"Tunde quoted the officiating minister at the thanksgiving service that was part of ‘BG Carnival,’ Tayo Aduloju, as exhorting Bode George: ‘If you are involved in any shady deal; if you are found anywhere elections are rigged; and partake in any form of manipulation, it means you have not learnt anything from your experience. Real power belongs to God. It does not belong to PDP. It does not belong to any president.’"
In November 2009, I did a piece headlined as above, without the “again”, of course. It was a discussion on the use or abuse of people power in our clime. It was triggered by the tragicomedy that an erstwhile officer and gentleman in the Nigerian Navy, was starring in.
I recalled how Corazon Aquino, one time President of the Philippines, who died on August 1 that year had given the world the concept of people power, when her attempt to step into the steps of her murdered husband, by the popular will of Filipinos was thwarted by the powers that be in her country.
She had contested a snap election called by the then dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. As I wrote two years ago: “The election which held three months later was called for Marcos. Cory’s supporters knew differently and would have none of it. They poured into the streets, a million strong, clad in their candidate’s favourite yellow colour. Led by rosary-wielding nuns, they stared down Marcos’ armoured tanks chanting “Cory! Cory!! Cory!!!” Four days of sustained, but peaceful street protests later, the military joined the masses and the dictator scampered out of Manila to exile in Hawaii. Cory assumed leadership of her country and “People Power” was born – with a lot of help from the Church, the dominant catholic wing of it.”
I noted then that, “People Power” in several variants, has in the 23 years since Cory inspired it, been put to effective use against vote-rigging and dictatorships in many places – from Poland, former Czechoslovakia and Thailand to, Taiwan, Mongolia and Ukraine. But, although apartheid fell to it in the Republic of South Africa, it is yet to chalk up much success on the continent”.
I also pointed out that “People Power” was yet to chalk up any major victory in Nigeria, at that time. Of course, the exploits of the Save Nigeria Group during the so-called power vacuum crisis has changed the situation somewhat today, it was correct to say, as we did, that . .“People Power of the manipulated kind, however, seemed to be catching on in this nation. The Abacha million-man march easily comes to mind here. But, there’s an even more nauseating manifestation of this variant and that is the reason for this musing of mine.”
I explained it this way then: “It works like this. A man (almost always, a man!) corruptly enriches himself. The law catches up with him and when he eventually manipulates his way through the system, his handlers organise a massive rally to welcome home their “illustrious son – in a show of ‘People Power’. But ex-Governor and retired top Naval Officer Olabode George took it one step further. After gorging on the resources of the Nigeria Ports Authority, on which board he served as chairman, and for years escaped justice, he finally had his day in court. He turned every hearing into a carnival, with aso-ebi clad supporters singing and dancing in the court premises. It was clearly a veiled attempt to use corrupted ‘People Power’ to intimidate the judiciary. It failed, thanks to the courage of a judge who chose to align with the dictum of the progressive school of adjudication – ‘let justice be done, even if the heavens fall...’
I also noted then that what happened was “a clear demonstration of these wise words of the Bible: ‘They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them’ (Proverbs 28:4). A section of the people, obviously suborned, forsook the law and celebrated the wicked. But mercifully, a judge chose justice and contended with the wicked.”
And so, Commodore Bode George (retd) served his term, appeals to higher courts having failed. And it was time to return home. Quietly, you might think, but, “for where?” He and his comrades-in-arms in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of which he was and apparently still is a leading light,, instead put up what veteran columnist, Tunde Fagbenle characterised as the “BG carnival” complete with aso-ebi, band music, food, drinks, etc, which “would have gulped some handsome millions of naira”
I am going to quote a bit more from Fagbenle’s piece because it represents the judgment of most right-thinking Nigerian patriots on the Bode George misadventure. Quoting Prof. Okey Ndibe, wrote in this connection that “A country where a criminal emerging from jail is greeted adoringly is not simply in deep trouble — its case is grave and perhaps terminal.,” Fagbenle noted that “sadly at the head of this show of moral decadence, this depravity, are some notable names in the society, political bigwigs whom it has been our collective misfortune to have as leaders in this country. In the name of political brotherhood they came, virtually all of them in the ruling party — the PDP — to which Bode George belongs. They are celebrating the return of one of their kind! The great WS had once called the party “a nest of killers”, now they have reminded us that in the eyes of killers, looting is nothing”.
Continuing, Fagbenle wrote: “The sad part is that these blighted bleeders of our country are still seeking our votes to get or return into power at the state and federal levels, and the welcome and later arrogant frontline parade of ex-convict Bode George is their selling point to the kind of government we are to expect if we give their party our votes”.
Tunde quoted the officiating minister at the thanksgiving service that was part of ‘BG Carnival,’ Tayo Aduloju, as exhorting Bode George: ‘If you are involved in any shady deal; if you are found anywhere elections are rigged; and partake in any form of manipulation, it means you have not learnt anything from your experience. Real power belongs to God. It does not belong to PDP. It does not belong to any president.’
He documented George’s reaction as dismissive of the exhortation, as according to him, the George “promptly declared after the service, ‘now, there is a job at hand for us to do and now is the time for us to win Lagos State…’”
I conclude by aligning with Fagbenle’s advice: “It is not too late for BG to beat a retreat and retire into a more ‘dignified’ existence, quietly enjoying whatever is left of whatever he has made. He should desist from emulating the bad example of some shameless leaders out there who we know but would not name here”. If not, the judgment of history will be much harsher.
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