It will be very disrespectful for me to lash out canal words against the person and office of Dr Reuben Abati but it will be a grave suicide for my generation and future offspring if I keepmute.
Reading through the revealing, interesting and well over publicized article ofthe senior special adviser and one time senior advocate of the masses, I was stunned.
Truly, Abati was right. Our current trends of activists are nothing but yesterday’s men. Some who have contributed to the downfall of our nation while in power. Some have been the architect of our present predicament. After all, some of these individuals danced and blew the trumpet for Jonathan’s election. Some have questionable performance in office on fund diversification, fulfilling personal interest and above all causing pains to thousands of Nigerians. Theytruly deserve to be questioned and even give account of how they discharged their duties while in office.
However, I expected Dr. Reuben to be very familiar with the bible, having been brought up from a Christian background. I need him to tell Nigerians which is better,a repentant sin or a backslidden one. Lets believefor sake of clarification, that these yesterday’s men have done evil in the past, lets believe they have contributed to this nations downfall, lets believe they have caused so many pains to Nigerians but just like the biblical Paul who was a greatantagonist of Jesus Christ but later turned out to be the best disciple who even saw the great revelation.
This makes me wonder who Dr Abati really is. Is he the yesterday’s men who will stillstand up for the citizens? Or the today’s man who have so much enjoyed the company of the house of theGentiles and backslide in the fight for the Jews?
In my university days, I remember how I save up myweekly allowance to buy the guardian newspapers just toread the sensational write up of the almighty Reuben Abati. I could have sworn he has no price, I could have laid down my life that this man can never diss Nigerians. He seems to understand the masses so much; he understands the deception of every government. Well articulated facts, well structured criticism without fear of who is hurt or not.
I could still remember in one of his articles ‘Hurry up Jonathan’ where he described the president performance as ‘…Hit the ground dancing’ rather than running. He even went further to ask the president
‘…when will the president start working? He should read the mood of the Nigerians people more carefully, the ordinary people, I mean. They are impatient’.
Then Reuben could read the common man’s mood, he knew what an average Nigerian go through every day to survive, why wouldn’t he? For a man that has two wives and children to cater for with his mirage salary, hewas an ordinary Nigerian. But then he looked contented and very hopeful that our country will soon have its Nkuruma, Lincoln among others.
Yes I remember in a New Year article in 2005, Abati wrote something on the administration of the then president olusegun obasanjo where he opined that the government claim tobe planning for the future
‘…President Olusegun Obasanjo and his aides kept telling the people that they mean well, and that the fruits of their efforts belong to the future, Nigerians should not accept such excuses in 2005. We want tostart seeing the concrete changes that the president promised the electorate’.
Disappoint enough Dr. Reuben is now the advocate of a presidential agenda thatwould materialized in the future.
Just like Reuben I was raisedfrom a Christian backgroundbut with the right bible, a bible that tells me that every sinner who has confessed his or her sin before the lordand join the fold to preach the gospel shall gain eternal life, a bible that says woe is itfor a believer who backslide in faith and join immorality (today’s men) for hell is their eternal place.
I would have expected Dr Reuben to consider the teeming youths who looked up to him as mentor and role model before accepting the role of a devil’s advocate.He should have considered the stress and pain he put in,to build an international name for himself before throwing it down in the mud. Above all he should have consider the future of his children and how they would view their father when they grow up as eithera man who stood by his country or one who betrayed his people for 30 pieces of silver.
Indeed posterity will judge us all; in fact after this life weall are answerable to a supreme being who neither accepts a billion dollar or private jet as gifts. As Reuben has said before
“… There is one resolution that never fails, and that is however one to respect and obey the eternal laws of nature; every input into nature brings a similar reaction in equal measure. What a man sows, he reaps’. http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/02/04/adekoya-boladale-reuben-abati-the-hypocrisy-of-a-hypocrite/

Repentant sinners indeed.

Abati is a gonner. To masses, he is simply a dead man.