OSINBAJO: A Professor Without Spine

By Remi Oyeyemi….

As a result of the “gap” that I hitherto conceded to the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, I have been very deliberate in leaving him out of my direct fireworks against the tragedy called Mohammadu Buhari’s Administration. This is despite the fact that he has been annoyingly ridiculous some of the times.

Of all my friends working in this God forsaken administration, I spoke or communicated with some before resumption of duties. Some, immediately after they resumed and some, I have not ventured to communicate with them at all. But, there has been a rule that one operates by, which is to give them benefit of the doubt, even when their principals commit serious errors.

This rule has immensely benefited the Acting President more than any other in this terrible government. In fact, when some cyber touts hacked my Facebook account to attack him, I had to put out a disclaimer. I have had to praise some of his efforts despite my great dislike for this Administration that is tragic in every proportion.

But the comments of the Acting President on Restructuring of Nigeria is so out of whack that to give him a pass on this again would amount to perfidy against the hopes and aspirations of those who still sincerely felt that Nigeria could be salvaged. Unlike me and many others who have come to the conclusion that it is time to break up the nonsense called Nigeria, there are still some holding on to hope that, may be, some things including but not limited to RESTRUCTURING, could still be helpful.

I know that one of the excuses often given to allow insincerity, fraud, shamelessness, lack of integrity, deception, duplicity and absence of principle in politics is that “politics is a dirty game.” To this extent, politicians are allowed, more often than not, to get away with “murder” when they ought to have been held accountable as a result of this deleterous concept of and about politics.

The Great Sage, Obafemi Awolowo, in a lecture he gave to the students at the Adventist College of West African in Ilishan-Remo, on January 27, 1961, had insisted that every game “is good”, politics inclusive. He however, added inter alia:

“But the manner of playing it (politics) may be clean or dirty, all depending on whether or not the players observe the rules for playing the game which mankind has laid down in conformity with universally accepted standards of decency and ethics. In other words, whether the game of politics is clean or dirty will depend wholly and solely on the manner in which a particular set of politicians play it.”

Further into the lecture, the Great Awo had surmised that in every polity, there would always be those who have ill-will towards the society. Awó noted that it is the duty of those who wish the society well to ensure that those with ill-will did not succeed.

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The connection of the above reference of Awolowo’s lecture to the preposterous statement credited to Acting President Osinbajo is that the Professor of Law has not only exuded nauseating cowardice, he has turned himself into a “dirty politician.” Doing so, is by his own choice.

We all know as they say, discretion is the better part of valour. But on this case, Professor Osinbajo has not shown any valour in a situation requiring none, thus rendering the need for any kind of discretion mute, null and void. Rather, he has shown himself to be a poor student of History, displayed an amazing impudence to the memory of the Great Awo, exuded lack of vision, exhibited absence of a noble mission beyond being in power just for the sake of it and demonstrated without any iota of doubt that he doesn’t have integrity.

This Osinbajo, in an attempt to be “Holier than the Pope” dismissed distinguished leaders of thought in Yoruba Nation, ascribing unholy motives to their clamour for RESTRUCTURING. He seemed deliberate in his political foolishness as he attacked leaders like General Alani Akinrinade, Chief Bisi Akande, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and several others insinuating derogatorily that their ilk are “seeking appointments.”

I am very convinced that as long as I protect the necessary identities of a number of mentors of mine, they would forgive me for making this public since this is pertinent to the ill advised outbursts of Professor Osinbajo. In the last twelve months, I have been offered to work for this Administration twice which I rejected based on principle. It is not a matter of money or position but a serious matter of life and death of a people, of the fortunes and misfortunes of a failed Nation-State and of the judgment of History and posterity.

Professor Osinbajo must come out to name those champions of RESTRUCTURING secretly seeking appointments, since I would like to assume that he is aware of them. Rather than focus on the issues that are causing leaders to ask for RESTRUCTURING, he is going around belittling the important issue and maligning credible leaders of Yoruba Nation.

Professor Osinbajo could not now deny that the main marketing tool used to sell Buhari, considered unsuitable by many leaders in Southwest was a promised commitment on RESTRUCTURING. Many who had doubts were corralled to buying Buhari. There is no doubt that the core North that greatly benefits from the odious arrangement would be against it. But Osinbajo should have shown sincerity to his masters from the core North that they are about to lose everything unless they agreed to RESTRUCTURING.

It is however amazing that Professor Osinbajo has forgotten that he represents a people in this Administration. He seems to think that the little support this Administration is still enjoying in the Southwest is based on the belief that he would protect the Southwest interests, their hopes and aspirations.

It appears that Professor Osinbajo does not recognize his obligation to the Yoruba Nation and other restive constituent units of this miserable country. He seems to be a true representative of mercantilist politics of TINUBUISM where personal interests supercede the corporate interest. Professor Osinbajo does not feel any sense of loyalty to the Yoruba Nation and their desires, yet he (Osinbajo) and his political tribe had used the Yoruba Nation as a negotiating chip to bring about the present arrangement.

Otherwise what would be his explanation for campaigning actively against RESTRUCTURING? Is he unable to see the slavery status of the Yoruba people in this current arrangement? Despite being a Professor of Law, is he oblivious to the current political and social dynamics of the Nigerian State? Does the yearning of the cross sections of Yoruba people mean nothing to him?

He has been defending Nigeria with gusto. Rather than be a happy slave on the task for his exploiting master, why not take control of the reins of power and prove secessionists like me wrong who are insisting that Nigeria could not and would never make it? Is his confused vision and powerlessness not a proof that Nigeria had to break up?

How can Professor Osinbajo forget so soon about the feelings of the Yoruba people about RESTRUCTURING? How can he choose to be a confusionist on this issue? When he knew that those clamouring for RESTRUCTURING, why didn’t he find appointments for them in order to put the whole issue to rest? Why is he supportive of El Rufai Committee on the so called RESTRUCTURING?

Professor Osinbajo is not only failing to show leadership at a time of crisis by grabbing the bull by the horn, he is telling anyone that cares to listen that he has no spine. He is saying that he is not man enough to be in charge. He is, by his utterances, insisting that the Yoruba Nation could not count on him. As a Yoruba man, he is supposed to understand the need for RESTRUCTURING. But in an attempt to be seen as being “loyal” to his Fulani masters, he is parroting their desires without thinking himself.

General Akinrinade had in an interview literally called APC and Buhari “liars” for reneging on RESTRUCTURING. Pa Bisi Akande was among those who decided that Osinbajo should be Vice President. These two leaders are among those taken to the cleaners by the unthinking spineless Professor.

Professor Osinbajo should be advised by those who care about him that shameless exudation of slave mentality to his Fulani overlords would not save him from disgrace when they are ready for him. His recourse to abuse, disrespect and insult of leaders of thought in Yoruba land would end in political opprobrium for him.

Unfortunately for the Professor, RESTRUCTURING, the reason he has been insolent, is already going out of fashion. The Yoruba people are now saying it is too late to RESTRUCTURE Nigeria. They are asking for the Independent Oòduà Nation. They are prepared to severe ties with the tragedy called Nigeria. By the time this spineless Professor comes around to it, the bus would have left the station.

“Ai kuku j’oye san ju enu mi o ka ìlú lo.” It is better not to assume leadership than to whine about inability to lead.

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.
-John F. Kennedy

Please, follow me on Twitter @OyeyemiRemi

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