OPINION: THE OSTRICH PEOPLE; THE KEBBI STATE REPLICA... Isa Aliyu

JUSTICE

The ostrich is an omnivore and therefore, eats a variety of both plants and animals and when danger comes too close for comfort, the ostrich will often lie low to hide its neck along the ground.  The irony is that the Ostrich is flightless.  It cannot fly but it is called a ‘bird’.



Most Nigerian politicians who regard themselves as heavyweights, are like the ostrich.  The ostrich is a big bird but is big for nothing, (BFN). It can run; it has a tremendous speed, but it cannot hide and it cannot fly. These so called political "heavyweights" are big for nothing. They lost the general elections while they were in power and in the ruling party. They too can run very fast; from party to party, most especially to the ruling party.

These politicians will most often lie low to hide like the ostrich when danger comes too close for comfort. TheyThed low after losing the general elections. Again, like the ostrich, they will hide their necks along the ground and leave exposed, the giant body which is 98% of the ostrich. They tried to hide in "local" politics; alas, they lost woefully at the congress.  Next, is to run. But, unlike the ostrich, they lack the speed. They are however running from party to party.

When a governor who ruled for eight (8) years in Kebbi State with his deputy and Secretary to the State Government, lost power to a newly formed opposition party, he laid low. When the EFCC comes after him for interrogation and investigation, the danger was threatening. When he entered a bargain to make huge refunds of his loots, the danger was real. When he realized that he had squandered most of the loots and can no longer fulfill the obligation of the instalmental refund, the danger was not only threatening and real; it has come too close for comfort.

This ex governor, Saidu Dakingari has many options at his disposal; speed to run away but he remembers the Diezianis, the Iboris, and the Mainas whose running did not take them into safety. He will want to hide but he can only hide his head like the ostrich. The whole of his body remains exposed and the EFCC is getting too close. He has taken the last and final option which is to stop running, forget about hiding and embrace the "hunter’s party" in order to have a safe landing.

The point here is, has the law been changed? Has the "hunter" jettisoned his mantra? Can Dakingari be given a soft landing? The answer is NO!

We saw it coming when on 29th December, 2017, some ex-public office holder politicians of Kebbi State led into Aso Rock Villa by the serving Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Maina Malami (SAN), escorted by the sitting Governor of the State, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Bagudu to defect to the ruling APC from the PDP and got the mother of all snubbing from Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR).

We said it then that the cross-carpeting of Saidu Dakingari, Ibrahim K. Aliyu, his deputy, Garba Rabiu Kamba, his SSG, Garba Umar Birnin Tudu, Musa Ibrahim Dan Ilela, the ALGON chairman during Dakingari’s reign of lootocracy, Sani Kalgo, the rejected Representative at NASS, Katikan Yauri Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, Lawali, the nephew to Dakingari and some more ostrich politicians of Kebbi State was laughable. They had to run. But can they hide?

More trouble for the Kebbi ostrich, Dakingari and the gang. The Iron man of anti corruption, Mr. Ibrahim Magu has stumbled on the looting of over four billion Naira (N4, 000,000,000) from the Local Government funds during Dakingari’s reign and ALGON chairmanship of Musa Ibrahim Dan Ilela. This fleece was diverted into private pockets of Dakingari and the gang. The danger is coming too close for comfort. The ostrich had to hide even more.

We saw it coming when we said that “we will not be surprised to witness a government sponsored reception for these dead woods in the very near future, most likely in January of 2018 with hired and paid political urchins and hang-abouts”. This just happened on Saturday, 20th January, 2018. The shameless rally was aired live by the pro-government television; the NTA Network. This was the conclusion of the running.

It is worthy to note that: (1) There was no representative from the National Headquarters of the party at the so-called decamping rally. (2) Adamu Aliero, the Senator representing Kebbi Central and the grand leader of APC in Kebbi State was absent. (3) The holder of the highest national political appointment in Kebbi State under the APC, Abubakar Malami (SAN) was absent.

Fact at our disposal shows that all these were duly invited and had enough notice to personally honor the invitation or send representatives. They simply did not turn up for obvious reasons. The National headquarters has seen through the joke and drama of the move and weightlessness of the Dakingari and the ‘seven’ thieves.

Adamu Aliero knew that the Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu is trying to challenge his leadership and grip of the party structure in Kebbi State and therefore, wants to demystify him.

Atiku Bagudu wants to use the ‘intelligence’ knowledge at the disposal of Dakingari since he was the immediate successor of Aliero, to scandalize the former Governor. They also carried Abubakar Sadiq, Katikan Yauri along in trying to humiliate Aliero. Abubakar Sadiq was a two term commissioner (8 years) under Aliero in Kebbi State and the only Chief of Staff to Aliero while he was the minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Malami could not attend because, he had too much on his hands. He is battling to manage the Maina-gate scandal that he masterminded. Malami is busy fighting the Senate who is probing the illegal, embarrassing and unlawful return of Maina into the country late last year. Maina’s return to the Civil Service with promotion and, shielding all these from Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari is big enough problem for Malami.

Malami is busy trying to convince the court to stop the Senate from probing the magical and mysterious return of Maina, Malami’s friend. Malami received the bashing of his life from Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari after the unfortunate invasion of the Villa by the Kebbi failed politicians in December. Malami dared not inform Mr. President that he wanted to attend a reception for the same ‘gang’ in Kebbi.

Malami (SAN) does not shy away from scandals, but that of Kebbi is getting too hot for him to handle. Perhaps, he too feels that the danger is coming too close for comfort; like the ostrich, he is lying low to hide his head.

Another link to all these running is the incarceration of Dakingari’s Accountant General, Alhaji Muhammad Arzika Dakingari who was convicted to seventy (70) years in 2017 for re-routing Kebbi State funds in billions into the accounts of private companies. Magu is not treating the matter as ‘dead’ or with levity because, Arzika (Dan Ato) had been convicted. Magu is working hard to nail Arzika’s accomplices since he could not have acted alone. The chase is getting too hot and Magu is getting too close for comfort for Dakingari and the gang.

The Dakingari and the gang used the skeletal decamping reception rally of Saturday, 20th January to remind APC and Magu (Maganin Azzalumai) that they are now APC, SAK.  However, they should remember that a sitting head of the National Assembly is right now under prosecution.

If Goje who worked tirelessly before the merger through the merger that metamorphosed into the APC in 2015 elections is being prosecuted at a Jos court, Dakingari and his gang who used all weapons at their disposal to stop APC in 2015, will only have accelerated hearing when their cases get mentioned in court.

One can run but cannot hide.


Isa Aliyu
isaaliyu@yahoo.com