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16 MIDWEEKPOLITICS THISDAY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 Group Politics Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com 08116759819 SMS ONLY THE NEWSMAKER From This Day Shall So Ye Know Them The introduction, at the weekend, of official portraits and titles for the presidentelect and vice president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo, by the All Progressives Congress signifies the advent of the “CHANGE” era. Olawale Olaleye writes Although reservations still abound, it is evident that the “CHANGE” being offered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have truly begun to dawn on the system and indeed, in all spheres of her body polity. Just many weeks back, the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari was said to have flared up with some people for inadvertently omitting the title, “General” from his name. And in doing this, he was said to have emphasised that the title meant to him what SAN is to lawyers or Professor to PhD holders. His reasons, of course, made sense to a lot of people because the military remains his primary constituency, whether or not he is now a democratic convert. But his handlers have scored another goal in the management of this rather innately rigid fellow. For starters, this says a lot about the psychology of the minders of the president-elect as against the predisposition of those on the other side. It speaks even more to their philosophy and school of thoughts. Importantly, it shows that a larger chunk of those on this side (although there are a few terrible ones) are more organised, methodical, good planners and often times, scientific in their approaches. They are good thinkers with effective strategy. Preparatory to assuming office next week, the Buhari team has unveiled official portraits of the president-elect and his deputy, Osinbajo replacing whatever has been in existence before now. The initiative, the team reckons unfurls the kind of presidential aura that is to come with the Buhari presidency. In addition, the Buhari presidency has requested to be referenced differently from the General title. This, unfortunately, may have signaled the sudden death of the initials – GMB – as the man now wants to be addressed simply as Muhammadu Buhari, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Outside his official portrait, nothing significant has changed with the vice president-elect. He shall be known and addressed thus: Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is, however, understandable. Although like Buhari, who admires his title as a General, the SAN title means “everything” to Osinbajo who became a professor at law in his 20s. But Buhari had to sacrifice his title to signify change – the kind of change that an average person can relate with. “From May 29, 2015 the President-elect and Vice-President-elect are to be respectively known and addressed as Muhammadu Buhari, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,” a statement by Garba Shehu, Directorate of Media and Publicity of the President-elect Muhammadu Buhari Media Team has said. Interestingly, in giving kudos to the Buhari team, the transformation effort didn’t start with the dropping of his General title or the unveiling of the duo’s official portraits. It started immediately after Buhari won the presidential primaries late last year. His outward and inward transformation through conscious communication management as well as his wardrobe has been both dramatic and stupefying. There is no doubting the fact that the Buhari that contested this year’s election was not the one that slugged it out with outgoing President Buhari…no longer your regular GMB Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 or the one that battled either former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 or the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007. The Buhari of 2015 is a brand new one. And since he set out on this presidential journey, the Team Buhari has been more than extra-ordinary, whether in thinking, utterances or even attitudinal disposition. The transmutation has been wowing, the same way the choice of his deputy – a cerebral professor at law has remained an incalculable asset to the combo. Osinbajo is unarguably a huge asset to the incoming administration, an indication that change is impossible in spite of However, the change in name, title or portrait is merely significant; it has no bearing with the real change that the Nigerian people seek. Although it could point in some positive direction, it is not on its own sufficient. Thus, the Buhari Team must not forget that it rode on the strength of a tripod of palpable national malady – corruption, insecurity and the economy – to becoming president-elect Osinbajo…still the cerebral SAN the stifling political and economic environment. However, the change in name, title or portrait is merely significant; it has no bearing with the real change that the Nigerian people seek. Although it could point in some positive direction, it is not on its own sufficient. Thus, the Buhari Team must not forget that it rode on the strength of a tripod of palpable national malady – corruption, insecurity and the economy – to becoming president-elect. If the change must transform to what the average man can relate with, at least, in the first year in office, addressing the scourge of corruption with a degree of political will and leadership is not negotiable. Buhari and his team must not only set example, they must lead by example, that way showing that they are ready to deliver on their promises to the people. Buhari’s image of an incorruptible is not enough. In fact, a majority of those who voted for him cannot