ALI NDUME – The crocodile tears of a confused nation

So, our master just got bail. He was remanded for standing surety for a man who had been accused of stealing our future. Here was a man who had shown scant regard for the institutions and structures that have been put in place to regulate our lives, a man who reportedly sneered at the system and had treated it with the highest level of impunity.

Ye, our distinguished Senator, leaving behind the obvious millions within his constituency who had better cases within the justice system, to go stand bail for this miscreant speaks a whole lot.

Well, he got his scabies infested buttocks bitten because he got jailed. Luckily, the stupid system which he and his cohorts have helped weaken came to his rescue by releasing him for good behaviour, whatever that means. Like there are no other people inside the overcrowded system that have not been of good behavior to deserve release.

Sad.

Read also: The hypocrisy of the south-east

Well, he comes out and is reported to have gone around proclaiming his regret for not supporting former President Goodluck Jonathan, and that it is now he is seeing the freedom that Jonathan was talking about.

You see, my problem with this is dual. First, I do not think he was unjustly treated by the system. The system in a feeble attempt but a good start has shown that nobody is above the law. He stood surety for a miscreant who jumped bail and the system went after him.

What is wrong with that. Nobody but himself tampered with his own freedom. We will turn a blind eye to the fact that despite the reported fact that he was said not to have posted the terms of the bail and still got released on bail and just look at the fact that nobody tampered with his freedom. He simply messed up.

The second reason, and I want to believe very cogent, is his statement crying for Jonathan.

Now, this is the real tragedy of our nation. We keep recycling mediocrity. The cry for Jonathan is reaching feverish pitch. The way the cry for Buhari led to over 15million vote. This same Buhari that we all jumped to the street to jubilate when IBB kicked him out. Even, IBB jubilated when Buhari came back in 2015.

Jonathan was a leper. He was castigated and vilified. In fact, the narrative then was that if he hadn’t lost the elections the way the economy was going, the country would collapse.

Anything Jonathan then was leprous. Today, the voices first starting in a tiny whisper is now bellowing with freshly jailed Ndume adding his own voice, apologizing to Jonathan. Apologizing for what exactly?

This is the country we find ourselves in. A country that hailed Umaru Dikko a hero a few years after we had tried to smuggle him back in a crate to face his ‘crimes’. A country that even if Abacha woke up today, he will easily win elections hands down. This is really tragic. It is the children of Israel symptom who, after being so elated at being free from the bondage of the Egyptians, but with the first challenge in the wilderness, started crying for a return to Egypt?

Jonathan represents a vestige of the crass incompetence that has bedeviled leadership in this country and a cry for his return in any form continues to show the shallow ineptitude and stupidity of the vast majority of our people.

Nothing more to add.

Author: Joseph Edgar…

---

Articles published in our Graffiti section are strictly the opinion of the writers and do not represent the views of Ripples Nigeria or its editorial stand.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now