One common saying epitomizes Nigeria’s daily mechanisms and machinery. ‘Turn by Turn’ is an expression commonly offered when Nigerians are questioned about almost anything and in particular leadership across the country.
What is inferred is that today one person or party or tribe is in position of power and may well utilize it as the desire, particularly for their own benefit, tomorrow it could be another person, party or tribe.While this is fairly correct in the scheme of life anywhere, in Nigeria is more an anticipation of ‘our turn’ when ‘we’ can pretty much do as we wish. This has no bearing on progressive ideas and ideals but more with seizing the opportunity to enjoy the trappings of position and self-enrichment.
On the flip side of the same coin, this notion applies to meting out punishment, harassment or witch-hunting. Today it may be ‘their’ turn to make our lives difficult, tomorrow it may well be ‘our’ turn.
Nuhu Ribadu arrived on the scene, a young, brash, tough and powerful sheriff as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). By virtue of his Presidential appointment, Nuhu had skipped a few ranks in the Police Force, where he served and become empowered to carry the battle against corruption in Nigeria.
The remit of the EFCC also extended to any form of criminal activity involving monies and its fraudulent acquisition. The cyber-café 4-1-9ners were marked men and women.
The nation welcomed Nuhu and his band like Elliot Ness and the Untouchables. At last here was someone who was set out to rid the country of the Enemies of State. It was hoped that any corrupt leaders at Federal and State levels in particular would have their activities curtailed.
Nuhu’s youthful looks and brash attitude endeared him to many of the same generation who had become fed up with what they saw as a cabal of barbarians at the gate. He talked the talk and started out walking the long lone walk into our hearts and minds. Everyone was running scared.
Nigeria however is not a place you step on powerful toes lightly. If you intend to step on such toes, ensure you immobilize the whole foot lest it rises to firmly place itself in your behind.
Seemingly the nation loved Nuhu. Hero, superstar and as we say here, ‘fine boy, no pimples’. For our foreign friends that means quite appealing to the eye and mind.
Then came the rising foot.
Nuhu, who had seemingly done so much to improve the notion that Nigeria was not serious about fighting corruption, was deemed to have become a major weapon in the hands of a sitting President.
Presidential allies seemed to walk away untainted by allegations of corruption while those accused claimed it was a witch-hunt as elections or decisions did not go the way the presidency desired them.
The story turned sour for our modern-day Elliot Ness. Nuhu became very touchable.
Open threats of ‘dealing’ with him were reported but what turned it in the public domain was the seemingly obvious attacks on mostly persons who were not in agreement or not from the same political camps with the leaders at the center.
Nuhu remained popular with the ordinary Nigerian. Nuhu began having problems with the Nigerian Police establishment. Word on the street was that this young brash man who had skipped over the more established seniors in the force was no longer respectful of the fact that they were his seniors. One of the highlight cases Nuhu Ribadu concluded successfully was the bringing to justice of a former Inspector-General of Police.
While Nuhu retained his rank and still got promoted, in the Nigeria Police Force, he was seemingly out of the reach of the force administrators by virtue of this special engagement with the Presidency.
As ‘turn by turn’ goes, a President is in office for a specific period. When he leaves, all who came with him yet remain after his departure, had better watch their backs if some feet were likely to rise.
Continuity has been a long-standing problem and hindrance to development in Nigeria. One government comes in and leaves, the next government follows and disregards all the previous had done. Whatever the reasons for this, there is a consistent break in the chains of development while progress is stalled and the machinery reconstituted for another leader each time.
Suddenly, a man who was seemingly well on his way to being a national hero, he certainly remains an icon, was a hunted man. Revelations and counter-revelations filled the news media. Nuhu was not that innocent it was claimed. Nuhu had his own indiscretions we read. Nuhu colluded with familiar names to run a ‘secret’ group of young turks with a vision of ruling someday.
One of the most important elements of a job like Nuhu’s was the fact that he had access to everyone’s cupboard. All skeletons could be identified, tagged, labeled and associated to someone. Like the National Security Adviser of a country or the head of any intelligence or security agency, Nuhu would know before the President where laid the clear and present dangers to the system.
Now like the kiddies movie where the characters went searching for a fish, the latest movie in this series of events is, Finding Nuhu.
Nuhu left Nigeria on a mission to educate himself further. Some college in Oxford University was a quieter place to improve his knowledge. At home, Nuhu was now the target of allegations of corruption and subversiveness. Nuhu was wanted to answer questions in this regard. Nuhu was not here.
A great man died recently. A national icon for the masses who fought succeeding governments on one issue or the other while defending the poorer ordinary Nigerian.
As it would happen at every occasion of burial rites, all who matter would walk, fly, ride, glide, skip, limp and run to be there, in paying their respects. Sometimes the audience is in awe of certain individuals who seemingly had disappeared into thin air.
Suddenly and out of the air came Nuhu Ribadu. Impeccably dressed as photographed with the masses cheering, it was reported. That in itself would not be a surprise. Nuhu remains popular amongst many Nigerians. The other half despise him for seemingly having been exposed as a major weapon by a former President.
Where did Nuhu suddenly show up from. He is not particularly an unknown figure anywhere in Nigeria and I would think noreso at our ports of entry.
Nuhu was there. Nuhu spoke. The people loved hum. The media reported his presence to honour a great Nigerian. Nuhu was gone. Candle in the wind.
Word on the street is that the security agencies are looking all over the place for Nuhu. They see him here, they see him there, like the Scarlet Pimpernel, Nuhu is actually nowhere.
The jury is still out on Nuhu. Nigerians seemed to like him as did the world, unless of course if it was all a story.
The lovely Mrs. Farida Waziri has since taken over as chairman of the EFCC. Now she holds all the aces. The women liked Nuhu. I am sure a market woman somewhere would still be cooing and aahing on seeing him again.
I would pay a premium to be a fly on the wall, if Nuhu ever gets brought into the same buildings, arrested by the same people who stood at attention when he used to walk in as boss.
It is easy to become the hunted in Nigeria, like anywhere else and as ‘turn by turn’ goes, today you hunt and tomorrow you become the hunted.
We watch this one closely, what do you think?
