Recently, a video of Boko Haram terrorist leader, Abubakar Shekau surfaced on Youtube to the chagrin of many who had thought that the militant leader was long gone after the Nigerian Army claimed victory over him in one of the raids it carried out deep in the Sambisa forest. His shocking appearance was, however, not much of news than his proclamation which signaled an end of his militancy. Shekau in the video said, “For me, the end has come.’’ Many have deduced that the militant leader has surrendered. This is likely so because of his body language and the reluctance with which he spoke. Equally so, was his statement of uncertainty where he said, ‘’only God knows the rest.’’ Who knows, he may commit suicide before the military he had constantly referred to as infidels take hold of him, an action that may be compared to that of Adolf Hitler. Whichever way one tries to look at his comment, it’s still conjecture for one to say he has surrendered. We can only analyze and pass our own judgment. Our judgments have continued to depend on his statement and his melancholic and downcast state.
This goes to show that an individual’s thought can be examined by what comes out of his mouth, whether half or full, even as his or her disposition cannot equally be waved aside. We therefore, judge based on what we hear and see – better still perceive. The foregoing can be used to better analyse the present controversy generated by the comment made by the Minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
I have deduced two major themes from Kachikwu’s assertion of “not receiving the training of a magician.’’ 1. He may have given up on his effort, seeing that the fuel crisis continues despite all strategies he has put in place. He has come to term with the reality that only magic can solve the perennial fuel crisis, after all…no be today, e don tey.’’
2. His comment is a summary of the Nigerian cyclic and vicious problem that tends to defy solutions; hence no solution can be proffered through mere human ideas, unless one is a magician and possesses some supernatural powers. Maybe, we need Osun or Amadioha to take us out of this lacuna and not mere Minister.
It may seem conjectural to say Kachikwu’s statement of not being a magician is that of a defeatist, but what other options do we have than to agree with him that he is not a magician as well as his party and his immediate boss, President Muhammadu Buhari. It’s reasonable to agree with Kachikwu that it’s only a magician that can solve the problem of the nation, and since the APC government has no magicians in the Buhari’s team of change, the mantra is almost a spineless one.
It will equally be reasonable to agree that there are many in Buhari’s team who have great ideas, but have no magic wand to tackle the problems Nigerians experienced before they voted PDP out and replaced it with a party with the change mantra. This is why many have said that only a tiny line separates the APC from the PDP. Maybe, only President Buhari and Aisha Buhari are the noticeable difference.
We may have to agree with Kachikwu that he is not the only one without the magical fingers to turn things around in the country. I think it’s unnecessary to keep talking about long queues at filling stations when we all know that APC has no magical powers to turn things around. Long queues have come to stay and Nigerians had better lived with it. Maybe, this is the change we all campaigned and vigorously worked for. After all, whether we are changing from bad to worse, change is change. That we now sleep at filling station is part of the change; that is why change is the only constant thing in life. Just like Kachikwu has no magical powers to end the fuel crisis, so we all have no magical powers to end impunity in high places; after all we are mere mortals and they are gods and goddess we cannot question.
Tinubu’s comment: Magic or fire?
The attack on Kachikwu from a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu communicates volumes about the complete absence of magic wand in the party. Tinubu’s comment, which should rather pacify the people, has ignited the anger of Nigerians against the same government he helped to power. Since his comment, queues at filings stations have increased geometrically. It goes to show that the builders themselves are constantly involved in the demolition of the same building. Tell me why it shouldn’t be only through magic that our fate can be reshaped and redefined as ideas are mostly dead on arrival. Kachikwu may have been a victim because he made the comment, but deep down the minds of many politicians holding different public offices, we are not half close to solving our own created problems unless we seek the assistance of a magician. This is because vested interest most times overtakes national interest. Kachikwu may have to do the bidding of a few, else the magic wand he searches will never be found. Tinubu’s comment which would have done the magic of helping to solve the plight of the people has rather aggravated it and we say when are we going to see the actual change. The call for Kachikwu’s removal all across the country even in the fold of the APC shows that we could still get someone better, but has the person got the magical power to fight even vested interest within the party?
Magic powers for power:
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina has recently blamed the near total blackout across the country on activities of vandals. This is in line with Kachikwu’s helpless statement of ‘’no magical training’’. Adesina’s comment which many have termed a weak excuse is almost in line with Kachikwu’s argument. Any government that is ready to transform a country must not blame every situation on something. The people are not interested in what is responsible for a problem; they are interested in you fixing the problem; that is really why a leader gets the votes of his people, unless Adesina is implying that Fashola too has no magical power to revive the power sector. It’s certain that before an administrator picks up a job, he must have understudied the problems and devised appropriate measures to tackle the problem, instead of lamenting over impediments. Nigerians have been grappling with incessant power outages or total blackout since the beginning of this year, and it’s wrong for the government we voted to fix our problems to start telling us what the problems are instead of looking for the magic wand with which to defeat the vandals and others sabotaging the effort. Your success as a government will be determined by your doggedness and sheared determination.
Magic powers for taxation
The government obviously has said it does not possess the desired magic powers to turn things around, but has the magic powers to impose multiple taxes on Nigerians. This sad development calls for serious concern. How can the ordinary man’s sweat be used to drive a government?…so sad. A government that enjoys taxing the people must not be so quick to defend its own failure on not having magical powers to address the people’s problem. As you give to Caesar, so you expect from Caesar. The unbelievable increase in electricity tariffs which Nigerians have already started paying should be used to stabilize power and not to tax the people and still cry of lacking in magical powers. At this hour, our selfless people have continued to pay taxes at different areas. FIRS has continued place adverts on the need for individuals, companies and others to pay their taxes, yet one wonders what is being done with those tax revenues. If you have no magic power for good results, then you do not need to have the power to impose taxes.
APC must know that at the present harsh economic reality, only magical powers can save Nigeria. To save the country, all Ministers must possess magic powers, including Bola Tinubu who has been so instrumental to enthroning the change-propagating government. Only the positive song of change can give us the desired rhythm to dance the most desired Alanta, the forgotten dance. We need to dance Alanta once more.
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