By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi
There is a very popular saying that ‘Two wrongs do not make a right’, which is true, and very much applicable in this situation. That being so, then there is definitely no time for a Northern President to waste on revenge. What Nigerian citizens want is the ease of living in the country, away from the extreme hardship the regime of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deliberately unleashed on the country.
Besides, apart from being not in the character of Northerners to be vengeful, revenge only perpetuates the circle of injustice. The next leader of the country from the other divide will try to even things up, ignoring the fact that only one person, surrounded by ‘yes people’ was at fault, not the whole people of the other side of the offending president.
As Malam Nasiru El Rufa’i once said, “Not every Yoruba is bad. Most Yoruba people are peace loving people who are averse to what Tinubu is doing as President of the country”. He purposely refused to reverse the folly even when he was alerted to it by the suffering of most of the citizens of the country.
According to the former Kaduna state governor, “There are good people among the Tinubu ‘helpers’ (aides), therefore the baby must not be thrown away with the birth water”. Some of the good aides have to be retained by, or even brought closer to the new president for sincere advice
If there is any clear wrong doings by the previous administration, the best way to address them is to reverse such things. Renaming institutions after SERVING (not retired or dead) high ups in order to CURRY FAVOUR, or massage egos is definitely WRONG. Where such things are not late to reverse it will obviously be right to reverse them. It is also not vengeance to confiscate and return to the public coffers, that which was illegally acquired and converted to personal property. There is nothing wrong with that, it is done the world over, even followed by more severe consequences in some climes.
If the successor is a Muslim, the man ought be familiar with a Hadith, where the Prophet and last Messenger of Allah (Muhammadu SAW) said, “The strongest among you is not he who is the most powerful, or who has the most money, but he who has the chance to revenge but FORGIVES instead”.
When Umaru Musa Yar’adua succeeded the old and cunning fox, Olusegun Obasanjo as President, he did not waste time on avenging the extreme damage his predecessor caused to the Hausa/Fulani in the Northern part of the country. OBJ deliberately decimated almost every useful thing in the Northern part of the country.
When Muhammadu Buhari became President, he was never vindictive. He appointed (placed competent) square pegs into square holes, not minding the region or religion of the appointee.
For instance, he appointed many non-Northerners to what is known as the Commanding Heights of the Economy (high profile) Ministries as Ministers. Chief Rotimi Ameachi from Rivers State, was the Minister of the powerful and influential Ministry of Transportation, Babatunde Fashola from Lagos (President Tinubu’s State), was the Minister of Works and Housing, and Kemi Adeosun from Ogun State, was the influential Minister of Finance, among others.
Among the eight (8) members of his economic team, five, including the chairmanship, went to people from the Southern Region, NOT to his Northern home Region. President Tinubu however, gave all the Commanding Heights Ministries, Parastatals and Agencies ONLY to people of his tribe.
Muhammadu Buhari did NOT serve only the Northern Region as the President of Nigeria. He was for everyone in the country, and did his very best fairly and justly to all the regions, without prejudice to a single part of the country.
His Special Adviser on Media was Mr. Femi Adesina from Osun State. The media can make or mar the principal. If handled properly, the public perception of the principal would be a mighty plus, while conversely, the perception would be the opposite.
But President Tinubu continued from where OBJ stopped, with even more vengeance against the North. Everything that will benefit the area he decimates, unless it has to do with the faith of his wife. The wife is known to have NEVER given any assistance to any cause that is related to religious belief other than hers.
That President Tinubu is more vindictive than OBJ can be seen from members of his kitchen cabinet, who are 100% his tribespeople, and he never apologized to anyone despite the continuous complaints about the constitution of the Nigerian Federal Executive Council (FEC), which is made up of 85% his tribespeople. Those belonging to tribes in the North may have high sounding appointments, but are of little influence when it comes to running the affairs of the country. Even then, the offices are given to his business partners and cronies.
There may be so many other reasons why time should not be wasted on revenge by an incoming Northern president, whenever the time comes.
May God put into our hearts the capacity to forgive, even when we are in the position to revenge the ills done to us.
Malumfashi writes from Katsina
