THE 2019 ANGLE TO PRESIDENT BUHARI'S ANTI-CORRUPTION WAR

"A cockroach is never safe amongst rats"

A lot of neighbourhoods in Kaduna where I grew up had at least one 'old soldier'.They literally live off their exploits either as soldiers of the biafran army or ones drafted in to help the Nigerian army fight the civil war.They always seem to be under a perpetual illusion of invincibility.They do nothing other than bore you with the same war stories everyday; either at beer parlours or at the  drought game joint.The few that actually chose to pursue a means of livelihood mostly did so as gate men perhaps in line with the 'once a soldier' saying.
President Buhari is playing old soldier and he has something the one in my neighbourhood never had-Power.And like Walter Annenberg rightly said: "The greatest power is not money power but political power".What makes his particularly very easy to weild is the fact that virtually everyone who has ever played a prominent role in government is dirty.
There is always a 99.9% chance of digging up dirt on anyone who has held office so its just a matter of 'point and kill' as far as most Nigerians are concerned. Our 'old soldier at the top' has gone on to silence two of his  fiercest critics-Olisa Metuh, the Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Media/Publicity Director of the Party's Presidential campaign, Femi Fani Kayode with corruption charges.The third and fiercest of them all, Ayo Fayose is barely being protected by the immunity clause as the EFCC till date hasn't furnished us with any proof that it secured a Judge's consent before freezing his account with Zenith bank as stipulated by Section 34 of the EFCC Act.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki's prosecution by the EFCC remains the only one of an APC member and it just so happens that it came after he embarrassed President Buhari in broad day by conspiring with the opposition to have himself voted in as Senate President on a day set aside by PMB to meet with the party's lawmakers.The President's anti-corruption war is largely one-sided so when a top member of his party is pencilled down for investigation, it is more or less an eclipse.The quite 'unusual' investigation of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso for the use of over N3 Billion from his state's joint local government account during his time as governor to fund his Presidential campaign came as a shock.It had me looking deep to carve out an ulterior motive if any and I ended up discovering a pattern.
Apart from serving as a means to decimate critics and weaken the opposition, the war could very much also be serving as a weapon against potential threats to the President's seat .The most potent threats are bound to come from the north and so far, virtually all the sellable northern candidates have been targeted by the EFCC.I'll take it from the very top.
Sometime last year, Isa Yuguda, the former governor of Bauchi state was invited to the EFCC to answer questions as regards an aircraft of the Bauchi state government.He was never charged with any offence and it automatically implies that he is innocent if the matter has not been revisited till date.
Then you also have the case of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who was accused of sharing in the N950M campaign funds sent to Kano by the Jonathan presidential campaign.After his release, he said someone named him as a N25M recipient but could not state where, how and when.His case seems closed as well.
With a President who has lost so much love in just his first year in office, these ex-governors represent two of the PDP's best possible options for the Presidential ticket come 2019. The PDP will definitely field a northern candidate come  next elections and the 'anti-corruption' channel remains the easiest way to diminish a candidate's popularity.
With Sule Lamido, the ex-governor of Jigawa state technically ruled out as a result of his protracted battle with the EFCC, Ibrahim Shema, the immediate past governor of President Buhari's home state of Katsina stands a better chance than even any of the aforementioned names of flying the party's flag but just last week, a certain Nasir Ingawa, who served as a Special adviser of his,has come out to accuse him of diverting billions of SURE-P funds allocated to Katsina State for political campaigns.He still hasn't fulfilled his promise of providing proof till date and one can't conveniently dismiss it as not part of a plan to taint Gov. Shema's name early or even one to lock him up ahead of the polls.
Senator Kwankwaso represents the best in-house option to President Buhari.He was second at the primaries and performed extraordinarily well as Governor of Kano state and if there is one person the APC can sell to Nigerians in the President's place, it is Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.With the APC shedding some of its formidability as a unit due to internal fighting, the Senator could capitalize on that to upset the President at the primaries and good old EFCC is very well on the path of making him only the second casualty of Buhari's party.I wouldn't be surprised if the matter dies a natural death like others before it.The deaths suggest more than anything that the EFCC has no case against them and that there could be another version of selective prosecution we are just learning about: one to weaken potential threats to his seat.
With most Nigerians fast running out of patience, the President may have devised a means to stay in the game and whether it works or not, time will tell.

