Things have truly fallen apart in our country. It
was a graceful and timely exit for Chinua Achebe,
because nothing benumbs a writer as much as
living to see a piece of fictional writing turn full
circle into a nightmarish reality. Time tested
institutions beginning from worship centres to
traditional institutions, the media and the military
have lost their sense of pride. It is obvious that
the new slogan in government is to win at all
costs or break it all up. It is a game that only
bullies play.
So, Reuben Abati, President Jones’ official
mouthpiece, has found his voice. He has been
working behind the scenes while his boss runs
roughshod over the political landscape like a
canine unleashed on rioters. Now that Abati has
found his voice finally, he wants a debate. Any
wary observer would want to know what has
happened in the presidency to warrant a volte
face from the 2011-era when his principal, like a
Grade D student, would only debate if he had
advanced copy of the questions to be asked.
Has President Jones graduated honours from the
Abati School of oratory or has the government
performed so well that it is now ready to give
account of itself? The answer is none of the
above. Just as the Port Harcourt Degrees of
some people are being called into question, the
composition of any panel that is comfortable to
the presidency should be suspect to any curious
observer. Who is likely to make the panel of
interviewers - those who are called in to massage
the ego of failure or the makers of the damaging
documentaries aired on AIT and NTA? In normal
climes, the National Broadcasting Commission,
NBC would have called the two stations to order
on these broadcasts, but NBC as an organ of
government meant to safeguard us from verbal
and visual assault is caught napping.
One shudders to imagine what the Abati who was
Chairman of the Guardian newspaper group would
have written about the political shenanigans of
his bosses in office. It is incredible how the
aphrodisiac of power gradually corrodes the moral
fabric of people in the corridors of power. In
Abati’s Yoruba land, the adage is - Oyinbo muti,
oti npa kuku - the colonial overlord takes the
alcohol but it’s the cook that is inebriated.
NTA and AIT are not the only media organisations
that have compromised the basic tenets of
fairness in journalism, the papers that published
the odious advertisements from Digbolugi Ayo
Fayose are as guilty. The Nigerian Press Council,
like the NBC sees nothing wrong. UK’s OFCOM
now wants NTA signals yanked off their airwaves.
This may look like a small price to pay for the
success of a failed government at the polls, its
effects are however very deep. It means that our
hardworking colleagues in that station may not
get the needed training that would propel them to
higher heights in the global media industry. It
may also mean not getting the needed equipment
for seamless transmission.
It is not just the media that has taken a hit. The
military, a nation’s last bastion has taken more
than a hit, so much so that it now rents crowds
to protest at supposed ‘opposition’ media
houses. While every citizen worth his passport
applauds the supreme sacrifice that our soldiers
pay to keep us one, not many would forget how
its current leadership lied over the Chibok kidnap,
or how it shamelessly explained tactical
manoeuvring of its badly kitted troops in battle. If
a vote of confidence were held in the army of its
top hierarchy, they would score so low, even
committing hara-kiri would not wash away their
shame. Little wonder nations with weapons have
shied away from selling to us leaving us to order
de-commissioned arms in the fight against terror.
When the army allowed itself to be drawn into
politics in the infamous Buhari certificate saga, it
may have thought it was denigrating a
presidential aspirant - no. In fact, it has
denigrated a revered institution. The military
works by gaining access to training and facilities
outside its immediate sphere of influence - tell me
which military institution wants to work with an
army that openly admits that an ‘illiterate’
became a general and head of state in its army.
The military may have ridiculed Buhari as it set
out to do, but it has denigrated a hallowed
institution in the eyes of peers across the globe.
The office of the first lady may not be gazetted
by the constitution, it is a lofty one. The criterion
is being married to the president and every
woman covets that position. From Victoria
Gowon, it has been hallowed. However, King
Nebu’s sheppopotamus has denigrated it so much
Buhari has promised not to give it serious
attention if elected. The pronouncements from
President Jones’ wife are anything but dainty.
From wresting microphones from elected officials
to verbally mobilising lynch-mobs against
opposition - this first wife, to quote Soyinka
knows nothing about being a lady.

dailytrust.com.ng/daily/opinion/49134-is-jonathan-s-wife-also-first-lady

ask diezani, GEJ TILL 2019.

We have no other ist lady except patience jonathan

richol:
ask diezani, GEJ TILL 2019.

wakacome:
What I know is that the clueleless goodluck jonathan is the first lady and the senseless patience jonathan is the president...patience jonathan is the one controlling her husband...

That's so rude. He's still the president. Respect your leaders

We don't have any other first lady than GEJ wife.