trust a Nigerian policeman, this is the kind of thing that they are talking about."
"I won't go that way. I think we need to worry more about the quality of persons that we select for positions of leadership. The leadership selection process in Nigeria is where the problem lies."
"You know the man's statement that his colleagues in the national Assembly decided to isolate him and give him the cold shoulder settled the matter for me. I got my answers from that. Which is simply that these lawmakers can't tolerate any singing canary within their ranks who wants to rake up old tales."
"But are you surprised? If you insist on an investigation of Senator Aliyu's allegation, there may be no saints left in the National Assembly, those who are not 419ers probably came to power through an electoral process that was fraudulent."
"His allegations should still be investigated."
"I think the screening of persons who present themselves for leadership positions should become more rigorous. In this country, anything is possible. Look at Chief Lamidi Adedibu, with all the problems between him and the Olubadan and all the questions that have been raised about his role in Ibadan politics, he has just been rewarded with a higher chieftaincy title by the same Olubadan. He is now Ashipa of Ibadanland"
"The power game in Nigeria is strange, I agree. For all you know, somebody may have called Nuhu Aliyu aside and threatened him in a manner that frightened him."
"But he said he was ready to die for the truth"
"That's easier said than done. Who is ready to die for Nigeria?"
"But what example are we setting for the younger generation?"
"That it is possible to speak from all corners of the mouth and stand for nothing."
"If a man is in a leadership position, he must have the courage of his convictions."
"But that is what Nuhu Aliyu has done. He has saved his neck. What conviction can be more than that?"
"Cowardice and selfishness. This will haunt him for the rest of his life."
"This is Nigeria. People will soon forget. The man has asked for forgiveness. Leave him alone. Don't be surprised if you find his name one of these days on the National Honours List"
"Is his name not there already? Look, in this country people just annoy you"
"You say you are angry with Nuhu Aliyu. What of Maurice Iwu, the INEC Chairman? The Professor's lie about the printing of ballot papers for the last Presidential elections has just been exposed."
"You mean the Professor lied? "
"He was asked to respond to 27 questions raised by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the AC Presidential candidate in the April 2007 elections. Did INEC award a contract to a South African company for the printing of ballot papers five days to the date of the election? Simple question. But in his response the man said no, such a thing never happened."
"I read the story too. But in the INEC Official report on the 2007 elections, it is stated in black and white that the last minute ballot papers were printed in South Africa."
"In fact the printers were said to have complained that INEC did not collect all the ballot papers. I am sure if you go to South Africa today, you may still find Nigerian ballot papers in a warehouse somewhere."
"May be what Professor Iwu meant to say is that INEC awarded the contract to the Nigerian Mint and Security Company. If the Mint sub-contracted the printing to a South African company, then that is not INEC's business."
"Na lie. That is not what happened. Don't speak for the man. Let him respond to the allegation that he is lying. Lying under oath."
"A serious matter, and a further confirmation that the 2007 April elections were no more than a big lie concocted by INEC and its allies and sponsors. How can a man say one thing in October 2007 and by January 2008, he is saying something completely different"
"Nigeria we hail thee"
"Nigeria we pity thee-e-e-e …oh".
"But he is not alone. Oby Ezekwesili, the visiting World Bank Vice president has also diplomatically pointed out that President Umaru Yar'Adua lied about how much the Obasanjo administration spent on the power sector."
"No, She didn't say that the man lied. She only drew attention to a point of correction"
"What's the difference?"
"The President said the Obasanjo administration wasted $10 billion on the power sector and there is nothing to show for it, but Ezekwesili says the amount is actually less than $4 billion. Point of correction. It is the Action Congress that is now putting a spin on it to give the impression that the former Minister is calling the President a liar."
"The correct phrase is polite insult."
"No. I don't see it that way. If the President is not sure of his facts, he should be corrected."
"But do you think the man will beat Atiku at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal?"
"I don't know. But by making that slip about the printing of ballot papers, Iwu has given an advantage to the Atiku camp and they are going to milk it. But you never know. I hear these days, whenever the case comes up, all the Ministers and service chiefs go to the tribunal. The Action Congress is already saying the court is being intimidated."
"You mean Ministers abandon their offices and go to the tribunal? No wonder they are not performing and serving the people. They are distracted."
"Everybody is trying to be concerned about the President's case at the tribunal. You know in this country, sycophants are the ones who survive in the corridors of power. Especially now that the President has set up a committee to monitor the Ministers and he has said he will sack non-performing Ministers very soon."
"What is he waiting for? He should do so now"
"Before he does that, let him sack Berti Vogts first. That man cannot train the Super Eagles. We don't want a coach who spends 10 days in Nigeria, and 20 days in Europe."
"Except that all the players in the national team are in Europe"
"We need a coach that will stay in Nigeria and build a new generation of talented players. Those boys in Ghana are old and tired. Our performance so far in the Nations Cup in Ghana is disgraceful. You'd see what will happen on Sunday. I expect the Black Stars of Ghana to beat the Eagles"
"The Super Eagles please"
"There is nothing Super about these Eagles. The team lacks technical depth. The boys are not hungry. And the team has no rallying point. In Cameroun you have Samuel Eto'o, Cote d'Ivoire, Didier Drogba, Senegal, Diouf, Mali, Frederick Kanoute; Egypt, Zindane, Ghana, Michael Essien.."
"We have Mikel Obi"
"He is too young."
"Look, this man called Berti Vogts does not understand Nigerian football. He is making our boys play police football, kick and follow. The thing is disgraceful. In the match against Benin, Kanu had to take over as the coach dishing out instructions form the bench to the boys."
"You know I have always said it. We should invest in local coaches. Onigbinde, Siasia and Eguavoen have shown us that local coaches can make a difference. What they need is the right exposure. The money being spent on foreign coaches should be used to develop local talent"
"Amos Adamu, Sani Lulu and Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi should be held responsible for whatever happens to the Super Eagles in the on-going Nations Cup"
"The problem is that Nigerians are bad losers. And in sports you can't win all the time."
"Na lie. You can. Before now, we also won something at the Nations Cup: bronze, silver, but this year, looks like we are going to come home with nothing. If that happens, there should be sanctions in the House of football. Why are you laughing? "
"I just remembered something. Something just crossed my mind."
"What's that?"
"It's this photograph of President Yar'Adua and former President Obasanjo in one of the papers. You know Baba was actually bending down slightly to greet Yar'Adua"
"Dey there. That is life for you."
"Has the man solved that other matter about him and his daughter-in-law?"
"How am I supposed to know? But I hear Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello is one of the Senators pushing for the enactment of Sexual Crimes Law by the National Assembly."
"How interesting. But I hear there was also a bill on indecent dressing being proposed by Senator Eme Ekaettte."
"That one is a frivolous bill. But I don't mind the one on sexual harassment."
"Some of the Senators allege that they are being harassed by female bankers who have been unleashed on them to get them to patronise the banks."
"Are they really complaining?"
Dr. Reuben Abati wrote this piece forThe Guardian Newspaper.
