OPEN LETTER TO THE ACTING APC NATIONAL PUBLICITY SECRETARY: SERIAL RANTS OF A BAD SPOKESPERSON

Dear Comrade Timi Frank,

First, I would like you to know I understand how hard it is for someone like you to hold your present position in the APC hierarchy.I would rather your party had made you deputy youth leader or youth leader than shrink you into an office that demands you speak more for the party than yourself-the activist,Comrade Timi Frank.In almost all cases, 'Poster boys' share a lot of similarities with showbiz stars.
While the stars have to worry about what they say or do in public so they don't hurt the marketability of their brand, you also watch what you do before us because you are acting on behalf of an entire party.Not just a party in some obscure place but the ruling party in the most populous black nation on earth.
I have had cause to share a joke or two about Alhaji Lai Mohammed wearing a bow tie to a press conference in broad day and when you assumed his position albeit in an interim capacity, I laughed over just how literally not picture-perfect for the job you were.A more well-fed man in agbada or suit would appear more cut-out for what they had in mind.You looked more a student union leader than an (Acting) National Publicity Secretary of the APC.
Perhaps i wasn't entirely wrong.I have come to doubt your competence over time.My main reason for writing you this letter is to draw your attention to some recent utterances of yours and just how unbecoming they are of someone of your calibre and who you represent.
I was very disappointed in the manner in which you reacted to your party chairman's comments about an impending congress to nominate a spokesperson for the APC.In paying tribute to your former superior turned Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party chairman described him as a man whose shoes would be hard to fill and that it was only a matter of getting someone capable of coming close.It was giving honour to a man who had served the party well.But you took offence with that and claimed it was meant to discredit your person and other capable hands in the party.Hard as I tried,I couldn't decipher any such message in his comments.You didn't stop there.You went on to label his comments baseless, reckless and unwarranted while staking a claim as the rightful National Publicity Secretary of the APC in waiting.
You neglected to tell us whether or not the constitution of your party stipulates automatic transition to the substantive role.However, what is not in doubt is the fact that Comrade Timi Frank gave imported meanings to a message we clearly understood and even tried to incite other party members by saying they were 'discredited' as well.
You remember what I said about spokespersons being like showbiz stars?.It is one thing for the face of the party to vilify the party chairman and it is another to manufacture sub-standard interpretations in so doing.That is suicide.
You not only hurt your reputation but that of the party as well.I don't know what may be happening behind the scenes but from the little I see and hear, you owe that man and other chieftains a whole lot of gratitude for not plotting your downfall after you publicly renounced your membership of Timipre Sylva's campaign organisation in the run-up to the Bayelsa gubernatorial elections.One would have expected you to do so quietly considering your standing in the party and not gone ahead to raise unnecessary dust.This was not too long after you had called for the Party Chairman's resignation; a move you still can't defend till date.Your best try was-"Well, it is politics".
Radicals don't always make good spokespersons.They tend to speak for what they believe in when they should be doing so for the people they represent.And in your case, you upgraded to fighting them right before us.
Just when I ruled out any more drama from your end,at least till the 'congress' was held, you made arguably your most preposterous comments ever.You berated the leadership of your party for not speaking out against the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki by the Code of conduct tribunal (CCT).You said Saraki was a good man who went to immense lengths to help kick out the Jonathan administration among other things and that he was being paid back with evil.Mr Frank, if you hadn't gone as far as citing laws and how the CCT acted on them in similar cases, I would have thought you didn't know what he was being accused of.He is being arraigned on a 13 count charge of false declaration of assets.Assets he was scared of disclosing to us because it would be obvious he had been stealing from us and there were also ones he listed as his even before he had bought them.And you blame your party leaders for 'keeping quiet in the face of evil?'.What would you ordinarily have them do?.Beg President Buhari to legitimize his criminality or pat Saraki on the back for a job well done?.
Just so I remind you, the change you claim to have fought for alongside Saraki isn't one that doesn't regard stealing as corruption.The anti-corruption card was very instrumental to your party's victory at the polls and an acting spokesperson of the APC publicly urging its leadership to kick against the prosecution of the Senate President because he worked hard for the party is despicable and totally unacceptable.Even if it is true the President declared war on him in retaliation for how the NASS elections went down, it doesn't in any way mean he was framed.
I voted for a government that promised to fight corruption to a stand still and not one that would overlook a man's sins because he helped put it in place.Need I remind you that a lot of people still feel the Senate President and his fellow decampees from the PDP rushed into the APC out of frustration and not out of a genuine love for what it represents?.If they had been granted their wish of having a northern flagbearer from their midst, they probably wouldn't have joined the APC till maybe it had won the elections.
Comrade, I don't envy you one bit.You once said anybody who knows you knows you always speak your mind and that is a good trait.We have that in common but unlike you I am not a spokesperson for the ruling party.I don't have to worry about its image while exercising my freedom of speech.As it is, you most likely won't get the job on a permanent basis because like my people would say: 'You don shit plenty for shrine'.Making you the substantive spokesperson would be kissing a hot stove.
Someone told me you were the Director of Outreach in an anti-corruption NGO and of course,I wouldn't be surprised if you still retain the office despite the Saraki outburst.This is Nigeria.
In a different setting, you would thrive and not have standards as burdensome as ones that accompany your Publicity Secretary role.Some of your statements would win you a lot of supporters if you were an activist still in school.I don't see you getting 'That Timi guy no dey hear word' compliments anywhere else for your comments.
For someone who can't help saying it as he sees it, I would advice you to resign even if you are made the substantive spokesperson.Your job demands you speak first for the APC and consider its best interests when doing so for yourself.
Be the best you can possibly be.
I hope you move on to a more conducive terrain and if you don't, then like your party's famous mantra, I hope you 'change'.                                                                                                                    Best Regards. 
                  
