By BAIHAQQI A. AHMAD
I came across a write-up that made me laugh right from its headline. I got interested. I picked a copy of the tabloid and sat in my car to read. Because of its baseless title, I expected to see trash and I was not disappointed. It was a write-up describing a narrative befitting of the writer’s quagmire quackery. Evidently, the writer seems desperate to earn a living through fabricating falsehood and misdemeanour. Little did he know that he describes the 2023 Governorship race with so much ignorance that he fails to notice how incongruous his assertions are; and just how badly ‘cooked is his pudding.’ But of course, that’s how he enjoys eating his pudding without first tasting it.
Like a vulture whose identity is eating from remnants, this writer is sure used to scavenging as means of survival. Little did his sponsors know also that their errand boy will do a good job of making them laughing stock in the eyes of the polity.
I will, first of all, use the very words he used to describe reverend gentlemen of grace and repute in Bauchi State who may be eyeing the governorship seat come 2023. Because these gentlemen showed interest in being governor, which is every Nigerian’s civic right to hold and to declare, his sponsors thought it wise to cook up degrading remarks to discredit them. In order to scare them off, this faceless writer was used as his masters’ image-redeeming contractor; perhaps chiefly, to wad off and impede their vying chances; and partly so, to threaten them to the advantage of the incumbency. The writer, cunningly designed to put their eggs in one basket to throw them back at them. In the writer’s words, “…interested aspirants warming the polity; even masquerades and inconsequential day-dreamers have been identified to have joined the league of aspirants as spoilers…”
Every citizen of Bauchi State will agree to the fact that this journalist’s sponsors may only be jostling to come to the surface of the ocean to avoid being drowned in their own game of self-deceit.
The writer describes 2023 APC Governorship aspirants in Bauchi State as ‘rotten fruits.’ I was not surprised any sensible person will call respected sons of Bauchi State ‘rotten fruits.’ Instantly, it got into me that the writer must be an errand boy, not an ethical journalist. If not, why would anyone in his senses use such words to describe people of Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar’s calibre as rot?
I believe the writer lacks the knowledge that literally, rotten fruits are not useless. He didn’t know how better and finer ‘rotten fruits falling by themselves’ ultimately become seeds, germinating to become full standing trees of substance. He lacks sufficient belief in the truthfulness of how his masters will do anything to hide the shame of incompetency in their skeleton cardboards.
Pundits are no fools. They understand that some ‘rotten fruits’ didn’t germinate to become full trees of substance. Instead, they found themselves behind bars for corruption charges and; will ultimately and hopefully end in Golgotha in the nearest possible time.
The fact that there is a contract of ‘delivery and payment’, the write-up didn’t come as a surprise. The falsity of what this write-up carries shows how both sponsor-messenger are foolish to the brim.
In paragraph 3, the writer says, “…there are strong contenders struggling to fly the flag of the party…” Even the word ‘struggling’, shows that it is their right to contest any elective position so long as they are sane and of age. This vividly shows everyone has the right to their political franchise; or am I missing his English? Was he using simile when he used the word ‘strong?’ to make their bidding imaginary? Or, was it a metaphor to tell us the contenders are actually as strong as the incumbency? Whichever option his readers choose to believe, Air Marshal Saddique and the rest of APC contenders in Bauchi State have sure given the writer’s sponsor nightmares. Or, why the hasty, incongruous, meaningless write-up? Why was the writer jostling to impress anyone?
In paragraph 4, the writer unwittingly forgot the meaning of the word ‘fear’ when he literally ‘decapitated and shamed’ his PDP echelons openly, reducing them to nothingness, thus: “…in the PDP fold, no aspirant has so far emerged, probably for fear of the power of incumbency…” Has the writer forgotten the fact that the APC holds sway in the entire country as a leading party? How then would any APC hopeful fear any threat by incumbency? Who actually harbours ‘fear’ here? Aspirant or incumbency?