5 MOST UNDER-RATED ARTISTES IN NIGERIA

Our mamas always told us quality sells itself and that with the right dose of it, you needn't go the extra mile to grab anyone's attention.But then there is also that line: it ain't what mama said it was gon be.
Its always sad to see great artistes not get a rep commensurate to their talent.The truly outstanding ones who continue to stand outside the A-list despite being as good or even better than the ones on it.
Below are 5 of the most slept-on artistes in Nigeria. 

1.CDQ
It was always going to take a great talent to share the spotlight with Olamide and Reminisce and I must say Orile's finest fits the bill perfectly well.
CDQ has a very potent raw element to his game and that has endeared him to quite a lot of fans.A classic example is how in a style reminiscent of the days we slotted in our lyrics in place of ones we didn't understand as kids,he played Young Thug on his version of Tyga's HOOKAH titled WADANMIWO.The freestyle blew up his fan base in no small measure and that in a nutshell has been CDQ's story so far.He connects effortlessly with the streets.
The slangs 'Woss'....'Wobi' are coming to a hood near you soon if they already haven't thanks to CDQyeayea.While a lot of people may be of the opinion that toning down on the realness and adding a more vicious pop edge would do him more good, it certainly doesn't change the fact that CDQ is doing what he does well in a largely over-crowded market.

2.DI'JA
If you ask me, this lady has a much huger potential for mainstream success than any of her other Mavin 2.0 colleagues.If Don Jazzy commits just as much time to her career as he does Korede Bello and Reekado Banks, the story might just change.She just returned from a 'pregnancy leave' and who knows?.With Reekado still sounding like an underground middleweight and Korede doing nothing to disprove the one hit wonder notion, Jazzy might just start to explore the 'Di'Ja' avenue better than he previously did.What stands her apart from her peers is simply talent.She isn't your regular afro-pop artiste who drops a killer chorus and bores you all through the verses till the hook comes back on, she pays extra attention to her lyrics as well.The ingenuity and wittiness involved wows to no end.Whats more?.She has a voice to die for.

3.ZORO
Contrary to what a lot of people think, Zoro has been banging hard on the door way before his current hit single-OGENE featuring Flavour and the smash remix featuring Lil Kesh and Ycee.He already had really good songs like 042 and one of my personal favourites-OTU (Onitsha State Of Mind) in his discography.
He has a more meaner delivery than Phyno and is probably the first indigenous rap purist outta the East.There is no soft side to his game and it pleases that he is commercializing his sound without worrying too much about that.
He is the only viable competition Phyno has to contend with and come to think of it, Ibo rap has indeed grown to a point where there are more than a few fans who love it hard and not on the rocks (Pun Intended).
You are missing out on a lot if you think Phyno is the only rapper from the East worth your time.

4. Mz KISS
A good Femcee stands a much better chance of hitting it big than her male counterpart in Nigeria.The best publicity gets everyone talking and being a female rapper alone guarantees you that.You just need to be good enough to hold onto the attention you get.
Even if there weren't few indigenous female rappers around, it would still take something out of this world to yank the throne from Mz Kiss.Gal has got Yaba mad skills.
For dark days, she can be a brawler on wax as evidenced by her latest single- IKILO featuring label boss, Illbliss and for bright weather days, she can make you laugh just as hard as you nod.Her remix to Ycee's monster hit-JAGABAN alongside Tipsy is by far the best version out there.Indigenous rap sells faster down here and I hope the Queen is accorded the props due to her real soon.

5. ERIGGA
The Nigerian rapper with the most credible street cred and certainly, the only bonafide pidgin hardcore lyricist.Erigga is a blessing to every Nigerian who truly appreciates rap music.To hear a guy get on some beastly word play and punchlines in our unconventional lingua franca is inexplicably exhilarating.He has scored major collabos with Olamide,Harrysong,Oritsefemi and dropped his sophomore album-OKORONWATA as a much more established artiste than when he did his debut.
From PASS DAT to MONKEY KILL MONKEY, there are always lines to blow you and make you wonder why the only reason to dispute Yung 6ix's King Of The South proclamation isn't getting the love he deserves.To borrow some of his lines, we need to "shine our torch and comot our leg for high tension".

