“But they are not wearing anything at all”
The Emperor’s New Clothes “is a short tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about two weavers who promise an emperor a new suit of clothes that they say is invisible to those who are unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent – while in reality, they make no clothes at all, making everyone believe the clothes are invisible to them. When the emperor parades before his subjects in his new “clothes”, no one dares to say that they do not see any suit of clothes on him for fear that they will be seen as stupid. Finally, a child cries out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”
Cataloging the happenings in the polity since May 29th when the ruling APC took over power it definitely won’t be out of place to claim, “these ones” are not wearing anything. Yes they are not just wearing anything, they are also dancing naked.
And someone must wake them up from their political slumber and tell them the stack truth. Yes tell them that administering a party and administering a country are two different things. Like the warri man would jokingly put it, “dem no dey use tooth pick take dey remove dirty from eye o”. The country currently yearns for leadership, strong dedicated and committed leadership.
Unfortunately like the emperor’s subjects above, most Nigerians are too scared to tell the ruling APC that it is not wearing anything and it is even dancing naked. Let me however state that the PDP will not seat quiet and allow the labours of our heroes past go in vain.
In case no one has noticed, which I seriously doubt, the country is on a downward spiral. In fact it is on a free fall. For God sake Nigerians are being mauled to death on a daily basis and no promising response has come from a government whose responsibility is to protect defenseless Nigerians. In just two weeks, over 1,300 of our nationals were killed and till date, the killers have not been brought to book.
It is a sad reality to accept but this government has gradually and deliberately driven the wedge of disunity into the bonds that binds us together as nation, leaving the country on the fringes of a civil conflict. As painful and regrettable as this sound, it was avoidable. But how else can one describe the farce that governance has been reduced to by these set of Janjaweed travellers who daily insult our common sense with their repugnant Gestapo styled governance.
I still find it nauseating that in spite of these embarrassing security challenges facing the entire nation, the ruling APC has found solace in peddling falsehood with a cooked up list of alleged looters damning the legal implications of their action.
For God’s sake we are already in April, the fourth month of the year and still without a budget. MDAs and Ministries have deliberately refused to defend their various budgets to facilitate the passing of the budget. This does not mean anything to the ruling APC who seem bent on further punishing Nigerians with their mediocrity and cluelessness.
The government does not seem bothered that the economy of the nation is at a standstill because we do not have a budget to run the nation with. To APC and its co travellers what seem to be more important to them is to trivialise governance and further insult our sensibility by doing what they know best- politicise everything.
I still maintain that the APC is still lost in the quagmire of its earlier position as an opposition party and three years of governance even with the sufferings they have meted on Nigerians have not jolted them out of the opposition mindset they are used to.
The APC has to show some form of seriousness in governance. Let me remind Alhaji Lai Mohammed and his co APC travellers that they were not voted into power to entertain Nigerians. In fact Nigerians were deceived into believing that change mantra is the real deal. They brandished the “anti corruption slogan” when in fact they do not understand what it means.
Just like the #Buharichallenge currently trending on social media, I challenge the APC to publish a comprehensive list of convicted, political exposed persons. Any such list will receive the backing of Nigerians because the convicts would have been painstakingly investigated and made to pass through proper judicial process. But because the APC lacks the capacity for thoroughness and are blessed with a high propensity for deceit, they have decided to announce their deceitful nature by publishing a list of innocent Nigerians and tag them looters.
It is the eve of another election year and these lie mongers must sell something to Nigerians to desperately cling on to power. I am not in any way surprised by the line of action of the ruling party. They have desperately lashed on to an honest display of remorse shown by the PDP to sell their stale “anti-corruption” slogan. Nigerians are wiser and will tell them they are not just wearing anything but are also dancing naked.
There is so much to be done in country today to reduce the pains inflicted by the ruling APC. For starters the budget process needs to be fast tracked and the final document cleaned up.
A lot more attention and decisive leadership is needed in the security of lives and properties to stem the wanton killings of innocent Nigerians. The federal government should show serious leadership in reducing herdsmen killing. (I say reduce because I know they lack the capacity to stop it).
On Boko Haram, the ruling APC should own up and tell Nigerians the truth about Boko Haram. You can’t claim to have defeated Boko Haram and still be negotiating with them or even offering them amnesty. Most disturbing however is the new trend that has shown that the federal government is the biggest financier of the terrorist group.
It’s pointless recounting all the numerous credible revelations of ransom payments to Boko Haram by the government, but the point being made is that, Boko Haram is now better financed by the Nigerian government than our military is. And, as sure as tomorrow’s date, the terrorist group will continue to use the war chest handed to them by our government to unleash more terror, abduct more girls, and earn more money. It has become a profitable racket.
The APC is a party of lairs and its craft is deceit. I urge Nigerians to hold them accountable for their actions. This is three years in power and counting. Let the government tell us what they have achieved.
Rather than reduce governance to their continued media trials and innuendos. I want to urge them to put on their cloths and begin to give direction. We know they are naked and will not be drawn into their self-induced over rated ego styled governance characterised by melodrama.
Efezhino Ilaye-Thukson is the
Executive Assistant, Media and Communications to PDP National Vice Chairman, South South Zone
