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If you count safety
and do not think of danger, if you do not know enough to be wary
when enemies arrive, this is called a sparrow nesting on a tent, a
fish swimming in a cauldron – they don’t last the day — (Chuko
Liangad, 181 - 234).
There is no gainsaying that People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
experienced upheavals and internal rancours after the December 2006
gubernatorial primaries and the run-up thereof. The variables
associated with the hazy atmosphere are out of our scope in this
discourse. A plan was marshaled out to mop up this freezing
development. Much of the hue and cry and hullabaloo emanated from
people of Southern Kaduna who hitherto viewed PDP as a huge
multinational or transnational conglomerate - with them as
co-investors.
Senator Zagi, then Honourable Zagi who won Senatorial primaries in
Zone III was contracted to reassemble his gallant foot soldiers to
diffuse, stale and repulse the elephantized threat to PDP in the
zone. At that time, a flick knife has already been placed on PDP’s
neck and pushed to the wall. Senator Zagi shaped in (as a survival
strategy) because of two incontrovertible reasons: firstly, to
insulate his own senatorial seat from possible protest votes and
secondly, to prove to the grey haired old brigade in the zone that
the wind of change (apologies to Harold Macmillan and George Bush
Snr) has produced a sole mover and shaker of politics in Southern
Kaduna or better put, there is a new kid on the block.
The first “marshal plan” (this time not to liberate European allied
economies after the Great War) designed by his strategic high
command to de-escalate and freeze the dwindling popularity of PDP -
was sending 28 “so-called Caleb boys” to tour the eight local
governments in the zone. Their sole mission was to cool frayed
nerves arising from the December primaries. The dust and brouhaha
was so thick and awesome that Zagi left nothing to chance by
personally attending some sessions in person. Throughout their
tension-cooling and diplomatic shuttles, one or two massages were
evangelized: the need to remain in the mainstream of Kaduna State
politics; and the wisdom of remaining focused in the struggle. All
the sessions were expectedly tense because of the renegade loyalists
of people who lost out in the gubernatorial primaries. These
die-hards and rescuers got some little bashings and were branded
agents and traitors (a popular chorus in the choir of the
disgruntled). To a larger level, the aim was achieved (Kwalliya fa
biya kudin sabulu.) because many grey areas were explicitly and
abundantly explained and cleared (with a pool of tears). The
videotapes of these visits and a written report were turned over to
Senator Zagi. What transpired thereafter is beyond our wildest
imagination.
Despite promises by PDP members to stay with the party until the
last dog dies, the cloud of uncertainty was still looming thick in
the sky. Against this affordable and available reality, Zagi opted
to pilot PDP campaigns in the zone. This was a smart move by Zagi
who could not afford to gamble. Some people who represented other
shades of interests were also conscripted, which culminated into a
rainbow zonal and local government campaign teams.
His joyous acceptance to man the commanding height of his and all
other seats at the zonal level was his greatest undoing and the
genesis of his present travails and tribulations with politicians
and the party at all levels. It runs counter-logic and common sense
for a man to head his own campaign. James Carville and Paul Bigala,
world renowned campaign strategists and managers are lucky not to
have Zone III as their catchments area, they would have been
jobless. If he had surrendered that noble role of directorship to
his wife, it would have been close to decency. At least someone else
will be seen heading the war room. The people who gave him this
advice only set up a booby trap like the one set up by the Vietcong
and he fall prey like the American soldier.
Within a few days of his activities as the commander of zone III PDP
fleet of vote hunters headquartered in Kafanchan, the senator
started behaving like the crown monarch of Lesotho, Jordan, Central
Aftican Republic or the Sultan of Brunei; with everybody in the team
as his subject. Yes, it is said power corrupts, but absolute power
corrupts absolutely. I have never seen where this iron law of
oligarchy was strictly adhered to like this. Our senator was a
dedicated and loyal student of this theory.
The structures that were created at the state level to accommodate
visible and invisible interests were intransigently and arrogantly
panel-beaten to make seats available for some of his “infant
terrible.” All attempts to dissuade him from such counter-productive
ventures fell on deaf ears of this new assuming political sheikh.
His dogs and jackals of thuggery were ready and handy to take
senseless orders from their chief priest. They littered in and
around the campaign headquarters like bees on honey. It became
crystal clear that Zone III was on the verge of electing an
unprincipled and cheap thug as senator.
The number of fracas and skirmishes ignited by his dishonourable and
domineering manners ran in dozens. He combated teammates on how to
share posters, wrappers, t-shirts and caps. He tried to
institutionalize regimental mentality in a purely democratic
organization charged with votes catching. As expected, he received
fierce resistance from some of the officers who do not believe in
hero worship and messianic postures and detest dictatorial
tendencies of a person who is still looking for their mandates.