GEJ, SAMBO AND DEZIANI: THE BIGGEST COWS ARE SACRED

We already knew it would be hard to recoup every penny stolen from us.Asides the fact that some no longer have it, others went the extra mile to cover their tracks well.Proving a case against them would be next-to-impossible and a plea bargain deal via shrewd interrogation techniques is as good as a victory in court in such instances.However, it would also be next-to-impossible for the EFCC and other relevant agencies to convince me that there are no  sacred cows in the war against corruption.
What is particularly alarming is the calibre of these 'cows'.They are the biggest of the lot with too much of our 'grass' in their systems for anyone not to notice.I am talking about people like ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, his vice; Namadi Sambo and Deziani Allison Madueke, the former petroleum minister.
While Sambo seems to be holidaying some where, Jonathan seems to be enjoying his hobbies of mediating, speaking and observing elections very much; the attendant benefits of his new status as elder statesman of world repute.The only thing we know about Deziani as at this moment is that she is battling cancer.A cancer that chose a most convenient time to deteriorate.There is no way a just war would get fully underway without these 'untouchables' having at least three cases each to answer.President Buhari himself told us he wasn't going to spare anyone irrespective of the amounts they returned.When he declared the late Gen.Sani Abacha innocent of all looting allegations, he put his honor up for debate.Not a few people started to lower their expectations then. Abacha's loots are still being returned to Nigeria today by good samaritan countries and that was even after Ngozi Okonjo Iweala had revealed that Sambo Dasuki, the embattled former NSA got $322 million to tackle insecurity from part of the returned Abacha loot.Buhari has not proved a man of his word so far.Jonathan has been mentioned twice by at least 2 suspects in the alleged Dasuki arms deal scam.First by the former NSA himself who said GEJ authorized all withdrawals and also by his SSA on media, Chief Doyin Okupe who named him as well during the course of investigations.The EFCC did not as much as invite him for questioning on any of the aforementioned occasions.Like I said while stating my concerns over Buhari's seeming ethnic bias before the general elections when I mentioned his detention of ousted Vice-President Alex Ekwueme in kirikiri prisons while placing President Shehu Shagari under house arrest-the subordinate cannot be guiltier than the principal.
There is no way Jonathan can be exonerated of any wrongdoing in the midst of colossal stealing by his subordinates.He came out on a number of occasions to publicly defend them.He feigned ignorance of the fact that Deziani Allison Madueke had gone to court to invalidate an invitation to the National Assembly to defend the waste of taxpayers money on private jets and of course, he took us to school on how stealing wasn't corruption.
Even if Jonathan didn't loot as much as those around him, there are bound to be withdrawals and transfers that required his authorization or at the very least, ones that wouldn't escape his eye.Watching him elevate his post-election status from hero to a world acknowledged super one that meets with the President in the villa any time he chooses to intimate him of his latest strides is killing.
No one can say for sure if Namadi Sambo is reaping off PMB's excess love for his northern brothers or is part of a plea bargain arrangement but what is not in question is the fact that allegations have been made against him that the authorities seem to be shying away from.
The most annoying of the pack has to be the lukewarm attitude of the authorities towards nabbing and prosecuting Madueke; allegedly the most corrupt minister this country has ever had.
Fine, she got Dele Momodu to show us pictures of her cancer-stricken body and there was initial movement towards liasing with Interpol and the british authorities but that was where it ended.Reports of her arrest proved unsubstantiated.The most rational conclusion would be she has struck a deal to return part of the loot and walk free.Without an iota of doubt, the money stolen from the petroleum industry is much more than any agency of government and i don't see much enthusiasm on the part of our authorities to probe previous activities there extensively.A lot of people were too alarmed by that to rejoice over news that a number of people including Madueke and a close ally of hers, Jide Omokoro (who is reportedly the real target) were charged to court for money laundering and procurement fraud.Justice Nyako of the Federal High Court has since ordered that she be struck off the charge since she is not present.That cleared my doubts as to whether or not this government was serious about bringing her to book.It doesn't seem like there would be any spirited effort to get the expert analysis of an independent medical practitioner to verify claims that she is incapacitated and if she really is, when she will be fit enough to come down here to answer our questions.i have always thought the timing too convenient.Even though it was no secret she was battling cancer as a minister under GEJ,  it never stopped her from overseeing a monumental looting scheme and even going ahead to become OPEC president in the twilight of the administration.
If it was a strategy, then it worked.She has successfully boxed PMB and his anti-corruption troops into a corner of pessimism and pity which might have necessitated a lenient plea bargain deal. No matter how much she returns,anything other than jail time for this lady is the deal of a lifetime. The $115 Million election bribery scandal which she is a pivotal part of will end up at the cemetery if her presence isn't secured.Not only that but every allegation of wrongdoing that has Deziani Allison Madueke attached to it as well.
For all his tough talk on corruption, I must say I won't deem Buhari's war a victory if it doesn't consume any of GEJ, Sambo and Madueke.History will forever remember it as one where the biggest looters had enough to tempt the authorities into entering deals with them while the lesser ones bore the brunt.Instead of passing a strong message of deterrence, we are telling the world it is okay to loot but just have enough to earn you a seat at the plea bargain table.God help us.