                 Umar Sa'ad Hassan Esq.

CBN ILLEGAL HIRES: THE RECRUITMENT POLICY OF 'TARGETING'

The CBN illegal hires scandal jolted everyone.Not that it was anything out of the ordinary to the ears of the average Nigerian but it had an angle never-before-seen.
The 'unofficially' official version had fingered one Mrs Chizoba Mojekwu, a former director of human resources at the bank now deployed to Capacity development and IT as the whistle blower.She reportedly got irked by the CBN governor's move to keep his job by employing the children of influential persons in the APC.Yet some felt the 91 name list had a 'Buhari' element to it.Northerners were favoured well ahead of everyone else thereby rubbishing the 'targeted recruitment of specialists' and from 'left out states' defence issued by the bank.
This 'school' believe the CBN governor couldn't be as daft as to court such unnecessary controversy following the attention the bank was getting from the whole Dasuki saga .Only a directive from above would grow him such balls.
However, the truth remains a privileged few were hand picked and handed jobs they didn't apply for.The recruitment 'targeted' the kids of a minister, a former speaker, a former Vice-President and a nephew of the President among others.This is nothing new if you didn't move down here recently but the thing is we voted to put an end to it almost a year ago.We voted for change.Change driven by a modest  anti-corruption crusader and man of the masses.
Even before his Vice-President's '1.5 million jobs in three years' pledge a mere few days ago, he had spoken so persuasively of his plan to tackle unemployment during the run-up to the March polls.Nothing has changed.
A good degree still can't guarantee you a job unless you are privileged to get a note from the President's nephew or lucky enough to get thrust a slot offered a minister by someone desperately trying to curry his favour.You get the feeling sometimes, the average Nigerian graduate is being saved the stress of applying for government jobs and waiting for interview dates.The most unfortunate part of this menace is that even if it is eventually curbed, it won't change the fact that a lot of undeserving and perhaps incompetent hands have been lined up to one day play pivotal roles in nation-building.After the present leaders finish recycling themselves, they will usher in 'targeted specialists' to be ably assisted by their likes in running this country down.In effect, we will still be screaming 'Change' many elections from now.
The Nigerian Youth voted for Buhari's 'Change' not because he wanted to receive a N5,000 stipend monthly but because he was going to be guaranteed a corruption-free atmosphere to tussle for the jobs available.Buhari was not only going to create them, he was going to ensure only the right people got them.Sadly, we are still here on the same spot.
The Apex bank's 'targeted specialists' recruitment policy has been on for about two years now according to its acting director of corporate communications and when asked about the 'very important appointees', he said he couldn't speak much but that any qualified Nigerian could work for the CBN.But if we have to adopt 'targeting' as a recruitment policy, then we must put it to the best use possible.
We must reward the gate man who slaved to put his child through school by 'targeting' that child.We must 'target' the child of the roadside mechanic that topped his class instead of a Minister's because it would encourage other parents to send their kids to school where he comes from.
They are lighter baggage who wouldn't put anyone through the stress of 'remixing' their names to deceive the public.Its really sad what we have become.

