FacebookUpdate (FUp): The Philosophy of Awomoju by Isiaq ‘Deji Hammed
by ahjotnaija
Isiaq ‘Deji Hammed.
An elephant does not pass by and you describe his presence with a wave of hand. He is a giant social media cum political commentator on matters of the Middle East and Africa, of particular interest is Nigeria. He shares his time between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. ahjotnaija is proud to have him guestblog for us.
If you have been dreaming that one day you will wake up and see ex- President Jonathan clobbered with manacles round his wrists, you better wake up now. Stop daydreaming. It won’t just happen. That possibility is at best a tall order in a military regime and at worst utopic in a civilian administration. Mind you I deliberately refuse to use democracy because the latter in its truest and uptimal form is in itself another utopia.
Yesterday, I read Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, my Facebook teacher’s latest treatise in her weekly Tuesday Premium Time column where she posited that whereas Jonathan’s minions should be prosecuted and sent to jail if found culpable, he should be spared of any humiliation but at most be made to return his loots. Courtesy of a successful election cum a peaceful transition.
Again this morning my most Respected Bishop Matthew of the Sokoto diocese was on Channels TV Sunrise daily. Mind you, this man, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Cardinal Onaiyekan and recently Father Mbaka are the clerics that have my ears and heart when it gets to Nigeria’s issues. So, Kukah again underpinned Mummy GO’s position. Courtesy of this same historical display of sportsmanship and statesmanship on the part of the man from Otuoke.
I remember sometimes in February while having our regular banter with my colleagues in our school canteen in Riyad, I posited that it a person gets to a point on the ladder of leadership that s\he becomes an untouchable. An awomoju. Like it or not. Believe it or not.
That “all animals are equal but some are more equal than the others” is real.
This universal aphorism will not be an exception in Jonathan’s case.
It may not be an ideal thing but that is the reality. That is the norm. The World over.
That is why a people must be careful in their selection or election of leaders at the helms of their national affairs. Reason being that the Prerogative of mercy or clemency or amnesty that a leader exercises over his or her ‘subjects’ (the governed is ideal here) will later turn to his or her benefit. Out of office, s/he in turn becomes a beneficiary of public clemency and amojukuro. Like it or not. Accept it or not.
Let me draw some parallels in our recent history.
Ivory Coast. Over three thousand Ivorians lost their lives within few months as a result of Gbagbo’s obduracy to vacate power when he lost fair and square the 2010 Presidential election. His main challenger, Alassane Ouattara, agreed to a negotiated soft landing with him which included amnesty from prosecution, full honour and prerogatives as a former Head of State as well as choosing any country in the world where he will like to retire to. Angola and South Africa were ready to receive him on their shore. He bluntly refused and fought to the last man standing. Today he is at the ICC. The story will have been different had he yielded to the sybaritic proposals.
Just like how President Abdallah Saleh of Yemen case’s was different. Just like how Ben Ali of Tunisia was different. Just like how Houssein Mubaraq case would have been much different had he succumbed and left Egypt on time.
Where are the George Bush of this world with his atrocities in Afghanistan and Iraq? Where are the Ariel Sharon and Netanyahu of this world with their constant carnages in Palestine?
Don’t be surprised, if Bashar Al- Assad of Syria and Omar Bashir of Sudan negotiate their ways and relinquish power tomorrow, nothing will happen. All their hitherto crimes become ajemonu and they become awomoju.
Unfortunately, that is the reality of our world.
Even in the Quran, Allah sent Musa (Moses) and his brother Aaron to Pharaoh to invite him to His obedience and sermonise him in the best and gentlest of manners. Had Pharaoh yielded, he would have been forgiven and spared of the perdition of the Red Sea.
Similar occurrences abound in history. Both recent and distant.
Jonathan’s case will surely not be different. The highest we will get is the return of some his loots and maybe coupled with the incarceration of some of his minions.
And that is all.
And even at that, given the porosity of our anti graft laws and the criminal leniency of some of our judges, the most determined political will on the part of President Buhari alone may just not be enough to handle this lower bunch of avid kleptomaniacs talk less of the Ogas at the top. Our ex-Presidents.
Let the reality dawn on us.
ajagunna 