MELAYE/TINUBU:THE REGRETTABLE CONDUCT OF A FEMALE TRADITIONALIST

For a lady that reportedly once berated someone publicly for calling her 'Distinguished Senator' instead of her traditional title of 'Yeye', it wouldn't be out of place to assume she knows a thing or two about african tradition by virtue of her high reverence for the institution.In practically every part of this country, the man is accorded a second-to-none status.He doesn't have to be the husband of any lady to demand the respect he deserves.
'Yeye' Tinubu more recently in a closed door session of the Senate, called Senator Dino Melaye, a 'dog' and a 'thug' for expressing his thoughts on the floor of the Senate; a Chieftancy title holder like her or more appropriately, her husband.He reacted by heading towards her and threatening to beat her up before he was restrained by some colleagues.It baffles me that most of the blame is being placed at the doorstep of Sen. Melaye. Only a few people seem to understand what it feels like to be labelled such before their colleagues only because they said what they felt.I have heard only a few question the immoral conduct of Sen. Remi Tinubu, a lady who is not only an african mother and wife but also the 'Yeye' of her party leader.
While I am not defending Dino's conduct in any way, I think it is pertinent we note that only a handful of people would take such insults with a cool head.The many women groups calling for his head should devote their energy into discouraging other women from acting in such a despicable manner.It is amazing the extent to which the 'female victim' card has been exploited in this case.The key lines people are being programmed to focus on are-'i will beat you up, impregnate you on this floor and nothing will happen'.In a nutshell, those in support of Remi Tinubu are blaming Dino Melaye for not smiling and begging her to calm down while she was insulting him.Just as it is nothing out of the ordinary for Dino ( the 2nd in command of Saraki's troops) to call for President Buhari's impeachment, so is Sen.Tinubu's opposition to such a move.Both were acting in the best interests of their camp; Dino being totally against the criminal prosecution of his master for alleged wrongdoings and Tinubu, for a President her and her husband helped install.In the words of A.V Dicey: "The right to swing your fist ends where another person's nose begins".
So what is in issue here is who crossed that line?.Sen.Tinubu from the facts available to us.In perfect portrayal of the victim role, she has gone on to write to the IGP to report a threat to her life and request extra security while also writing the APC and requesting they sanction Melaye.He has refused to apologize to her and I totally agree with his decision because it would be accepting he was in the wrong, thereby creating illusions as to Yeye Tinubu's duties as an african woman.Until there is a miracle and perhaps both genders become truly equal, Chief Melaye deserves respect from a lady he is well capable of paying her bride price and catering for.If the gender activists don't succeed in getting ladies to pay 'groom prices' as well, then nothing will change traditionally speaking.
While I don't in anyway condone violence towards women and in as much as I agree Melaye's reaction was improper, Mrs Tinubu's conduct is more reprehensible being not just a mother and wife but also an African woman.Let us call a spade by its name.

