Anyone remember Diran Odeyemi, the critic that went to work for Alao Akala?

Hungry Journalist.

I wanted to hold back myself from reply to this post but my fingers were itching me to type some thoughts.
Remember the once famous Pastor Bakare!how he critised OBJ's government to a halt,how he became superman in the Nigerian's people consciousness.when the late president was sicked,how he champion some movement,little did Nigerians knew he was paving way for his political carreer.
Abati in his Guardian's style,went about criticize anything criticisable,in name of press freedom and sound journalism.everybody applauded him,including myself,saying that he is speaking for the voiceless,not knowing he was battling the battles of his life for relevant and recognition.
Now you guys should understand one thing,that NOBODY LOVES YOU!
If you fight like Abati or pastor Bakare to gain favour from the highest quarter,please do!(I don't speak like a moral person,I speak like a realistic person,that have been deceived by suppose to be role model,you can hate me for my stance;what had your hate for Abati and his likes change anyway)
When next you see people blowing trumpet so loud,that should serve as warning for you!Take heed,I'm not perfect anyway!

On behalf of Reuben Abati
Nairalanders is not easy speaking against your Boss, please am coming back to guardian let me eat small of the national cake.

We live in a society where principle do not exist.

Abati has never been a radical,he has just beenopinion leader making his opinion known on issues concerns about Governance,that does not make him not accepting offer he is duly qualify for as a Nigerian Citizen and we also need to correct the impression that everybody that work with or for Government are coroupt or thieves,we still have good ones among them,i can tell you if any of those of you criticising him is offered any job or assignment to serve in the Goverment ,very sure that the person would jump at it,do you guys expect Jonathan to invite Illetrate or farmer or any how person to be his spokesman.

Abati's heavy cheque must land every month

metrixauto:

Abati has never been a radical,he has just beenopinion leader making his opinion known on issues concerns about Governance,that does not make him not accepting offer he is duly qualify for as a Nigerian Citizen and we also need to correct the impression that everybody that work with or for Government are coroupt or thieves,we still have good ones among them,i can tell you if any of those of you criticising him is offered any job or assignment to serve in the Goverment ,very sure that the person would jump at it,do you guys expect Jonathan to invite Illetrate or farmer or any how person to be his spokesman.

So, who will speak against bad governance, if we do not have a match from high ranking journalist, when all of them are now bought over?,

Yoruba abati like money too

una dey talk like say no be naija we day, At the end of the day man must wack/chop

Abati don see all these small boys wen dey ride bugatti, dey live for $100,000 pa apartment for Ikoyi & Lekki. Dem fit don even bounce am from party for say him no hol im side well well. Him come say bros, forget matta mehn, all this criticising level, me I don do ma own,  make anoda persin come carry do, me I wan find belle. Make small boys no insult me die for this Lagos.

all these Ode's yakking about how Abati has dissapointed them and how they have deleted him from their role model list should shut their hairy immature traps.

Will all that feed Abati or will all your yaks put his kids in good schools or guarantee his survival in old age. its all a game, when you get opportunities like that, don't grab them, say, u have some gaddem conscience somewhere that loves the next man on an okada in Lagos. your Son and daughter will ask you in future what you were doing when opportunities came by and say, Daddy/Mum, you were so "DUmb'

About 98% of Nigerians are pretenders,hypocrites.Taken up the appointment is not suprising.

Wasn't going to reply to this thread but I'm struggling to wrap my head around the traditional Nigerian excuse given by some posters here. Wha kind of person are you when you can open your eyes and ask "is criticism going to feed Abati"? How unprincipled do you have to be not to recognise that the function he served in the nation's consciousness both as an editor of the Guardian and as a journalist with a dedicated following demanded a certain kind of behaviour from him? His contemporaries in developed countries pride themselves on their integrity as journalists and for being able to hold their governments to account. If you think his years of criticising the party in power and GEJ himself is worth nothing when compared to the money he stands to make from GEJ just because he would now be able to "enjoy" his retirement then it only goes to show the real problem with this country.

From the few above posters that have excused his greed I can say that Nigeria's problem is less about corruption at the top and more about a fundamental lack of principles, discipline and morals among the common people.

The other way this can be observed is the almost total absence of ideologies in the country's politics. Its all very sad.

^^^ Your points are noted, would you venture to suggest solutions to the problem?

May the Soul of Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi continue to rest in peace. He is one man i  strongly believe in,he stood for what he believed and never allowed greed taint his image as an activist,Lawyer and as a Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM). Though,i do appreciate Uncle Reuben`s intellectual articles but i never hold him to high esteem and so i am not disappointed in him, you remember when he attacked Nigerian Youths and our Banky W. told him the truth?? Yes,it was a sign that he is a failure like our clueless leaders because they all don`t care about the welfare of the citizens. Join them and loot with two hands Uncle Reuben, No go dull urself, 9ja forever.

EVER HEARD OF LIVI AJONUMAH? WHO FROM CRITIC BECAME DEFENDER, IT DOES NOT SURPRISE ME.EVERYONE IS FIGHTING FOR THIER POCKET

One day, Reuben Abati will be asked why he stopped criticizing the Govt. His response will be " In my place we don not talk when we are eating". And trust me, the guy plans to chop and quench.

just my tot, could it be tht Abati accepted this position just 2 get close 2 govt and understand their modulus operand?

maclatunji:

^^^ Your points are noted, would you venture to suggest solutions to the problem?

To be honest it will need a phenomenal amount of willpower and vision as well as a re-education of the masses. If we as individuals can start holding ourselves to higher standards and stop trying to find excuses for the mistakes we make that would be a great starting point and we would be less likely to excuse others.

