Since the news of Professor know nothing, the “Nutty
Professor,” Dr. Fabian Osuji’s travail broke I have asked myself over and again
how stupid could someone in such a high position be to not realize what
extortion is. He did not know an organ of government that ought to be
responsible and not demand for payments before the Ministry’s budget is
approved was shaking him down? Yet this is a Prof like in Professor?
Unbelievable! Don’t even give me that don’t say this, don’t say that, change
the lyrics everybody is a critic and it’s getting kinda hectic. Know why? My
rhyme is authentic and I’ve got the power/right.
Before I proceed further, let me
clear the air by saying this essay is not a show of support for Osuji so do not
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let the caption deceive ya. I
will not be making a case for him, no way. What the heck do I care! What good
is Osuji for the Igbo to deserve any defense? Fool me once, joke on you but
twice then on me. This very piece is sautéed with humanitarian aroma for
scholarship to easily dissect how and where a detour was made by the actors.
Most pundits already posited that the paltry sum of 55 million naira he paid
out so that the corrupt “Sinators” and their colleagues in the House of
Assembling Ghana-Must-Go bags could pass his Ministry’s budget pales in
comparison with the billions and trillions the master thieves, Tafa Balogun and
Tony Anineh stole yet Obasanjo made hoopla out of this. The temptation to
inject geography here will be resisted although it definitely can’t be
discounted, it’s there.
Take for instance, the admirals
from the western part that were implicated in the “disappearance” of the oil
bunkering/stealing ships were merely retired even when their official and
original retirement dates was around the corner. A tap on the wrist if you ask
me but who will? Another example was AIG Raphael Ige who
was reluctantly retired instead of a full trial and imprisonment after his
treasonable adoption of Chris Ngige, a sitting governor, whom I don’t care for
anyway. Here is yet another instance, the cat and mouse game Obasanjo engaged
with that cloned Idi Amin, the disgraced beer guts IG, Balogun. Is his arrest
coming? Do the doubting Thomases out there still not see a pattern emerging?
Like I said, I will stick to my promise not to make any case for Osuji. He
asked for it and guess what he got, his wish, a ride on the tiger’s tail. Joke
aside, in my village during the war Balogun lookalikes were easily picked each
time there was overnight case of farm or kitchen raid by “ndi oji abali aga”
– night marauders and he in fact is one as we found out.
Now, let me justify my use of
stupid to qualify among all people, a Professor in education of all things.
This Professor without common sense should have done what I did during the
period of my relocation in that dangerous land. There are these annoying habits
most Nigerians have, always into looking for company materials to sell. While
working for an oil servicing company on one occasion, with my notable coverall
on since I just came back
from the flow station, I bounced on some congregated fellas acting
suspiciously. My warning was quick. It was made very clear that whatever they
were up to better not be mischievous because guess what, the Italian MD will be
told by guess who, me. Check their response, “dis oga sef.” To myself I said
what a hell! I hate when people do stuff like that, steal any and everything
they lay their sights and hands on. Just look at the bridge railings, NEPA
copper cables, street lighting fixtures so on are stolen as fast as they are
installed without the slightest care. How long before Nigerians grow out of
this primitiveness?
Back to your Professor, what he should have done was a
quick trip to the emperor to alert him to the ugly situation about to unfold. I
am sure he would have drooled over a chance to nail the corrupt “Sedators.”
Immediately the scammers (Adolphus Nwagbara, Chris Adighije, John Mbata - I
know his father, very religious I don’t know what happened to his son.
Continuing; Ibrahim Abdulaziz, Shehu Matazu, Badamasi Maccido and last but
certainly not least, Emmanuel Okpede) informed and or demanded for this illegal
payoff, Osuji ought to have increased his pace on his way to oga’s house, there
he would begin with, oga see me trouble o! These thiefs won make I
pay dem bifo dem go gif me my Ministry moni o! And knowing OBJ, he would
thus go, ah, ah oti o! Abi na craze dey wori
dem fools, ngbo? After which he would order this Minister to go back and
play along, to make sure it is recorded. Finally, Obasanjo would say to him, oya comot! This is all he needed to do.
No doubt it would have garnered him support from the emperor especially when it
concerns his nemesis, the Assemblers of cash bags. The momentum this would have
generated would have secured a favorable spot for him in the Presidency, an
advantage. He instead acted like a village tout that never saw the four walls
of college. Na waa Prof!
His failure to exercise good judgment and tell all, I mean
everything caused his camel walk to come to a
screeching halt on a cold floor with cold sweat (Papa JB -
James Brown). His futile effort to save Nwagbara and cronies’ asses caused his
meager reputation to spiral out of bounds. Why even shield those that never
used their influence to rescue you from the silly demand for payment before a
budget that does not go to you per se is passed? Where were these brothers of
his who connived with others to shake him down into parting with millions for
their selfish use? See, this is why a prudent decision to hop, jump, limp,
somersault or however you can to the President to lodge a report just in case Onitsha “gwalụ”
Obosi (gwalụ - told) or is it “O” gwalụ “O?” (lol). Take it light. This
writer would not have struggled for a microsecond to make a mad dash to relay
this to the President who in actual sense is Osuji’s employer. If Nwagbara and
company never used their power to stop the blackmail in its infancy, planning
stage, why then should Osuji not tell? Huh? Answer pleeeeeeease! Would he not
have been absolved of any blame had he done so?
Should any loose nuts had it been me approached after my
revelation (ratting out Nwagbara & co.), I will not so politely remind the
yam head that the same ‘brother’ of his never did squawk when I was being
harassed into committing a crime. So take your whine somewhere else. That would
definitely be my response. Anyone that
has followed my drive will tell ya, I am hardly a fan of their President,
Obasanjo but he hit the bull’s eye on this one. I support him fully this time.
