By AyoBrown Adetunji
The guilty has spoken’ was its name tag, as coded and flashed in a message which left one trying to imagine why the usage of such coinage. Trust social media, with many Nigerians who behave like information terrorists with close tie to the internet, with heavy weapons of data properly set for any direction.
Vanish into the day as if those items were never there. Glaringly and in broad daylight, many warehouses in various parts of the country were looted by famished Nigerians.
‘Good governors gone bad’, or how else can such action like hoarding be described? The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu denied speculations that governors hoarded palliatives meant for distribution to citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
The bolder the lie. Fake things sometimes become real when they are bought and sold many times; repeating such on many times may just be to paint different pictures, perhaps trying to change the narratives by blurring our reasoning.
One would wonder why such irresponsible behaviour was allowed by any sensible Governor in the first place despite intensity of hunger in the land during COVID19 pandemic upsurge. And this made one wonder why palliatives issue refused to leave the top arena of trending news, so it deserves proper analysis.
Truism that are not true. Akeredolu, the Chairman of South West Governors’ Forum, explained that the insistence by the Coalition Against COVID-19 of an official flag-off before the distribution, was ‘largely’ responsible for the delay in distributing the items to beneficiaries. How true this is still hangs as different governors gave different reasons. No wonder many feels his was lying even when it is the truth.
But who is guiltier? Trust gravity any day, always rides everything. For no matter how long and far lie seem to thrive, its days are always limited. As guilty as any looter is, the governor whose state hoarded food palliatives in such time or country’s national hunger.
Lapses are clarity, stretching his claim a little because seeing is believing, Akeredolu, who is speaking on behalf of all Nigeria governors, was condemned for his conscious choice of insulting our sensibility cannot be excused or allowed to go without acceptable explanations.
In law, it’s a fact that you have every rights to point your fingers, but remember that such rights stop where that of another person starts. Unfortunately, however, most often, many of us do not know this and we allow those who infringe on our rights get away with it.
Reasoning like an architect, things don’t just happen but only by their own designs. If governors did not hoard such in their states and nothing is there, nothing would be looted, it is as simple as that. Attestation to Socrates, ‘beware of barrenness of a busy life’ of our governor, while many thought during COVID-19 crisis all their hands were seriously on deck but unfortunately what happened after show different pictures.
But what did the guilty say? It is all over the news that Nigeria governors denied that they ever hoarded any COVID-19 palliatives and this is generating huge traffic on the media sphere, including on ‘Speak-up’, as it is tagged, with so many condemnations in different unprintable words.
The guilty has spoken, ‘Speak-up’, after all, is known for telling the truth, most of our governors are seen as liars, Nigerians are sure of this. To the governors, telling lies does not matter, they are just alright with it.
The governors’ excuse is a case rather too late for a physician but need undertaker. Many of the commentators see nothing tangible in such.
As if people needs stories more than palliatives. Truly, as viewers need to be entertained so also are our leaders, now they need to not only to be taught to lead but they also need to be tutored.
Many Nigerians are of the opinion that as guilty as any looter is so is any state governor in whose state COVID-19 palliatives are found during the last #EndSARS protest, mass action that is still rocking the nation.
The guilty have spoken nonsense, is the submission of many. So we say sorry to refuse your ‘generous’ explanations, many Nigerians call it meaningless baby noise, some even went as far as writing “edit your statement”, while some others want him to reverse such statements and more importantly, tender unreserved apology to our common sense.
Sometimes the flame of the unrighteous fire does affect the just, but not all of them are like that. However, with liberty, some decidedly to board the fools’ train and for no good reason, deprived the citizens of that lifesaving essential commodities.
After throwing their integrity down the toilet, Nigeria exculpating governors more than ever now in desperate need of reassurance from Nigerians. For the good of the public, we can’t allow this and many other flimsy excuses on our collective common sense any longer, for such is like dropping a bomb in a crowded big city, which can later turn disastrous.
Our governors are celebrating Nigerians drowning sorrow. Even if you don’t believe in God but please be afraid of Him, someone tweeted.
Asking where are they when many Nigerians are famishing, when ‘food help’ is needed like fresh air. He said these set of governors are not for us.
Poking the grass may be worth the shot, many agrees, with live visuals from these warehouses. As if scenes from those places are not same as those seen on many different visuals.
One would have thought that evil actors will keep their voices low after denying Nigerians their rights at very crucial time of needs. Or these governors want the scenario to be painted on the wall for them to be sure, if not, no one will dare say no governor ever hoarded COVID-19 palliatives.
Any government that rely on violence to answer its problem is bound to fail, just ask around. What happens with #EndSARS protest didn’t end something but started something, but then be careful of what you wished for.
Many Nigerians are old enough to know that none of these governors has the moral right not to come out to answer questions about nothing, after all the worst of the deeds had been done.
Crazy, typical political foolish answer, balls crab, many tagged it. No word is good enough to eloquently express Nigerians displeasure. Some even advised such governors to better get lost before Nigerians get angry again. Reactions are still trailing Akeredolu’s statement.
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via [email protected]