PHYNO:FROM RAP LEGEND TO POP KING

I remember getting set to leave home one fateful evening in 2012 to hang out with friends in my neighbourhood.I had never been one to turn off the Tv till I was practically heading out and being that way payed off for me that day because just as I finished getting dressed, this guy popped up on Soundcity with a song that held me spell bound.That guy was Phyno and the song-SHUT DOWN.It was something like I had never heard before.It just oozed a genuine understanding of the art of rap.
Dude wasn't just about his ibo lines, he had some propane english bars as well.He spat punchlines tighter than those of any of our local 'foreign' rappers and he made it all sync with the dominant ibo lines without pissin off any of the audiences.It wasn't a hardcore rapper trying to go commercial nor was it an indigenous rapper trying to broaden his fan base.It was just Phyno.
You just knew right there and then that he had carved out his lane and anyone coming afterwards was going to be a subject.To use his words, he "flowed spiritual" and i add: with the right incantations.He struck me as a guy who wouldn't just be content with bullying every rapper in the East and one who will write his own chapter in the history of Nigerian music.That was long before I found out he had produced for some stars and even had an all star remix to his MULTIPLY song.
I called a good friend of mine I went to Law school with in Enugu, Hillary Asiegbu and asked if he knew Phyno.He replied in the negative and I told him to go check the song out, this guy was going to rule the airwaves soon.A King was born in his neck of the woods.
You find yourself rooting hard for guys like Phyno at the jump that have the potential to redefine Nigerian music and hope they don't get overcome by the challenges in the industry so it was nice to see him yet again on Tv much later with GHOST MODE and this time he was featuring Olamide.I guess a lot more people than I thought had felt SHUT DOWN because word then was Illbliss had dragged him into his Goretti/Capital crew and that came with the luxury of having super director Clarence Peters shoot his videos.The video for the song was top notch and it promoted the song in no small measure.
The whole world stood up to salute GHOST MODE and from then on, there was no turning back.Indigenous rap music no longer meant only yoruba rap as the East had staked a solid claim.Just about everyone wanted to have Phyno on their song coz he could pretty much adapt naturally to whatever thing it was you were cooking.He became a bonafide star and an instant industry darling.
Then came MAN OF THE YEAR and it was more or less making an entrance via the same route but only this time, with the respect he deserved.He was King of the East and had earned a legitimate bragging right which he showcased in elegant style.What were those lines again-'East coast N*^#@ now am banging in the West.....Y'all should be afraid of what am gon do next!!'.
Lynxxx said the song was going to be huge because Phyno made Ibo sound like Spanish but it was way more than that.What that song actually did was cop him a ticket to legendary status.I'll walk you through.Last rapper from the East to gain our attention was Mr Raw and you could safely pin down his success on the pop elements more than anything else.His hits had catchy choruses that appealed to a market that just wanted to sing along, dance or do both.

Phyno is a rapper that pays attention to every detail from the beat down to the most important; lyrics.To dare to hit the mainstream on those terms and prove he wasn't a flash in the pan or someone every body ran to just because he added something different meant he was already a legend on some scorecards.History will never forget the guy who re-invented ibo rap and paved the way for cats like Tidinz and Zoro who didn't have to struggle too hard to have us look their way.
The NO GUTS NO GLORY album dropped much to everyone's anticipation and he didn't disappoint.Survival was no longer a question as he had proved he had what it took to last in the game.That was the dopest album by an Ibo Mc and it cemented his status as the most 'hip hop' indigenous rapper in the land.
A lot of guys doze off at the top and work less on their art.You start to feel taken for granted by their verses because they feel they can just shove anything down your throat.They have 'grown' past that stage where they worry too much about keeping the fans happy and with much less hunger, drive and motivation, no real effort goes into improving themselves.
With Azubuike Nelson aka 'Phyno tha playmaker, it was much different.He stayed him like he always had but never seemed close to boring anyone.He didn't have to think about making slow songs or getting foreign features, he was still blowing minds with the same style from complementing a rapping Banky W in a most impressive manner on Dj Jimmy Jatt's E TO BEH to spitting the tightest verses alongside Vector on Black Magic's AFRICA (Remix).
To kill boredom at the top, he pulled a most audacious stunt; one we won't ever forget.Phyno decided to go pop and No, he wasn't biting the game to do that, he was going full scale pop and he did that to devastating effect.Every single has been a huge hit so far; From CONNECT to E SURE FOR ME.
It amazes how he doesn't have to struggle with his new self, it just seems like he always had it in him.It was pulling a Drake but only better because while a lot of people question Dreezy's singing abilities, Phyno's skills are not up for debate.
CONNECT was basically a street boy that never lost touch with his roots.Its a turn up song that kicks in the right mood with a great 'We here now' vibe and just the right type of message the average nigerian music lover loves to relate to: beating the odds.