He needs to push on though this is not enough. He must maintain the offensive,
Igbo Yoruba, Hausa, Arabs, Ibibio, Rivers, Bini makes no damn difference. Oh,
when the wrongs are righted and things begin to shape up, then Obasanjo would
be Mr. President but for now, no. From all indications, one could tell, Osuji
is a somewhat straight guy my annoyance however, is with his foolishness to
have entertained such crude request from established rogues, Nwagbara and
company who perambulate about Abuja in
search of a naïve victim to shakedown.
Here is another atrocious
nonsense by the dumb Professor; he has since gone to court charging among other
stuffs that his firing was political. My question to him is simple, wasn’t his
hiring political too or was it religious, maybe accidental? Chrrrrrist! Hear
him, "The dismissal via a national broadcast
and proclaiming him guilty without an opportunity to be heard is prejudicial
and act of political victimization." What a croc! Absolute crap!
This man did not do the only honorable thing left by resigning his appointment
after his folly blew open but now he wants the courts to determine whether or
not his President has the right to kick him out to the elements. Was his hiring
precipitated on the decision of the court is my next question to this still
dazed sixty-three year old clueless? Wasn’t his hiring also announced on TV?
Did I hear a yes? So what’s the big deal with the broadcast thing? Funny that a
Professor in Nigeria still
thinks the courts are legit whereas the decision by their Supreme Court to
release the funds of local governments in Lagos State is
still being flaunted by you guessed right, the emperor whose damnation for the
judiciary begs for action; an impeachable deed that flew by the efulefu -
worthless Assembly and “Sinate” members. Hellooo! Anyone out there?
It sure is beginning to look like
the more education Nigerians get the more stupid they become. Need proof, go
back to recent news and stuff. We have Ph.Ds, example, Omoruiyi that fully
backs military and all nonsense for monthly crumblets. Osuji never abdicated
his office even after he was jacked up and thrown into detention be it for half
an hour instead the alika – lizard strutted to a seminar that was held a day
after his temporary release as guest of honor(?) as if nothing, nothing. Haba!!
What happened to shame and pride? Here is one of my darling father’s popular
saying, “nme gbụ eme gbụrụ dike ka ogbugbu e gburu ya” - the
embarrassment of a warrior is worst than his execution. I can’t seem to make
sense of how a supposed education Professor that had been implicated in both
acts of immorality and illegality behaved like a toddler on sugar for the first
time and with that excitement hopped to a petty show just hours after his
freedom was secured to make a fool of himself there. Did he not know that
Obasanjo rightfully expected a resignation note from him on his own volition?
Should Obasanjo be faulted again for Osuji’s blunder? I don’t think so! C’mon
people let’s be honest here.
I have in the past remained
resolute with my counsel to youngsters to stay in school, but with the mountain
of
follies out of our educated ones
I don’t see how I can in the future look someone in the face and talk about education.
Honestly! Didn’t majority with litany of degrees turn out pretty bad already?
You can’t believe what the Minister called his venality, “public relations
lobby fund.” Professor, sound people call what you did precisely by its name,
B.R.I.B.E! If you insist let me then tell you what a Public Relations (PR)
entails, the use of media; print, broadcast or registered lobbyists even both
with no direct or indirect exchange of money to the “Sedators” and their
counterparts to make case for your Ministry why it needs more funds from the
federation account. We will now take a hard look at our Ph.Ds that dropped the
ball, the education gurus minus the native dokintas
and the awardees I guess:
Dr. Fabian Osuji – Minister of Education. (Can
you believe?)
Dr. B. Ibe – Director Planning, Research and
Statistics. (Maybe “B” for bribe?)
Dr. P.S. Abdu – Permanent Secretary. (Stop the
joke nothing is permanent)
Dr. Peter Okebukola – Executive Secretary
National Universities Commission.
Dr. Shehu Matazu – Education Chairman.
(Honorably addressed? Is he a Ph. D too?)
In a way I do feel for these
guys but when I think about the naughtiness of the whole thing that feeling
dissipates. Is this me or what, imagine the quality of people that were present
where adulterated junk was discussed still none had enough intelligence to
yell, wait a minute, wait just a moment damn it, why should we be blackmailed
into making illegal payments for something that will benefit their wards,
relatives and scions too? They could have also bluffed these gang banging
“Sinators” or better yet, followed what I proffered earlier by going together
to Obasanjo or the dreaded Economic and Financial Crime Commission
- EFCC and its toothless lesser partner Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission – ICPC to harmonize plans that would catch these thieves in
the act. I would! Where is the education in all these? Someone should please
rescue me with an answer. Lord! It is becoming clearer now why disturbing
number of students under their care are catapulted out of schools nowadays with
let my people go diplomas that mean nada/nothing. Can’t defend! These
‘educationists’ are the reason why students these days buy their way through
schools. An outrage can be said to have happened here, folks. I also see how it
has become easy for our Professors, the Doctors of letters to sit back and let
the illiterate military juntas endlessly close schools because none of these
fakes have good sense.
As today’s interactive session
ends I will like to caution that the fight to wrestle corruption to the ground
should not be limited to any particular group or persons. Let the effect be
total with all hamlets and conclaves feeling the heat, away with the lopsided
enforcement of laws in Nigeria. Osuji,
as the protagonist of this messy affair should as a matter of honor accept the
outcome and stop his late embarrassing antics. He should simply fade quietly
and for the good of the order. I am not too sure the Prof knows, but common
sense is never common. My remaining seconds will now be used to say to
Obasanjo, sir, please go on and throttle up! Good job!