On line 10 paragraph 4, the writer refers to Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as, “…one of those day-dreamers in the APC fold that failed to secure parts of the northeast of Nigeria that he claims to hail from while in the military service until his time was up and was de-robbed of the exalted position he loved…” First, to correct this unthinkable assertion, Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar’s time ended long before he was asked to continue his good work of service to the nation. He was asked to stay back and do more because of his track record. The writer can very well see why SB Abubakar is no match to his jailbird boss. Need I also remind the writer that Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of the Air Staff worked for a total of 42 years as contrary to the official 35 years? Why was he allowed to overstay for additional 7 years? This was because of his glaring performance as Commander Nigerian Air Force Station Maiduguri, Commanding Officer 207 Wing, Acting Commanding Officer, National Emergency Management Agency Air Wing, Commander 97 Special Operations Group Port Harcourt, Air Component Commander ‘Operation Restore Hope’, Air Officer Commanding Training Command Kaduna. Others include Best Cadet for Flying at Primary Flying Training Wing for 1981, Best All Round Cadet at Primary Flying Training Wing for 1981, Tactical Air Command Best Officer of the Year for 1997,
Chief of the Air Staff Letter of Commendation for good leadership and prudent management of resources by Air Marshal OO Petinrin for 2009, Chief of di Air Staff Letter of Commendation for good leadership and prudent management of resources by Air Marshal MD Umar for 2011,
Chief of the Air Staff’s Special Award from Air Marshal AS Badeh for 2013, Distinguished Flying Star (DFS), General Service Star (GSS), Passed Staff Course Dagger psc(+), Distinguished Fellow of the National Defence College fdc(+), Distinguished Alumni of National Defence College.
Sadique Abubakar was all these and more. His starling qualities endeared him to both Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari who offered him opportunities at their own times for him to do more. He made his mark in the areas of combat readiness, training and re-training, military warfare, artisanship, welfare, hospitals, location of airforce bases, airports, military schools; name them. Indefatigable Sadique Abubakar wrote his name in real gold. He was never summoned to the EFCC for corruption and money laundering charges as some top notches were found guilty of and shown on national television for all to see. Wasn’t that a national disgrace? Was Sadique’s son arrested for buying a sports car for a whopping one billion naira that even his father would fear to display? Has Sadique’s son ever displayed disgusting exuberance by lying on top of the heap of dollars that went viral on social media? The messenger-writer should know better than to open a can of worms that is too much a ridicule for his sponsors to handle.
In paragraph 5, the convoluted language of the writer opines that “…after his timely sack from service as Chief of Air Staff, greedily without the required tutelage and technical know-how of Bauchi political terrain, declared interest to contest the 2023 gubernatorial election, but, as an indigene of which part of the state?” Well, Saddique Abubakar was not sacked. All Service Chiefs were relieved of their duty and given ambassadorial appointments. Sadique Abubakar hails from the very Zirami Giade you rightly mentioned and grew up in the state capital, Bauchi. To further insulate the puncture in the write-up; understandably; the writer may be too young to remember that when Yuguda declared interest to run for governor of Bauchi State in 2007, the writer’s godfather knew nothing about politics. His boss was an errand boy to Isa Yuguda. Yet, he delved head-on and contested as Senator. Now, the writer and his sponsors thought no one has the right to do the same but themselves, even when they have outstanding certificates in their kitty. I believe that if the writer’s boss should plunge into politics head-on without learning it, Marshal Sadique has more right to politics because Air Marshal Sadique didn’t only practice politics in the military, he also read it. He holds a Masters Degree in Political Science. So, the question is, between the writer’s boss and Sadique Abubakar who has more right to politics? What did the writer’s boss read? His boss holds BA in English. Funny, the writer thinks English is a prerequisite for politics.
Again, “if, according to the writer, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has foreign blood in his veins,” remains to be proved by the writer and his sponsors as failure to do that is tantamount to litigation in the court of law. The writer should keep that in mind.