The sing along element is at its very best and the power of delivery was at its mightiest because half the people I know love the song just as much even without understanding the lyrics.The pace of the rendition could almost pass for a sorrowful pitch sometimes before he hits you with just the right dose of adrenaline to join the 'Wo teh Collat' chant and not stop there.
CONNECT was one of the biggest hits of 2015 and the experiment (if you would call it that) was successful.Everyone wanted to see what the King of the East was going to do next-was he going back to conquered territory or seeking to expand the Kingdom?.
When FADA FADA (GHETTO GOSPEL) dropped, you knew it had gone beyond experimentation, it was more skoolin' pop boys on the basics.Nigerians love God and if you get the song right, it will cut right through every market.
The ibos have always had the better potential to make nationally accepted gospel songs and the way he tapped into the key elements of their songs was genius.
You just had to love how that snare hits twice and the way he sits right after with a matching delivery.You got a penny for the intriguing title as well-'I'm living large, I get 10 girls for my ghetto, never forget where I come from na from ghetto'.He had waded into pop and was heading right for the throne.
The dust hadn't fully settled before he released E SURE FOR ME.Its still fresh outta the oven at the time of writing this but like every other Phyno song, I don't need anyone to help assess the quality.Its going to be just as huge as his two previous cross-over singles.

Having stumbled upon the gold mine called 'Nigerians Love For God', he seems hell bent on exploiting it to the max.The song is a more matured gospel song that will appeal to a much older listener just as it would the average youth.The strong highlife feel makes you understand just why our non-ibo parents loved the Osita Osadebes a lot even without understanding a word of what they were saying.Its a 'feel cool' jam you can count on to soothe the nerves and there are no lines on big booties and champagne to distort that element in any way, its just a grateful guy glorifying Almighty God from start to end.
The message to his peers is something like those lines off the first song I heard-"If I pass you, you salute coz I pass you and anything wey you fit do, make you know say I fit do am times 2!!'.
Phyno has conquered 2 worlds in an unprecedented move in the Nigerian music industry and it takes a truly great person to do that.