relate with that track record of tackling corruption. But they believed the story and tagged along with the crowd. For this reason and more, Buhari must let them have a real life practical experience of what it looks and feels like to genuinely fight corruption. Insecurity has become such a menace that even the lives of those in power are no longer safe. Terrorism has only stolen the show; the branches of insecurity, especially the one that seems to threaten the coexistence of the Nigerian people are a legion. Again, Buhari rode through this on the strength of his antecedents as a military ruler, who warded off external aggressions at different times. The time and chance are different, no doubt, leadership must not be found wanting here either. The third of the tripod which is the economy is now a thorn in the flesh of the federating units. States can no longer pay salaries much less fund capital projects. It is so bad that the federal government is seeking a loan from the World Bank to fund its local budget, while the governors want a bailout. Power as a content in the economy is yet another huge challenge for the Buhari administration. Three preceding administrations have “tried” to fix power but ended up frittering away the fortunes of the country and inadvertently encouraging corruption as a budding industry with escalating poverty index. Power, therefore, for Buhari is not negotiable. What has made it impossible must be unraveled and addressed accordingly if the change can begin to sound and look real. Clearly, it a desperate situation and the nation, is evidently in dire strait. Leadership – uncompromising leadership is the way out here. Yes, Buhari can offer it only if not hounded on the grounds of extraneous political considerations. Change is an everyday familiar word. Ironically, it is not actionable in the day-to-day living of the people. But constructive and developmental change can be compelled through democratic means for the collective good of all. This is why the duo of Buhari and Osinbajo must neither be carried away by the glamour of office nor distracted by its illusion; the task of delivering is not negotiable and the contract is subject to renewal within a fleeting four years. Only performance – stellar performance – can guarantee them another chance to consolidate. However, as the world now knows and recognises them by their new look and title being evidence of change – the real change, the tangible change – will ultimately stand them out as a manifestation of the expectations of the people.
THISDAY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 EVENTS&REPORTS 17 MIDWEEKPOLITICS Amaechi in a handshake with Soyinka while Amosun and Tinubu look on Amaechi: An Enigma in Book Record At the launch of a book capturing his eight years tenure as the Rivers State Governor, Hon Rotimi Amaechi was described severally by friends and admirers, writes Shola Oyeyipo On Wednesday, May 13, captains of industries, crème de la crème of the society and indeed major players in the All Progressives Congress (APC) that is getting set to constitute the new government in a matter of days converged on the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos for one purpose – to celebrate one of their own, outgoing Governor of Rivers State, Hon. Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi. The event was the launching of a book authored by the duo of renowned media practitioners, Dr. Chidi Amuta and Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, which was forworded by Prof. Wole Soyinka and titled: Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years – a documentation of the activities of Governor Amaechi in his eight years in the saddle in the state. In attendance were very many dignitaries. Hardly was anyone patient enough to run through the very lengthy list of important personalities that graced the occasion, so they adopted existing protocols. The list included Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Prof Wole Soyinka, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Justice Karibe Whyte, Senator Bola Tinubu, Justice Oguntade, Dr. Jim Ovia, former and present Managing Directors of Shell Petroleum, Whyte, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief John Oyegun, Mallam Nasir El-rufai and the Ogun and Zamfara States Governors, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Alhaji Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari respectively. Others are Senator Olorunibe Mamora, Senator Daisy Danjuma, former Ekiti State governors, Chief Segun Oni and Dr. Kayode Fayemi; APC National Secretary, Alhaji Mai Mala Goni, APC National Woman Leader, Alhaja Rahmatu Tijani Aliyu, Mr. Tonye Cole and the Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, amongst others. However, one significant thing that happened at the well-attended event was name calling. Amaechi was called several names by those privileged to speak about him. Although positive names, they all seemed to capture the character of the man, Amaechi, who people see from different perspectives and lenses. For instance, he was described as ‘great friend,’ ‘strong headed,’ ‘adamant,’ ‘reliable ally,’ ‘General of the common sense revolution,’ ‘non-extravagant’, ‘honest and blunt to a fault,’ ‘good example of common sense revolution,’ ‘a man with courage of conviction,’ knowledgeable,’ ‘driven by the well-being of others,’ ‘unhappy with unjust system,’ ‘restless,’ ‘activist,’ ‘change agent,’ ‘a hounded man,’ ‘a social democrat,’ and a ‘dogged fighter,’ among several other names. While telling his own story, Amaechi however denounced a name nobody called him at the venue – stubborn. He had to tell the people that he was not a stubborn person as some people may have concluded, owing to the fact that he was one person that stood firmly against President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration till it was eventually ousted and that is the reason he got the title: ‘General of Common Sense Revolution.’ “I’m not a stubborn man. If you have better opinion, I will succumb. I’m principled. Some people say if the president speaks I shouldn’t speak. If I continue to shut my mind they’ll cheat Rivers State. I’m not stubborn. I just want us to know the rules and live by the rules,” he noted, He explained that his grouse with President Jonathan, which ultimately led to his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was a result While telling his own story, Amaechi however denounced a name nobody called him at the venue – stubborn. He had to tell the people that he was not a stubborn person as some people may have concluded, owing to the fact that he was one person that stood firmly against President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration till it was eventually ousted and that is the reason he got the title: ‘General of Common Sense Revolution of what he considered wanton confiscations of oil wells belonging to the Rivers State people, which he couldn’t bear. “They were taking our oil wells because Bayelsa State produced the president. So, I allowed Kalabari chiefs to protest at Abuja and that rattled them and now, after they have agreed that there was a mistake in the boundary adjustment they have named a Bayelsan as the Surveyor-General. “Though unfortunately, they stole the result of the elections in Rivers State, we hope the court will give us back our mandate,” he said optimistically. Amaechi, who openly said he would have been doomed had President Jonathan won the 2015 elections, also gave an insight into what seemed as a frosty relationship between him and former Lagos State governor and a national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu in the build up to the merger of the four legacy political parties that gave birth to the APC. “One day, I went to Asiwaju’s house. I knelt down before him that he should not let us fight because if we lose the election I would be finished. They had already said I should not be allowed to leave the country after the elections. I knew I would be in trouble if we had lost the election. “Some of my friends told me they can’t talk to me at the airport. Some told me not to come to their houses with my phones so that the president would not track me to their homes. “I told him (Tinubu) that it is not how much we would make from the system that matters but that he would make history as leading the first civilian coup in Nigeria. I reminded him that so many Yoruba leaders tried but couldn’t achieve it. Just imagine that the PDP won the election, what would have happened to me?” he noted. The event also brought to fore those people who baptized Amaechi with his Marxist orientation, his former lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Amuta. Interestingly, Amuta was a student of Prof. Soyinka at the University of Ife, Osun State and today; the two of them are some of his most reliable associates. He therefore has good words for some people whom he considers very understanding of the cause and purpose and who have spurred him on in public life. “I need to thank Prof. Wole Soyinka. I never carried anybody’s bag, but I carry his bag because he blesses you with brilliance and knowledge. He fights on my behalf whether I’m right or wrong because he wants to preserve my life. “The persons I admire a lot as fathers are Chief Bisi Akande and Chief of Staff to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Justice Karibe Whyte and Prof. Soyinka. They are among the few persons that can tell me to stop. But Prof Soyinka and Justice Whyte would not stop you when they know what I’m doing is right because the first thing to them is that my life is protected,” he said. Tinubu was the one who described Amaechi as “A good example of common sense revolution – not a violent one – to tear things down, but to rescue us from violence and poverty, where the collective well-being of the people will be top on the agenda. It is a call to return to a level of decency between the governed and the leaders. We are here because of one of the generals of the common sense revolution.” Soyinka said: “I admire Amaechi’s courage of conviction. People should put themselves out and make sacrifices for the country. The political atmosphere in the country today – whatever name you call it – I recognise two people who are the architects: Tinubu and Amaechi. I urge Amaechi not to slow down now, if he slows down, it means he is playing with fire.” Also describing Amaechi in his own words, Cole said: “He totally lacks extravagance. He threw all protocol away and made the exalted office of the governor opened to all. He genuinely cares about the welfare of the people – the downtrodden. He was passionate about bringing good quality education to the state. Everything he did was driven to cater for the poor. “I have been on negotiation tables with him; he squeezes unimaginable profits out of every transaction. I have never seen him ask or receive 1k from one contractor. There is none that I know to be more loyal to a friend than Rotimi Amaechi. He tells you exactly how it is. He is straightforward and adamant about his position. He is very principled and he is someone you want on your side when you go to battle.” Every other person, including father Kukah, who did a robust review of the book, bringing out some of the flaws and the highpoints, also said: “The contributors did what friends should do a friend,” by documenting the landmark achievements of the governor.
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