‘’It is on record that the rite of reportage and analysis as high fidelity plays is attestable.’’
TUE, JANUARY 01 2019-theG&BJournal-Our first installment piece has come and gone. Of the readers’ responses there is one we think might help clarify things the best they can. The purpose of these clarifications is to help all parties come to a common ground, over facts not fictions. The gentleman responded to the essay in the following words:
”Somehow, the credibility a long respected writer should earn is diminished by careless descent into the pit of reading crucial national issues through the prism of primordial prejudices and parochial assumptions.”
”Find your G2-politics of exclusion theory an illogic, a reductionism that blinds itself, and seeks to impose same on others, of the bigger picture, the more fundamental factors that truly explains the nigerian” story.
”Very unhelpful Prof, very unhelpful… And to think this is the kind of thing you tend to censure in your writings!”
While we grant him his opinions we suggest as follows. His assumptions are possibly that the actors at the national stage are nationalistic, even universal beings, and cannot be driven by parochial and primordial cravings. Incidentally he never provided proof. Or perhaps he is suggesting that even if these men behaved in manners that are parochial and primordial they should be reported and interpreted in universalistic or nationalist terms. That is the writer or reporter should be telling himself and his readers lies over activities and persons under his purview. Perhaps again, his thinking – which he does not state – is that, that is the best way to build a nation. In other words to build a country the writer might have to lie, be a liar?
He also finds the G2 politics of exclusion theory an illogic…. Well, the facts are there. And we shall illustrate. But before we do that let us let in the following.
We repeat, the duty of the writer is to report and analyse the truth as he sees it. It is not to push an agenda, not even national agenda. The pursuit of the truth as one sees fit is the supreme agendum. All other agenda draw from that. And any attempts to reverse this order of things at best serves us a Pyrrhic victory.
It is on record that the rite of reportage and analysis as high fidelity plays is attestable. Just for the added effect we list the following examples. They are one and all from entities that are of Yoruba or southwest extraction. In other words they are insiders reporting themselves or aspects of themselves and have no reasons to do themselves or their Yoruba sub-nation in.
A Premium Times report runs: ”Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday said his kinsmen, the ethnic Yoruba, are those who will determine if a Yoruba person succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023… Mr Osinbajo appealed to ethnic sentiments… urging the Yoruba to work for the success of Mr Buhari in 2019.. Osinbajo sends ethnic message to kinsmen: Work for Yoruba presidency in 2023. Premium Times. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/302485-osinbajo-sends-ethnic-message-to-kinsmen-work-for-yoruba-presidency-in-2023.html.
And Osinbajo we may recall is a professor of law and a priest. So your high offices, professorial attainments and piteous credentials do not restrain one from going primordial or nepotistic.
Next comes an analysis of Fashola. It is from a lady who is also of Yoruba extraction. She writes: ”Babatunde Fashola, the former poster boy for progressive ideologies and the most hyped public administrator of all time, has morphed into a right-wing apologist… He has learned naked nepotism from Buhari, the master of clannish politics. https://punchng.com/fashola-and-the-engineer-of-yoruba-consent/
Please repeat with us, Alhaji Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, ex governor, ex this, ex that, ex etc., has learned naked nepotism from Buhari, his fellow religionist and master. These we repeat are not our words. They are the words of a Yoruba extraction writer and analyst. Our supposition is that these writers write without prejudice. They have courage to give tendencies their names.
However, the larger point is as follows. These fine analyst-writers think in particularistic and contemporaneous terms. For instance she supposes that Fashola was star bright pupil who was perhaps taught the wrong curricula. Our contention, a little historical and ”ecological” we agree, is that Fashola was not taught any nepotism. The nepotism Fashola exhibits is ecological, is in the air he breathes and is part of a total environmental design. It was designed and sprouted into life we repeat, by General Gowon and Chief Awolowo. And we are ready at the risk of limb and life to debate the fact of this anywhere any day.