8 BUHARI GAFFES: THE BAD, THE VERY BAD AND THE UGLY

A lot of us had at least one people's 'Bros' around us while growing up.If he wasn't family, then he was a neighbour or family friend.'Bros' always greeted everyone with a smile and parted with the words-'bless you'.Every child was either his 'main man' or his 'wife'.One thing he had going for him above everything else was his understanding of the power of words.He knew a 'Well done ma' to your mother in the kitchen before sticking around could earn him a free meal and he understood how much an investment a bottle of soft drink on Christmas or Sallah could turn out to be.He didn't have much but 'you were too much of a great person' to not celebrate with.He was in everybody's good books because he always said the right thing and at the right time.
President Buhari is nothing like my 'Bros me'.He would have to be the generous type for you to love him back then for only generosity could mitigate any damage his 'okpata-leaking' mouth had already caused.For a man who has been depicted as Nigeria's number one fan long before he assumed office as President, PMB has spoken words that have more than suggested otherwise.Whether or not the words were improperly chewed or revealing what we all failed to notice won't change the fact that in less than a year in office, he has managed to rack up far more regrettable utterances than any President we have ever had.Walk with me as I highlight 8 of them.

1.  '...DASUKI CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO GO ABROAD TO SEE HIS DOCTOR WHILE THERE ARE OVER TWO MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED'-(Presidential Media Chat)

This may sound pleasant to the ears of the average Nigerian and even draw a few tears from the eyes of some but it is Buhari openly flaunting his disregard for the law.Dasuki would not be released despite being granted bail by the courts and by so stating, he lost every moral right to brag about respect for the rule of law like the leaders before him whenever the need presents itself.With the current bad state of the economy and the untold hardship occasioned by the fuel and power scarcity, most of the people cheering him back then have joined the 'math club'.There, they add up El-Zakzaky's continued detention and non-prosecution, the killing of his defenceless members and the demolition of his sect's structures with Buhari's Dasuki statement to arrive at a 'new' answer.Perhaps it wouldn't have this much tendency to burn him in the long-run if he made the comment in a roomful of 'aluta-charged' students but it was his maiden media chat which was being beamed live to the whole wide world on a night everyone wanted to hear just how much we had 'changed'.

2. ...'LET THE CHRISTIANS GO AND FIGHT THE TERRORISTS OR THE MILITANTS IN THE SOUTH'-(Al-Jazeera interview with Martine Dennis)

This was the President's controversial response to a question on concerns in some quarters that he was trying to islamatize Nigeria by joining forces with the Saudi Arabia-led coalition of Islamic states to combat terrorism.PMB obviously allowed his anger get the better of him.While his intentions are good as the nation stands to gain a lot from joining them, his remarks are capable of starting another war for him.
I sincerely doubt if majority of Christians have anything against such a good move and it was quite sad to watch the man attract unnecessary heat to himself.The perfect response would try to allay fears,highlight the benefits of a more secure Nigeria and just how much we stand to gain from the coalition.
But Mr.President had to go tell 'those christians' to go fight the war.And come to think of it, the 'few' concerns aren't entirely baseless.The ibos are yet to get an appointment asides the ones made mandatory by the constitution and his northern brothers far outnumber everyone on the non-ministerial appointment list.

3. ...'YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR BUDGET THAN I DO'-(Al Jazeera Interview with Martine Dennis)

The President first made this remark in a reply to a question on the huge funds allocated to the state clinic in the villa.And that was just after he had said he had to study the 'budget' before he could comment on the outrageous $25,000 allocation to the Vice-President's office for books in an earlier question.Study our budget?.Seriously?.
You knew he obviously didn't think it was wrong to pay Martine such a compliment after he told her for the second time she knew more about our budget than he did in justifying the retention of security votes.The lady like any smart journalist would, didn't probe him on the impropriety of a President knowing so little about his budget and instead settled for a huge score with her employers who will be so proud of her work.They will note the fact that a sitting President once admitted she knew more about his country's budget than he did but as a Nigerian, it sickened to watch my President tell a foreign journalist that.
Buhari can go on as many trips as he wants in his bid to re-brand our image in the international community but comments like these speak volumes to the outside world of the new man in charge.No President who wants to be taken seriously would tell an interviewer that.