Majority of the people swallowed his terrible and horrible manners,
but a few others fell by the way. Despite his squeezing, smashing
and hard knocks, many geared to the end.
As the story of his unpolished and less than decent dispositions
sank down to many local governments and the threat from other
candidates thickens, he moulded the ideal of a zonal rally (of which
he lacks the financial solvency to back). The itinerary was drawn
but the train was too heavy to move because of the financial
draughts faced by this Sheikh Yamani of Southern Kaduna. This was
due to activities of the financial locust that invaded and consumed
his savings before and during the party primaries. After some
shuttles between Kafanchan, Kaduna and Abuja, the programme was set
in motion. Each local government in Zone III was partitioned into
three zones. Those who knew Distinguished surely know that he is not
a good talker and a crowd mover. This intractable weakness was
“magically” addressed by an import in a keg from Kagoro.
Throughout this zonal votes chase, he made outrageous and laughable
promises and entered into multi-faceted social contracts with
people; most especially youths and women. In Geshere, Kauru local
government, he told thousands of expectant youths at sunset that he
will take footballers amongst them to Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester
and Barcelona FCs for professional soccer career. The cheering that
accompanied this fallacious and bare-faced lies of a (red devils or
Manchester United FC supporter) was thunderous that many feared that
a nearby standing hill (despite looking like that of Gibraltar)
would erupt. Throughout that zonal tour, youths and women were
served with such bogus, chilly and spicy plates of his lies in their
tables of hope.
Ten months after taking their mandates, King Kong is far from the
mark. He seems to be telling them that their investment was a bad
one. In fact, it is a zero returns one. Can wonder ever end?
Certainly no. This is a man who sees everything in life from a
business concept but falls short of his billings. At a point, he
held the state government by the neck for not observing his golden
rule or rule numero uno. He believes in setting standards for others
and dodging same like some self-acclaimed puritans who will say do
as I say but don’t do as I do. Now that people have realized they
have swallowed the bait of a chronic, conning and a slippery
betrayal, they are up for a showdown and everybody can see clearly
how nemesis is fast catching up with him.
Southern Kaduna people are now behaving like a bull in a China shop
in search of justice from their senator. Their search is limitless.
It will involve all legal channels and political avenues available.
Vengeance dish, it is said, is best served when it is cold. The same
road that took him to Abuja will ply him down home in an undignified
fashion on or before 2011. I doubt if they will be patient to wait
till 2011 before doing their worse or take a go-to-hell decision. A
fire can be quenched with water, but if a fire starts from an ocean,
what will extinguish it? Only divine intervention can miraculously
solve that problem, without which, I see a caravan of masses armed
with his promises as their weapon on vengeance mission moving with a
bull-headed determination and resolve to observe an eye-for-an-eye
principle. To avoid a head-on collision with a people’s might -
which is deadlier and stranger than any bomb, be it biological or
atomic, conventional or otherwise, patriot or scud, I admonish
distinguished to cast his lots and go, if not run.
A tail-between-the-legs or Paul and James turn-trial and run
strategy will not help. He is in a political desert where he is
viewed from far range. The thick political Amazon or Democratic
Republic of Congo forests are not in sight for a refuge. Even if he
makes it to the forest, he lacks basic guerilla warfare tactics of
maneuvering like Sylvester Stallone in his award-winning film, Rambo
III.
The people’s monks (not those of Bwangum, Tibet or Vatican) are out
of their monasteries on a holy and great liberation march. They are
willing to walk for millions of kilometers like Chinese peasants in
the 40s. They have removed the safety pins from their vengeance
canisters of unfulfilled promises and ready to throw them at Senator
Judas. Emotions are high, and performing this duty is a scared duty
that must be done without minding the consequences now or later.
They are all out to liquidate rank opportunism, unproductive
representation, hyper cognitive deceiver and professionally
certified dodger.
There is a time for everything under the sun (so says our Lord);
there was a time for campaign and promises (outrageous or real).
There was a time to refuse to fulfill campaign pledges (betraying
people); and there is a time to fight back and hold representatives
accountable to their promises (a people’s resolve to fight back).
Doing nothing is no option. It is either you are brought to justice
or justice is taken to you (apologies to Bush Jnr). The people shall
take their reprisal gospel to the last unit of the zone and guess
what will happen to the mighty? They shall collapse like a pack of
card. Concluded.
DANFULANI resides in Kaduna
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Re: Zagi:
Disappointment of a radical initiative (I)
For the people of Southern Kaduna State,
the return to democratic politics in 1999 has served as a period of
renaissance in terms of political awakening, infrastructural
development and the steady growth of a crop of political
heavyweights which has played a defining role in the reshaping of
the political space in both Kaduna State and the nation in general.