What “he (Sadique) has contributed to Zirami?” Sadique Abubakar has enlisted the sons of Giade and Bauchi into the army and gave jobs to many. That’s what he contributed. Should the writer request a list, the records are there to tell. I will be glad to supply one.
“Was he instrumental to the establishment of the Airforce Base in Bauchi?” For the record Mr. writer, this is how it is done: no one has the prerogative of establishing an Airforce Base anywhere in the world but the highest-ranking officer of the Airforce. Now you will understand how silly your question is.
“…who were the contractors that handled the Airforce Base in Bauchi and other places?” Now, I ask this writer the same question. He should tell us who those contractors were. We will love to know if Sadique’s family members, kith and kin and friends were the contractors.
In paragraph 7, the writer states that “on the other side of the mischief, it was alleged that the serving governor of Bauchi State Senator Bala Mohammed, is more to his family members and kith and kin than others…” I consider this part the funniest part. Here is your answer: Mukhtar Gidado is Bala Mohammed’s in-law, his Chief Media Aide and his wife’s elder brother. Umar Shayi is Bala Mohammed’s in-law, his Special Adviser on Security and his wife’s younger brother. Adamu Yahaya is Governor Bala Mohammed’s biological elder brother and instrumental to what goes wrong in Bauchi State. He is in charge of the distribution of Diesel-PMG to all ministries and parastatal in the state. Bala Rambo and Muttaqa are Governor Bala’s top errand boys. Abdullahi Yari Bawa is Governor Bala’s childhood and bosom friend. He enjoys the state’s lumpsum contracts. I can go on. I don’t know why the writer enjoys disgracing his bosses and; even so publicly.
The writer stupefies his silliness when he writes “…if the truth must be told, how many of his family members were offered appointments in his government..?” Now, you got a list of the governor’s family members and friends that eat fat on the state treasury.
“To the best, Sadique Abubakar is the least qualified for any elective post in Bauchi State, because he never laboured to sustain any of the parties…” If Sadique Abubakar is the least qualified candidate for any elective post in Bauchi State, why then does your boss harbour fear of Sadique? Why the need for the write-up? Why should the incumbency bother about the ‘least qualified?’ Why would the writer’s sponsors use a knife to stab themselves in the chest?
You said, “Let sleeping dogs be allowed in their position or we open can of rotten worms to overheat the polity…” This writer is sure inexperienced in the art of allegory. He is lifting the lapel covering the bosom of his masters in the open market square to expose their nakedness and asking his readers not to help him achieve that. What a mess of image-making strategy! No, we are not letting sleeping dogs lie. In fact, we are chasing the dog out of his cage come 2023 by the special will of God.
“…how can APC allow a daylight ambitious intruder to fly its flag while there are better and more qualified aspirants in its fold?” One: You don’t care about APC, so why should you advise it? Two: Why should you care who the party chooses? Three: Now, suddenly there are qualified aspirants in the APC fold? The PDP was a failure for 16 years of the nation’s democracy; has been a failure since then and will continue to be a failure until it is scrapped.
Allah-Willing, the APC will take charge in Bauchi State again. The state is proud of contenders that have excellent work records; contenders with vision and respect for others; not those who are abusive to their subordinates. One of those APC aspirants will chase the ‘sleeping dog’ from inside its cage in 2023. We are hoping it will be Air Marshal-Ambassador Sadique Baba Abubakar who does that.
And, finally; the Lily-livered writer has this to say: “The taste of eating lies in the pudding.” For the record, the correct epithet is, “The taste of the pudding is in the eating.”
Dear sponsor: This writer has not worked for his monthly stipend of N250,000, abegi!
Shalom!
BAIHAQQI A. AHMAD, Political Analyst At Society for the Emancipation of Arewa People from Tyranny (SEAPT) – North West Kebbi Zonal Office