There is no shortcut to success. Imagine a case where I as an Ibadan man got into a taxi in Ogbomoso some years ago and the driver was talking to another passenger about how all the ibadan people were criticising the corrupt alao-akala only because as an Ogbomoso man he was now sharing the wealth with ogbomoso people instead of keeping it in Ibadan. Do you know what their definition of sharing the wealth was? Akala was coming on the weekends to visit and every time he would come he would distribute money and bags of rice to the thugs that gathered around his house! As long as they could get money to chop for that week they were fine with him robbing the state coffers for his own personal gain. That's why Deep Soul can afford to tell us that we would change our tune if it was our brother taking the job.

And dem say Yoruba man no like ego?

The Truth is, Ruben Abati can never write a Rejoinder on this matter, he is used to writing rejoinder even when it is senseless and unnecessary, he has been caught in the web, his motives are now known,
Incidentally, some Lecturers in Universities are wont to doing similar things, taking government appointment and rubbishing the little respect and regards that people have for them, Not that working for Government is completely bad, but only few men have handled such honor without soiling themselves


Wole Soyinka ran away from “Road Safety” (If my history is still correct)


Tai Solarin was disgraced by Babangida in people’s bank


Jerry Gana was cornered away from his academic into money Poli-tricks


Aandoaka was disgraced after being over drunk by transient Power


Prof Otuama was well used by James Ibori,


Hope Eghagha a columnist and Lecturer is also on Leave from rejoinders and serving under Emmanuel Oduaghan (Delta State)


Fani Kayode was used by Obasanjo and he lost his Reputation in the end with several scandals


Several People were used and messed up in government in several states, I am sure you can remember others whose name I have not listed


Looking at the responses here, and knowing Ruben Abati for who he is, he would have written a rejoinder in ways to make himself better than all

those who have made comments, I am so sure he has read and is reading them from his temporary office under GEJ


His action is not to be condemned until he leaves the office without compromise

^^^ Are you an associate of Reuben Abati?

money answereth all things

Enough of the senseless Abati bashing: Propose one person for that job or isnt the job meant for qualified people? Is Abati not qualified? You ma make noise make dem make u Minister! Oloshi!!!!

What I can conclude from all d discussions so far is that lots of Nigerians have poverty of d mind.They believe everything starts and ends with money. I do not want to judge Reuben Abati yet but it will b a shameful act to defend indefensible.He may not b in charge of any ministry or parastatals but nonetheless, he has a better attention of the presidency and executive council.
I will like to see how he can use his intellectual prowess and oratory to convince d power that be to drop anti-masses policies and effect pro-people policies.
I can speak for myself that not all Nigerians are ready to loose their birthright for a pot of porridge.
For every one "sell-out" you see, there are 10 honest Nigerians you don't see.
You can b very "comfortable" without being in govt. There are people who have served in past govts and their lives have turn out to b a mess.Some have lost their lives for trying to get govt post or largesse. Politics is now a do or die business.
It's only d greed that will demonstrate d characters of hyprocrites,corruption etc.
95% of people in power are rich by all parameters.They usually have enough to sustain their families but they are interested in amazing wealth that 4 generations after them will not be able to finish no matter how wasteful these generations are. It all boils down to GREED!!!
When we all change our attitude towards money, then we will all have a better Nigeria to leave. "Let us all be the change we desire to see".

I didnt bother to read his nonsensical write-up on the Jonathan Presidency.I knew he was up to some sychophancyI

Human beings will clamour for change and when they get it they will complain,

Daniel_Pop:

Enough of the senseless Abati bashing: Propose one person for that job or isnt the job meant for qualified people? Is Abati not qualified? You ma make noise make dem make u Minister! Oloshi!!!!

nna nwayo/jeje/easy ah ah, reuben na ur papa?
If it were utomi he would refuse so stop acting like everyone will just jump at an opportunity like this, It is clear ur man reuben is an opportunist. from critic to eater.

Funny enuf the writer may be some journalist who lost out in the lobby for Dr. Abati's position

Quite frankly, commenting on this issue is not quite as straightforward as previous commenters have made it out to be. Was Abati wrong to have accepted the appointment? Does accepting the appointment make him a bad person?

Well, in my opinion, yes, it kind of makes him a bad person. Imagine someone trying to cut down a tree. And after making good progress, he decides to build a house in the very same tree he has been trying to cut down. What does that say of the person? And if the tree, which he has weakened with his incessant cutting were to fall, what would happen to the person and his house?

Did Reuben Abati suddenly forget that his role as social activist was important? Or did he ever believe it was important? You don't go criticizing government for years just to turn around in a few days to start trumpeting the virtues of the very same government. What does that make you?

As for those of you saying that social activsm won't pay him, am sorry, but you people are obviously part of the reason Nigeria is where it is today. Did he not know that social activism would not pay before taking up the role? Was he forced into it? If he knew it was all about the pay, why didn't he get a place in government from the start, instead of giving the impression that he had no interest in government positions?rson and his house?

Did Reuben Abati suddenly forget that his role as social activist was important? Or did he ever believe it was important? You don't go criticizing government for years just to turn around in a few days to start trumpeting the virtues of the very same government. What does that make you?

As for those of you saying that social activsm won't pay him, am sorry, but you people are obviously part of the reason Nigeria is where it is today. Did he not know that social activism would not pay before taking up the role? Was he forced into it? If he knew it was all about the pay, why didn't he get a place in government from the start, instead of giving the impression that he had no interest in government positions?