Sheep In Wolf’s Clothing By David Folorunso Andrew

Watching repeat footage of
the president cutting the
Independence Day cake at
the low-key state house
party, I couldn’t help but
notice that the commander-
in-chief fittingly cut the
figure of a military leader.
The garb he donned on this
occasion may have fanned
this thought, however
flitting: the full regalia of a
field marshal. Granted that
the military fatigues belies
the wholesome truth that
Mr. Goodluck Jonathan is a
democratically elected
president, it would not be
wild to suggest from his
mannerisms since he
entered into office that he
sometimes displays the
trappings of a Babangida era
administrator – and this time
I am not referring to his
sartorial tastes.
First, the January 1st
removal of fuel subsidies
still rankles with many of us,
even if he eventually
reversed the order after
nationwide demonstrations
and protests by civil right
groups, labour unions,
activists and ordinary
citizens alike. Furthermore,
the president unilaterally
decided to change the name
of a federal university on a
day marked to celebrate the
end of military rule in
Nigeria. This paradox was
another politburoesque
move by the president that
led to another round of
protests. Key terms in these
examples are ‘order’ and
‘unilaterally’.
The common thread in both
narratives is that Mr.
President made outrageous
declarations on landmark
dates: New Year’s Day and
Democracy Day respectively.
This caused an expected
sense of cynicism as he took
to the podium on October
1st to make yet another
gaffe. This time he claimed
Transparency International
ranked Nigeria second as the
country with the most
improved index in its fight
against corruption. This is
untrue. Transparency
International has refuted the
bogus claim. How pervasive
corruption still is in the
Nigerian polity, given the
way the recent Otedola-
Lawan affair was swept
under the carpet is subject
for another day. Another
important digression would
be how telling it is that Mr.
Jonathan did not prepare his
own speech for an occasion
as august as Nigeria’s
birthday.
The episode suggests the
presidential team made two
assumptions. One is that
Nigerians would not care to
listen to the speech. The
second is that even if they
did they would not
crosscheck the facts. Both
are insults to us. A probe
has been instigated to find
the root of this humiliating
faux pas but it is one of
those embarrassing national
incidents that soon diffuse
into the sub-conscious of
our memories. I choose to
see the bigger picture.
While sweeping declarations
and orders are trademark
vestiges of a military junta,
feeding the nation with
blatant lies certainly takes
the biscuit. Now you may be
tempted to believe this is
much ado about nothing,
making a mountain out of a
molehill, or whatever idiom
suits you fine, but we must
understand this is a
precedent that must be
bellowed to the far-flung
corners of Nigeria till
everyone is aware that the
president lied to Nigerians
on national television. As
minuscule as a lie may be,
when it is uttered from the
office of the presidency it
negates everything that
office and our democracy
stands for.
So while the blame for this
mishap has gone to
misinformation from a
national newspaper the
incident transcends a honest
mistake by the speech-
writers, proof-readers or
typists; rather, it is an
innocuous attempt to sell
garbage to the Nigerian
masses. Furthermore, no
clear-cut apology has been
rendered to Nigerians since
October 1st. That, my dear
friends, is the hallmark of an
autocracy!

Location: Edo State
Occupation: Pharmacist
I can be reached on twitter:

#CONSENSUS 2015