These political heavyweights have depended on a vibrant and educated
youth vanguard to press for relevance and influence for the people
of Southern Kaduna. Isaiah Balat, Charles Ali Madaki, Charles Bonet,
Felix Hyet, Caleb Zagi, Stephen Shekari (late), Esther Nenadi Usman,
Patrick Yakowa, Haruna Zego Aziz, Woje Yayock, Emmanuel Maisango,
Gideon Gwani, Ruth Jummai Ango, etc, are leaders thrown up within
this period and have represented Southern Kaduna in positions that
were hitherto denied the people of the zone. They have served as
ministers (four ministers in ten years), Secretaries to State
Government, Deputy Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, and
Representatives at the National Assembly.
It would be naive, however, to assume that these sons and daughters
of Southern Kaduna have lived up to all the expectations of their
people; but it would be disingenuous, completely idiotic and out of
tune not to thank Almighty God for these leaders who have given
Southern Kaduna a ray of hope; a new identity: something to dream
about; something to hope for; something to celebrate. Southern
Kaduna has indeed seen the light at the end of the tunnel of
marginalization, irrelevance and political naivete.
These leaders who have brought us this far have been businessmen,
technocrats, teachers and professionals who have distinguished
themselves in their chosen fields of endeavour through hard work and
perseverance, which in turn, have given them the necessary
experience and exposure to lead their people in the struggle for
self actualization and the creation of a distinct identity for the
people of the zone. For this struggle to have meaningful continuity,
the youths of the zone must be ready to follow the footsteps of
their leaders in order to draw from their wealth of experience and
wisdom.
But this does not seem to be the case. And here lies the tragedy!
Judging from the springing up of phantom forums such as “Kaduna
patriotic Front” and the likes, there is a new but unfortunate
ill-wind blowing through the zone. These forums formed mostly by
some quasi - intellectuals and failed young politicians in the zone,
have become ready tools for the discrediting of some leaders. From
the discordant and hardly coordinated thoughts issuing from these
forums, one begins to sense the emergence of a new breed that may
not successfully receive the baton from the old generation of
Southern Kaduna leaders. The reason is simple. They are in hurry to
stamp their presence but lack the necessary tools, ideas and
experience to move the zone forward. They are greedy and have placed
material acquisition above altruistic values and thereby have
created a new crop of quasi-intellectuals and political speculators
that have no solid foundation whatsoever. In fact, they now work at
cross-purposes with the general aspirations of the people whom they
pretend to represent. Having failed to get a foothold in the
political space in the zone, they resort to cheap blackmail,
mud-slinging, name-calling and empty sloganeering. They discredit
the leaders whose large shoes they should hope to occupy. Instead of
drawing from the wisdom of age, they are now foot-soldiers of those
who wish to pull the zone back. The pages of newspapers have
provided a ready avenue to bring down their leaders.
This very long fore grounding is done to fully situate one of such
newspaper ramblings that have been churned out of recent to set
Southern Kaduna back on its journey to self-fulfillment. In “New
Nigerian on Sunday” of 30th March, 2008 John Danfulani, an adviser
to Governor Namadi Sambo of Kaduna State; churned out such trash
titled: “Zagi: Disappointment of a Radical Initiative “. (see p.8).
This article has been picked for closer scrutiny in order to
demystify this pretentious posturing by some young political Turks
from Southern Kaduna who have been infested by a new disease one
many uncomfortably term the over-bloated ego syndrome. This syndrome
has given them a new penchant to discredit in unsavoury terms their
political godfathers (whom they might have fallen apart with) on the
pages of newspapers - speculating half truths, gossip, rumours and
falsehood in order to cast these leaders in bad light.
This penchant has caught the eye of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU)
so much so that the union has issued a warning to all youth
organizations in Southern Kaduna to seek clearance from it (SOKAPU)
before going to press on any issue that concerns the zone. I suspect
this warning is borne out of the need for the zone to resolve its
disagreements internally and not resort to washing its dirty linen
in public.
This seems to have escaped the attention of Mr. John Danfulani who
literally took distinguished Senators Caleb Zagi and Haruna Zego
Aziz and Hon. Hassan Hyet, Minister of State (Aviation) to the
cleaners, using in his own words, “nasty, devastating,
uncomplimentary and carefree phrases and words... his darling venoms
(sic) poured without caution on opponents”.
But wait a minute! Before analyzing his rambling, disingenuous
write-up critically, it behoves us to situate the persona, John
Danfulani, within the context of Southern Kaduna political space in
order to isolate his relevance and perhaps to see if he enjoys a
pedigree which accords him the self-delusion to speak so derisively
and dismissively on these worthy sons of Southern Kaduna. From my
investigation, Danfulani has nothing to show other than his
frustration for his failure to attain the level of our great leaders
that he has been castigating have attained.
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