Yes, the Gowon-Awolowo plot may have taken a life away out of their plans. But the fact remains that they engineered it. And since the G2 was an overflow of winning a war of genocide which they levied on others, they or their agents or heirs cannot abjure the outcomes of such designs. This is because genocide as a tool of war is about the politics and logic of outcomes, not good intentions. And a man who plays the politics of outcomes cannot relapse into the politics of good intentions when he is to be judged. No, he will be judged on the outcome of his designs not his claimed for a priori intentions. So Gowon especially, is the author and finisher of everything that happened. Why? He imposed his will over and above and annulled universally reached roundtable agreements. His alleged intentions may have been to do good, but their outcomes are the national horrors we all living through. That is in broad and anticipatory terms General Gowon is the author and finisher of Nigeria as is. To be continued.
For Lolo Lady Faustina Ngozi Ihedioha, 1960-2018.
”Ngo babe”, as I called her, has died. She was my beloved and incomparable sister in-law. She is gone and has left us inconsolable. God knows best. Following is a funeral oration by her husband..
”First of all, let me thank everybody who have gathered here to pay their last respects to my wife. I also plead that you kindly excuse my poor attempts at holding up my composure and keeping back my tears. I am certain that if Ngozi was here with us today, she would have chided me for being broken when I should have been brave.”
”Ngozi, was such a wonderful and caring lady, my Lady. Literally, and I mean literally, Ngozi dedicated her life so that we, my poor and undeserving self, our wonderful children and the rest of the family may live and achieve our lives the most. She was that sacrificial, and giving a helping hand was instinctive upon her. While we were together she was there to prop us up, she was the pillar we all leaned on. Now she is no more and I confess I have lost the finest part of my soul.”
”All I do now is in honor and remembrance of Mrs. Faustina Ngozi Ihedioha, the wife of my life. Ngozi brought me so much happiness and blessing that words cannot capture or even begin to suggest. She was such a loving and wise partner that in all our marital years, there was never an incident of a third party, repeat not one third party, intervening in our marital disagreements. Yes, as husband and wife, we had our own issues, but it was more of her ingenuity that no outsider ever heard her or my voice.”
”But Ngozi was not just a woman of the hearths and of my heart. Her glowing leadership qualities radiated all around her. She gave of herself freely to humanity as she did to the family. And her numerous engagements with community are testimonies of this.”
”As a worshipping Christian, she donated freely of her time, resources and dedication to the Church of Christ. For example, she was a leading member of the Ladies of Charity and a Patroness of the ushers at our family church, the Anglican Church, Abalti Barracks Surulere Lagos. And she took her role as a Lady of Saint Christopher with fervor and firmness. At her marital home she served with distinction as a treasurer of Idinotu Women’s Group. She also served with distinction as the Vice President of Ndimbara Development Union, Lagos Branch. Until her death she was the President General of the Nkwerre Aborigines Union, Women’s Wing, Lagos, just to list a few. Such was her life, of dedication to all.”
”And she served in all these capacity along her active professional life as a Banker, with First Bank of Nigerian PLC. Perhaps it is inspiring to recall that as a banker, her faithfulness and excellence in matters small and big, ensured she rose rapidly to the top. Her secret sauce it may be said was her remorseless drive for self improvement. Braving the long hours of work, Ngozi willed and strained her energies and bagged first and higher degrees from the University of Lagos, Unilag, with flying colors. Retiring from banking, she set up a flourishing international business specializing in textiles. For her it was life at full stream – in work, business, community and family.
”Her school career started in Nkwerre. And being the daughter of a policeman she followed her father around. This exposed her to many educational stations, including Umunya Girls Secondary School in Anambra and later Dick Tiger Memorial Secondary School, Amaigbo in Nkwerre Local Government.”
”She was born Faustina Ngozi Anyiam on the 29th day of September 1960. Her father is Chief Alexander Anyiam, now late, and Lolo Ihuoma Anyiam. The Anyiams are of the Royal Anyiam Odoh lineage of Umunaga, Nkwerre. It was this sense of the royalty, of Noblesse oblige, that Ngozi gave freely. And we are beneficiaries and grateful.”
”On the behalf of our children, Adaoha and Nnamdi, we pray for the repose of a wife, mother, grandmother, a friend, counselor and inspiration.”
”Ngozi adieu. It is with our broken hearts that we remember the bundle of abiding grace and gift that you were to us. Ngoluje may journey to the Lord be in eternal peace. We love you. She will be buried on the 4th January after a wake keeping on 3rd in her husband’s country home, Ndimbara Amaegbu Village, Nkwerre, Imo State.” Written by Sir Barbington Bob Ihedioha, husband, for the Family.
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