AISHA BUHARI:A HYPOCRITICAL FIRST LADYSHIP AND THE TECHNICAL REVOCATION OF A CAMPAIGN PROMISE

Prior to his victorious campaign in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari had contested in three presidential elections and never once did he promise to scrap the First lady office if he won.He only did that in the run-up to the last presidential polls.
PMB was always one to seize every opportunity to score a point with the average nigerian.He had been depicted as the liberator of the masses right from his first run and he has always been ready to capitalize on that persona to impress if need be.Whether it was to promise he will make N1 equal to $1or that he will end the boko haram insurgency within his first 100 days in office, he seemed to know just what the tired, angry, frustrated and used nigerian wanted to hear.
So when Sen.Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso lost the APC presidential primaries to him, it was no surprise to many that Buhari lifted the Senator's campaign promise of operating without a first lady.It was succinctly delineating the wastefulness of previous governments and the candidate's intention to halt it.But you just had to sense there was a problem.Buhari was no longer running in the old ANPP or CPC fashion, he was doing so under a much bigger platform that necessitated a much more elaborate way of doing things.He was now flaunting his loving father and caring grandpa photos on social media to appeal to a broader range of voters and what more?.His wife had been dragged from behind the scenes and thrust right into the heart of things.He had made a promise more in consonance with the archaic manner in which his campaigns were run on one hand while also agreeing to subscribe to a new order on the other and there was bound to be one of 2 things if he won-sticking to a promise that wasn't original or a hypocritical first ladyship and the technical revocation of a quite sensitive campaign promise.Sensitive in the sense that it is capable of sending a wrong message to nigerians that they were just being sold the same product in a new package.
The truth is nothing has changed.We have a first lady who like every one before her is a wife of the President.When questions started being asked about Aisha Buhari's use of the first lady's office, it was funny to hear the SA to President Buhari on media, Mallam Garba Shehu say there was nothing wrong with it because she wasn't doing so in her 'official capacity'.I just couldn't make any sense of it.What is her 'official capacity' if she had one?.It either meant someone needed to get the full meaning of the phrase 'first lady' or that she was a hypocritical occupant of the office.
As of this moment, she has her own retinue of aides which include a Special adviser, Senior special Assistant on administration, Senior Special Assistant on media and a Director of Information.Does anybody still think Buhari stuck to his promise of abolishing the first lady office?.I don't think so.
He rebranded it at best by merely changing the name.Just like every administration before his, he will concede to the fact that the office is not constitutional but he has earned no special right to wax sanctimonious about not wasting our waning resources on 'his wife's office'.Nigerians are not fools.
We have watched her set up her Future Assured pet project to cater for the less privileged and though her strides have been quite commendable, there are questions as to the funding of her activities baring in mind that the President earns about N1.2M monthly with no salary for the first lady.
In Gombe state alone, she donated foodstuff across 11 local governments worth millions of naira and a sickle cell detecting machine to the Federal teaching hospital.Her donations to other states and the IDPs are befitting of the wife of a President like we used to know them before we voted 'change' so its safe to ask in this era: from whose kitty?.
The official amount said to have been realized from her book launch and fundraiser was N55M which she pledged to the parents of the Chibok and Buni Yadi victims.Nobody bothered to give us an explanation as to why she opted for secret donations.Some staff of a commercial bank had set up a stall at the venue in anticipation of huge donations by guests but ended up leaving there disappointed.If her husband's anti-corruption war is as sincere as we have been meant to believe, then none of the political office holders at the venue would dare play 'Fat Santa'.
The Vice-President himself said much shouldn't be expected from him as he and her husband were on half salaries.Why would anyone hide people's contribution to their cause on a day they have gathered to celebrate them?.It only means one thing: there is an ugly side to it.If the first lady and her gang didn't want to raise eyebrows as to how their donors (a lot of them former or present office holders) came about the sums then it might just be because a chunk of it is taxpayers money.
To further illustrate the true role of Buhari's wife, she partnered with the Camerounian first lady, Chantal Biya in the areas of women and children development when she accompanied her husband on a 2 day working visit to Nigeria and even went on to host the wives of all envoys to Nigeria to sell her 'Future Assured' pet project. I ask-What has Buhari 'changed' by scrapping the first lady office for one of the Wife of the President when the roles are basically the same with his wife being even more active than the last 2 First ladies at this stage.
She has gone on to host and thank the social media influencers who helped campaign for her husband at the Villa and launch a book all within the space of a year.
Is it right to provide aides and make available our resources to an unconstitutional office the President said he didn't recognize?.As a campaign strategy, it worked and contributed in further selling the 'Change' mantra to Nigerians but if any other President promises to scrap the first lady office and allows his wife do the things Aisha Buhari is doing, then he wouldn't have done anything because like every other one we have had; she is a first lady that is the wife of the President.Period.