4. ...'IS THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PETROLEUM NOT IBO?'-(Maiden Presidential Media Chat)

When asked why he hadn't been appointing Ibos (south-easterners)in compliance with the Federal Character provision during the Presidential media chat, he tried to dodge the question by saying there are restrictions placed by the constitution in an apparent bid to feign ignorance of the fact that the interviewer meant non-ministerial appointments.As fate would have it, Oga ran into a hold-up on his detour and asked if the Minister of state for petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, wasn't ibo?.Kachikwu is from Delta state in the south-south region of Nigeria.

5. ...'I AM PLEASED THAT NIGERIANS WHEREVER THEY ARE, WHETHER SOUTH AFRICA, SAUDI ARABIA, EUROPE OR ALASKA FOR THAT MATTER,YOU WILL MAKE IMPACT BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE'-(While addressing Members of the Nigerian community in South Africa)

Yes, PMB said he was pleased even with those making negative impact in foreign countries.Mr anti-corruption and death-to-all-drug-peddlers did say that to Nigerians living in South Africa.I wonder how our 'exported' fraudsters, drug traffickers and prostitutes felt after he turned around to blame the criminal antecedents of Nigerians living abroad as the reason why foreign countries are wary of us.God help us.

6. ...'THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT CAN STILL AFFORD IT'-(Al Jazeera interview with Martine Dennis)

On the face of it, there is nothing actually wrong with the President saying this when asked if he would pull his kids from their schools abroad as a result of the high dollar exchange rate.He owes no one any explanation really but he came across as being quite insensitive.A more dignifying response would be-'If I can no longer afford it,I would have no other choice but to pull them out'.The parents who are forced to pull their kids only wanted the best for them and I dare say a better man would have even gone as far as sympathizing with them instead of a response no different from one an 'omata' trader would give to show off.

7. ...'I HAVE BEEN WITH THEM THROUGHOUT OUR TRYING TIMES, WHAT THEN IS THE REWARD OF SUCH DEDICATION AND SUFFERING?'-(BBC Hausa Interview)

This interview effectively shuts down all 'Competence over Ethnicity' theories the Buharists try to sell to us each time we decry his lopsided appointments. Mr President admitted to rewarding loyalty ahead of even competence and don't nobody tell me I didn't hear right.It is settled.The Chief 'Changist' is not scared of telling the world that government positions are for his 'day ones' and please its high time his handlers correct his understanding of our constitution.Here he opens his defence by telling us to do justice to him by resorting to the provisions of our constitution as regards appointment of his closest officials that don't require Senate ratification.Section 14 (3) states that the composition of the Federal government and its agencies must reflect Federal character.He can't possibly hide behind the grundnorm to legitimize his lopsided appointments.Well, he then went on to talk about loyalty.God help us.

8. ...'CONSTITUENCIES THAT GAVE ME 97% CANNOT BE TREATED ON SOME ISSUES WITH CONSTITUENCIES THAT GAVE ME 5%'-(Q&A Session at United States Institute of Peace)

Our leader chose the United States of all places to say those who voted en masse for him would be treated better than those who didn't on some issues and that there would be justice for all.I wondered if the President actually understood what justice meant.In even the most non-legal contexts, justice connotes impartiality,equity and fairness.Every Nigerian has a right to freedom of association and it is unconstitutional to discriminate against anyone based on their political affiliations.They have equal rights with those who voted in numbers for the APC and deserve to be treated equally.It would have been better if he had kept his plans close to his chest and not gone ahead to poo all over himself.

For the good of Nigeria and its good people, I sincerely hope I wouldn't have to write a second part any time in the future.

