RANDOM MUSINGS:
THAT MEDIA CHAT, STAMPEDE-AT-GIVEAWAYS AND ONE OTHER THING.
with
Ben C. Abraham.
THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA CHAT
On Monday 23rd December 2024, the media team of President Tinubu decided that it was time to organize a chat between the President and selected media practitioners and journalists. It took about 1 year and 6 months for this engagement to be pulled off. Well, so much for governance. In any case, during the chat, President Tinubu spoke on a wide range of issues in answer to questions from the media people. One of the invited media persons, Reuben Abati of Arise TV stated at the end of the chat that the President performed beyond his expectations being that they were not asked to submit questions before-hand as obtained with many past Presidents. He further remarked that judging from President Tinubu’s performance during the chat, he came across as someone who was in charge having answered and discussed all the issues that were brought up. Well, that is Abati’s views which he is entitled to. On the other hand, so many Nigerians criticized the President as lacking in empathy. They lampooned his performance during the chat adding that he felt distant from the challenges his Government orchestrated on Nigerians. Harping on the need for Nigerians to adjust their lifestyle in accordance with the current economic realities, the President cited the example of someone who had abandoned his Rolls Royce cars for cheaper vehicles. Meanwhile the President acquired a new jet and executive limousine in the first 16 months of his 48-month tenure in a budgetary process that wasn’t signed off by the National Assembly according to Senator Enyinna Abaribe. Early in the life of his administration, Nigerians experienced an obscene preview of the lavish lifestyle Tinubu would lead when they were confronted with the acquisition of a presidential yacht. Despite denials and abjurations, the yacht docked under the care of the Nigerian Navy. Of course time would fail me to recount the new house built for the Vice president and the renovations of the presidential mansions in Lagos. This is the same President now lecturing Nigerians in Economics 101 (ECO 101) – the imperativeness of economizing and belt-tightening. This is the same man who was assessed as being in charge – because he was able to answer questions put to him during a media chat in which he didn’t have a preview of the questions. What else did you expect from him during the chat? To fail the questions? Or? The tragedy is that we have long deified our presidents and rulers; they have for long been immortalized; super heroes at whose mere sight we genuflect, kowtow, grovel and cow in submission. Please cut me some slack and move on to second base, if you will.
GIVEAWAY FOR DEATH;
Christmas is a major festive season in Nigeria and many parts of the world. It is an end-of-year period and a season for philanthropy and benevolence by more privileged persons to the less privileged. These giveaways as I term them have gone on for years with little or no skirmishes. Well that was then. This year’s Christmas has come with giveaways quite alright and sadly, more. It came with death. Death while searching for life, destruction while seeking to receive food items and related gifts. The sequence came hard, fast and furious. It began at the Oyo State Capital city, Ibadan where what started out as an end-of-the-year party for children ended as an end-of-the-year wailing and weeping for many families as crowds jostling for free food and gifts triggered a fierce stampede. At the end, over 30 children lay dead with many more injured. While many parents waited to receive their loved ones back home with goodies and positive tales of the outing, they were unfortunately called to identify their dead wards. Shame. The organizers, a school proprietress and Ooni’s ex wife were taken into custody and later released in what many described as a poorly arranged Christmas giveaway. While plans were made for say, a thousand, five thousand showed up, hungry and as they say angry. Following closely was the FCT incident at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama Abuja where a food sharing event designed for the vulnerable and elderly had over one thousand people jostling for the items as early as 6.30am. At the end of the pandemonium, 10 people lay dead including 4 children while 8 others sustained serious injuries. And after the Maitama horror, the wind of death-at-giveaway changed direction and blew further south in Okija Town in the southern part of Anambra State. Philanthropist Obi Jackson organized this year’s edition of giveaways but didn’t expect and plan for the crowds that showed up. A stampede ensued and left about 22 women dead with many more injured. It is apparent that the organizers did not expect to see the dramatization of the prevalent cry ‘ebinpawa o’, (we are hungry o) made popular during President Tinubu’s visit to Lagos State some time ago. And because they didn’t expect the crowd, they didn’t plan adequately for crowd control. They didn’t realize that times had changed; that 12 months was enough to turn an average family into beggars, all thanks to this Government’s strangulating economic policies. May the souls of the dead find peace with their Maker and may their spirits torment everyone whose policies hastened their death. Amen.
……AND ONE OTHER THING:
FINALLY, TIME TO TAKE STOCK;
And 2024 comes to an end. We have every reason to thank God for the year 2024. For His faithfulness, victory, favour, help, sustenance and protection. Indeed, if not for God’s mercies more tragedies would have occurred in the year. Someone stated some time ago that God works overtime in Nigeria. And I tend to agree because what Governments were elected to do all over the world, in the case of Nigeria we look up to God to do it – from supplies to protection and even cancellation of debts. Yes, cancellation of debts. Of a truth God is working overtime but thankfully He is not complaining. This and many more reasons should make us bring thanks to Him. It is a time of stock-taking and objective assessment of what 2024 served us. Unfortunately, many of our compatriots are not alive to witness this cross over to another year. We bemoan these deaths, many of them needlessly and carelessly. Is it through the action of terrorists, the under-equipped Government hospitals with fewer and fewer doctors, the accidents arising from unserviceable vehicles and terrible roads, the kidnappers and their accomplices, the accidental and deliberate discharge from law enforcement agents, the fire incidents that could not be controlled because of lack of firefighting equipment, the menace of the unknown gunmen and armed robbers, and finally the avoidable stampede in the process of food and palliative sharing? These deaths were avoidable and needless. Incidentally, many people are tottering on the brink as 2024 is ebbing away. What 2025 has in store many people do not know and judging from what this Government served Nigerians in 2024, there is a compelling reason to watch and pray as we cross over and dwell on into 2025. May the kindness and goodness of God abide with His people always. Amen.