John: The President finally visited the Benue, Taraba and Yobe States !
Journalist : Yes the President finally visited the Fulani - herdsmen - traumatized - States of Nigeria !
John: Hahahahaha! I like that expression . You journalists have a way with words !
Journalist : Sometimes our words land us in trouble!
John: Well , it’ s one of the vestiges of military rule that we have to cope with !
Journalist ; I ’ m not sure we have gotten out of the woods yet on that score ! Thank God that he visited finally, lumping the bad and very bad together !
John: Poor strategy !
Journalist : Yes, poor strategy ! Wish the visit had come earlier!
John: Yes; wish he had visited a day after the incident , like a real father . Security reports may have advised him otherwise !
Journalist : Let ’ s not hang the security men. If the President wishes to visit a war - zone , security men would make it possible . I believe the President ’ s judgment is faulty on this matter .
John: That ’ s a big one . Faulty judgment ? Why do you say so ?
Journalist : The President put the blame squarely on his own shoulders when he said that he does not rush to conflict zones .
John: Hmmmm ! Yes, he said so .
Journalist : We are in the 21st Century; we need a 21st century sense of judgment , not an old patriarch who dispenses goodwill whenever it pleases him only without caring for the feelings of the citizens !
John: I guess every leader has his own approach ; he sent his IG to the Benue to handle things .
Journalist : His IG or the nation ’ s Inspector General of police ?
John: In a manner of speaking, his IG , but we know it’ s the nation ’ s Number One Police Man!
Journalist : Better ! Yes he did send the Inspector General to stay on ground for a reasonable time . But the President did not know that the IG was more interested in rushing back to the safety of Abuja to enjoy his birthday celebration .
John: How is that the President ’ s fault ?
Journalist : The buck stops somewhere - the President ’ s desk . I suppose the other security arms knew about the President ’ s order ; they should have reported back to him .
John: do you mean that they should have snitched on the IG ?
Journalist : it’ s no big deal . Call it what you like ; all the security agencies snitch on one another . It ’ s national security . The security of the nation is above the interest of any individual .
John: That couldn ’ t happen ; they are kith and kin.
Journalist : Isn ’ t that a problem ? If for parochial reasons the DSS or other intelligence agencies cannot tell Mr . President that a senior security officer has disobeyed his order , is that not a problem ?
John: Yes it is ; but do you remember the role of the DSS on the no - confirmation matter of Mr . Magu ?
Journalist : I don ’ t know about that . Magu is doing his job as competently as he can . Why should anyone send in negative reports ?
John: The President has queried the IG ; let ’ s see what will come out of it.
Journalist : Back to the main subject ; we do not pray for any disaster . But I expect the President to respond promptly. His presence would show that he truly cares . It would show that a visit is not an after - thought , after the backlash of not visiting the crisis zone .
John: I will pass the message on .
Journalist : You ? In what capacity ?
John: Trust me ! I may know somebody who knows somebody that is close to the First Lady !
Journalist : You are on your own . What did the President take to the grieving States ?
John: words of comfort .
Journalist : I ’ m afraid it’ s not enough to comfort the people with words . We need action!
John: What kind of action?
Journalist : Preventive actions . Why did the hoodlums attack again shortly after the President ’ s visit ? They simply spited him . This is a handshake has gone to the elbow !
John: Perhaps as Professor Bolaji Akinyemi suggested , there are foreign elements trying to undermine the President .
Journalist : And the President is playing into their hands. You see , Chief Obasanjo has paid a visit to the gravesites of the fallen 73 victims in
Benue. That was symbolic , a subtle indictment on the President .
John: That ’ s politics my friend; what business has OBJ with visiting the site ?
Journalist : Exactly ; it’ s politics. The President should play the right politics.
John: By playing to the gallery ?
Journalist : All politicians, all leaders know that you must occasionally play to the gallery in politics.
John: Hmmm !
Journalist : To compound matters, the President jetted off to attend the wedding ceremonies of the children of some big Whigs in Kano !
John: What is wrong in that ?
Journalist : Ordinarily , nothing is wrong with it; but the circumstances are different . He has not visited the families of the kidnapped girls in Dapchi .
John: But he needs to socialize ; won ’ t the dame Nigerians turn around to condemn him if he stayed indoors while two prominent citizens who supported him in the elections gave out their daughters ?
Journalist : He has to strike a balance; let him remember that he is as Chief Mourner as he is Chief Celebrant !
John: Let ’ s leave Abuja alone . I hope you are following the madness of the Lagos State Government !
Journalist : The land use charge matter ?
John: Yes my brother !
Journalist : Even the deaf and blind ones among us know that that Ambode man is playing with fire!
John: He has since cut down the rate by 50 % .
Journalist : Where do these leaders of ours live ? In the moon!
John: Cloud Nine, perhaps . Power gives them the lift and they forget that the poor are more in number than the rich !
Journalist : Sometimes I wonder how people in Lagos manage . There ’ s hardly any civil servant whose salary can meet the demands of landlords without resorting to Cooperative Societies or borrowing or stealing ! How many people can really afford a one - million naira residential accommodation in Lagos ?
John; Just a few ; but somehow they look for ways and means .
Journalist : Yet the Government wants to increase every tax rate ! He claims that no review has been done in the last five years and they must make us sweat for their inefficiency .
John: it is well . We are waiting for them . Let them come campaign to use to vote for them .
Journalist : We shall tell them the truth by voting the other way!
John: Land - use ko ; land - charge ni !
Journalist : Olori …
John: … .buruku !
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