BUHARI:TWO STEPS FORWARD, THREE BACKWARDS

'History remembers most what you did last'-Mike Wallace

President Buhari's first 100 days in office were the most impressive in recent memory.Power generation hit an all-time high and he managed to salvage us from a scorching fuel and salary crisis.The much touted messiah had finally arrived and we seemed headed for the promise land.The previous President had once come out to say no leader could solve our problems in 4 years and not a few people stuck their tongues out to him and his gang of wailers.
Fast forward to March 2016.There are long queues at filling stations and power supply is once again nothing to write home about.The naira is now 310 to a dollar (at the time of writing this) and that is a tremendous leap from the all time low of N400 to a dollar just a few weeks ago.The exact opposite of what the President promised during his campaign-N1 to $1.
Two South African companies-Clover; the makers of Tropika fruit juice and Truworths, a fashion retailing company, have left Nigeria because of the harsh economic climate.
The fallen naira aside, the basic truth remains no economic transformation would occur if certain things aren't already in place-security, power and an abundant supply of petroleum products.The President himself emphasized on power during his maiden media chat.
It was always going to take a man of immense sagacity to change the status quo and the president had a lot of people's support because he had performed creditably well with the bad hand he was dealt by the Jonathan administration.But it appears we overrated Buhari's ability.
Some of his actions/inactions have totally negated every right he has to cling onto the 'Jonathan hangover' presumption of innocence.When Lai Mohammed promised that the fuel scarcity would be over in 3 weeks back in November last year, we swallowed his every word.No one would ordinarily take the words of a man who transited to minister from the job of selling his party too seriously but he was speaking for PMB; the messiah who had earned our patience.The scarcity has only gotten worse since then with no visible end in sight and quite astonishingly, the Buhari administration hasn't come out to state categorically, the reason for this problem.All we keep getting are whispers of assurances.For a man who has chosen to have 4 media aides despite the current financial state of the nation, he deserves more than they are giving him.Nigerians deserve to know not only the cause of the problem but also plans the  government has of tackling it and preventing a reoccurrence.It is called transparency; a word that featured prominently during his campaign. The crisis is biting really hard with fuel being sold for as much as N150 a litre in Lagos to people who have to give filling station attendants a N200 bribe after queuing up for the whole day.The depots are practically dry at the moment with the few private ones in service selling above the N77 depot price.These are dire times and our President has remained mute and insensitive to the plight of the people while embarking on one trip to another, forgetting that we need to stay alive to reap any fruit his globe-trotting yields.
The NLC is already threatening to issue a sit-at-home order if the scarcity persists as workers find it hard to resume at their work places in good time.Not to mention the high cost of transportation.Things need to 'Change'.
Like most nigerians, I have never based my assessment of power supply on the figures published as megawatts generated or utilized but rather on the actual hours the average nigerian has power made available to him a day.Interacting with friends from all over the country through phone calls, social media chats and e-mails is the best way to arrive at a healthy conclusion.After our best run ever following the inauguration of President Buhari, we are back where he met us.Power supply is at best; unstable with the sharp decline being attributed to vandalism of power installations.I choose to hold the President responsible for this predicament and my reason is quite simple-he hasn't taken adequate steps at ensuring their security.
Apart from the monumental corruption and incompetence of previous leaders, there are a plethora of other reasons why we are in the bad state we are in today.Prominent among them, vandalism of oil and power installations.It would be taking two steps forward and three backwards to enhance supply without safeguarding installations.In other words, nothing would 'change'.
The president being a distinguished ex-military officer who is not a novice in security matters, is expected to have taken measures at keeping our most vital assets safe after he was sworn-in if not for anything but for the threats by Asari Dokubo and his likes to wage war if Jonathan wasn't re-elected.
With the ibos only restricted to 'unavoidable' constitutional appointments, Kanu's movement is bound to gain more sympathizers who wouldn't kill their fellow ibo brothers.They could go to extreme lengths at sabotaging the efforts of his government in delivering the dividends of democracy.We needed them guarded from the very day Buhari became President even if we considered guarding to ensure growth too routine a measure.
We would be at the mercy of these vandals no matter how much progress the government makes if nothing is done urgently.If vandalized pipelines don't hinder gas supply to power stations, then vandalized power equipment are there to constitute a problem for us.The President has crossed the line and no amount of excuses on the bad hand he was dealt would absolve him of blame on certain issues.Yes, he started well but its not a sprint, its a marathon.