Not the President’s speech: Trouble!

Fellow Nigerians, let me begin my speech with a song!
They say make he spoil,
But he no spoil
Na shine he dey shine!!!
Please sing with me everybody:
Won ni ko baje
Ko ba je
Didan lo ndan!!!
Oju t’elegan!!!

Now that I have taken care of those people who know themselves let me go on to other more important issues.

Yes, I am back and on my feet. We thank Allah for His journey mercies.

By going to London I do not dismiss Nigerian doctors. Nigerian professionals are some of the best in the world. Look at our pastors as they pack churches around the world with thousands and thousands of followers. Look at our lawyers as they rake in millions from litigants around the world. Look at our at our IT specialists as they hack their way around the world. Not to talk of our medical professionals. Why can they not perform their miracles at home?

I like it when protesters remind me of what I said when another president found himself in my position. I did not threaten to publish pictures. I did not write obituaries on him. I hope the same people will remind the PDP of the humongous figures of thieving and stealing that took place under them. So, they are getting ready to come back and steal some more in 2019. Nigerians are not forgetful if what has happened in the past.

That’s what leads me to my next topic – restructuring the federation to please those who are not pleased with the present arrangement. If you notice my kaftan, it is made of military cloth, just as some of my colleagues from the South have made their agbada and atiku with military cloth. Ours is a federation with a military head. That is how things are. That was the only way those of us from the army could administer our federation. The first thing those who want change, oh that word change! Must remember is that there are those who benefit enormously from the present structure. When a structure benefits you, do you hand over your advantage in the present structure in a restructure that takes your advantage away? What are the restructurers prepared to give to the structurers in the new dispensation? If they have nothing to barter in the new arrangement, they are wasting their breath.

Anyway, beyond those who benefit from the present structure, if Nigeria was succeeding as a state would anybody ask for restructure? If there was justice, if there was justice in time, if people were paid when their salaries were due, if there was the rule of law and if there was the protection of property rights would anybody ask for restructuring? If there was no corruption and everybody knew their duty and did it would there be clamouring for restructuring?

Every inch of Nigeria wants to be self-governing. The centre is too powerful. It has all the power and only abuses that power. Arewa wants to control the country. Oduduwa wants to control the country. Ndigbo insists they should bring a president to control the country from Abuja. The Southeast want to control their oil. Everybody is dissatisfied with their share of the national cake. North East is looking for oil too. Oil is the solution, right? Wrong!
We will not forget all yet but we need to seek other economic products. Oil is going to go out of fashion for a time but oil will never be irrelevant to world economy. There might be other sources of energy, renewable and cleaner but there are so many products, materials made out of oil and gas that world cannot do without. So, don’t write off oil yet. But neither should you put all you economic egg in the oil basket. Therein danger lurks.

Biafra went bragging that they would reduce mountains to plains and level all obstacles before them. They left Nigeria but Nigeria did not leave them, the old Nigeria of injustice and corruption did not leave them. And so, Biafra failed. Let those who shout remember that Biafra failed. The head of state of Biafra ran away leaving the people to surrender to corrupt and thieving Nigeria. That is why I want us, in the next months and years to pull together and make Nigeria work. If Nigeria works nobody would wish to leave Nigeria. Let the restructuring of Nigeria be the infusion into Nigeria of justice, of the rule of law, of absence of corruption and magomago monafiki and benefitting from confusion and chaos. Let my return be the return of sense into the affairs of our nation. Let my return be the return of intelligence into the administration of the country. Let my return be the return of humour and fun and liveliness into our communities. Let’s use the moneys we have recovered to better our environments.

I am tempted to tell the story of how the parts of the body rebelled against the stomach insisting that it takes everything and gives nothing to the rest of the body. But it would be a false analogy. The federal government has no business owning roads in states across the country, roads that nobody in government use and so do not maintain. What is the federal ministry of agriculture supposed to do? Set up farms and go into farming? Or create the environment for agricultural business through out the country.

Yes there are things wrong with Nigeria. Corruption is the greatest evil that we need to take out. It has eaten into our system for decades and, as can be seen from our previous efforts, will not be done away with without the cooperation of everybody.

Can we be Nigerians first? Ask yourself this question now. Can you and I be Nigerians first? Can we ask what would a Nigerian do now? Not what would arewa do or ndigbo do or oduduwa do? I challenge you all who are listening to me. What would a Nigerian do today in the face of injustice, inequality, economic misery and a campaign for the country to break up? A Nigerian would take all his history and all her geography and all her economy and all his capability and say others have done it. We too can do it as Nigerians for Nigeria. Nigeria ti di Kokumo o! Nigeria will never die. Thank you and Allah bless Nigeria.