A RIGHTEOUS SENATE AND BUHARI'S SINFUL APPOINTMENTS

The winners in the Buhari/Saraki showdown thus far are the regular nigerians.We,the everyday people with nothing vested in it other than the best interests of our country.While the Senate President is one of the star victims of Buhari's 'selective' anti-corruption war, he has when possible, used the machinery of the upper chamber to claw back at the President.Buhari is illustrating just how mean the resolve to fight corruption is with a recalcitrant Senate president whom many feel he has an axe to grind with while Saraki and his cohorts on the other hand have paid extra attention to their watchdog role in a bid to catch the President napping.It was with great joy that we; the winners watched the Senate refuse to screen and confirm the 47 man ambassadorial list sent to it by the Presidency till it featured nominees from every state of the Federation.Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ondo and Plateau were unrepresented and it appeared unjust to have a 47 man list without having at least one from each of the 36 states plus the FCT.
To the Presidency, the refusal was an embarrassing slap on the face.To the Senate, a chance to score a 'righteous' point while getting back at the President and for the common Nigerian, a laudable attempt at addressing our current fears.It was more or less a wake up call to an insensitive President that has refused to change the motific nature of his appointments even in light of grave secessionist threats in some regions of the country.
The IPOB and Niger Delta Avengers who were fighting for separate nations are said to be now working hand in hand if reports emanating from the biafrans' camp are anything to go by.
The only ibo non-ministerial appointment by the President came more than one year into his administration and it was even more by default than choice as she only stepped into the shoes of the recently retired Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr Samuel Ukura in an acting capacity being next in the chain of command.Buhari has made two recent high profile appointments in just a matter of days and they are all northerners- the acting IG of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the new boss of the Federal Inland Waterways, Alhaji BossGida Mustapha.Nothing has changed.The President still favours his northern brothers way more than others.He has stuck to his bias for them quite regrettably, even when he claims to be in discussions with the separatists on how to drop their arms and stay a part of us.That is seeking peace and fanning the embers of war all at the same time.Quite a number of people including yours truly had spoken countless times on the divisive tendencies of his appointments even before the  various campaigns to secede took a rather wild turn, so unfortunately it is more or less an 'I told you so' situation for a lot of us.
You get a feeling the 'irregularities' in the ambassadorial nominee list were ones the Senate would have overlooked if the President had been more considerate in his appointments because it would be suicide in the court of public opinion.But rather it afforded Saraki and his friends a perfect opportunity to throw a punch we applaud them for without appearing petty or messy.
It was quite shrewd of the senate to key into the piling frustration of the average patriotic Nigerian.One who has had to sit and watch our President continue his 'northern party' with no means of checking him.One who has had to sit and wonder if the President is on a deliberate mission to disunite us as a people by so blatantly promoting the interests of some above others.It is trite that when the governed are discontent, it becomes twice as difficult to please them.A lot of the President's decisions are under a lot more scrutiny than they ordinarily should be and that won't augur well for his administration.What would ordinarily pass as a harmless omission has had people looking hard to find his trademark on them.
Judging by antecedents, no one can conveniently wave off the fact that Bayelsa, Ondo and Ebonyi are PDP states while Plateau is a north central state that doesn't particularly qualify as north in the 'core' scheme of things.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been summoned alongside the Foreign Affairs minister to show cause on July 9th.It remains to be seen if they have a better defence than one put up by the SGF so far.He made a rather lame attempt to make us believe the states had no single person qualified to be an ambassador.I found some of the answers he gave at an interactive session with journalists rather confusing.
After telling us not all states are represented in the foreign service department of the ministry of foreign affairs, he goes on to say the government will have to source nominees from outside the ministry to provide opportunities for states not on the list.If that was possible like we already knew, why didn't the government tow that path in the first place for the sake of justice and fairness and also in light of the current need to keep everyone happy?.
When the SGF said questions as to the propriety of the list could have been clarified by just a mere phone call, it told perhaps just how inconsequential the Presidency deems issues as sensitive as appointments in times like this when the territorial integrity of our great nation couldn't be more at risk.A time when separationists are trying to align forces and are steadily bombing towards their goal of crippling oil production to zero level till their demands are met.
The Senate may be in a war with the Presidency but it has spoken for me and a lot of people by rejecting the ambassadorial list on the ground of lacking federal character.
By any means necessary, President Buhari must be made to understand that Nigeria belongs to everybody and that it belongs to nobody.The need to thread with caution can not be over-emphasized.
On a day the Nigerian Senate chose to wear its saints' garb, it did a most righteous deed.