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BODE GEORGE THE UNREPENTANT CON ARTIST BY KAREEM ADEDUNTAN
Events of the past few weeks have been tumultuous. Unfortunate things have happened. Lives have been lost. Property damaged. Essential institutions such as the police force and army are under justifiable scrutiny. Protests call for needed reform. Taking advantage of the situation, less noble actors have pressed forward, either to steal the hard-earned property of others or to prosecute selfish political objectives not germane to the protests at hand.
Even with many people taking undue license to press cases that would otherwise be tossed from the court of public opinion, one would think certain people would keep their mouths shut and hide their pens even during this period. Bode George is one such person. In commenting on the protests and trying to fault Bola Tinubu for every human imperfection ranging from the original sin in the Garden of Eden to the cost of tomatoes in the local market, George is either one of the world’s most bulbous hypocrites or the victim of the worst bout of amnesia ever recorded in the journals of medical science. In that this gruff, indelicate man well remembers the sound of his own name and responds to the ruffle of fresh naira with the pounce of a hungry jackal, one may fairly assume that his particular diathesis points more to the former moral decrepitude than to any medical infirmity that might affect his memory.
In his recent article published by NEW DAWN entitled “Lagos State THE Anger, The Rage”, Bode George huffs and puffs in contrived indignation at recent events in Lagos. He misrepresents himself as a storm for change and justice. He is nothing of the sort. For all of his blowing and the grand noise he thinks himself to make, he barely manufactures an audible moment. He is but a rickety, broken tea kettle trying futilely with all its waning might to bring a tiny pot of water to boil.
Try as it might, the rickety kettle is unstable and cannot hold itself upright. In the end, the only noteworthy sound it can muster is the sound of its falling to the floor after toppling from the counter top.
Inept as he is loquacious, the former naval commander, once again, has proven that he cannot successfully navigate a toy boat from one end of a bathtub to the other. He would make a wreck of even this simple assignment. Everything he has touched ends up being worse off, if not in complete ruins, than when he first happened upon it. His coming into a room is a cause for sorrow and his exit a cue for celebration. The man is an albatross around his own neck.
Yet, he had the audacity to write that all conscientious men must stand with the righteous at this hour and the he had “chosen to identify with the voiceless…” It seems that George discovered morality a bit late in the game of life and over a decade after the time when even a fiber of morality on his part would have amounted to something. George squeals about the deaths and destruction that have occurred in Lagos and then lays the trouble at the foot of one man who happens to be his political nemesis. Such as assignment of guilt by George is based on political convenience and con games rather than fact. George says Tinubu has questions to answer about the incident at Lekki but he offers no proof as to why Tinubu should be on the spot.
If George were really interested in justice, how come he did not jump at his master Obasanjo when the latter was commander in chief? As commander in chief, Obasanjo presided over the slaughter of several hundreds and perhaps thousands of unarmed innocent men, women and children in separate incidents in Zaki Biam and Odi. In each case, people were burned alive in their homes or dragged away and butchered. George voiced no indignation at these large massacres although they cost a hundred fold more lives than even all the precious lives lost everywhere in Lagos, not just Lekki during this period. Unjust death anywhere is a tragedy and must be condemned. But George’s background tells us that he is not crying because he cares about those who died or were wounded during events in Lagos but because the moment conveniently serves his political interest.
If he had morality, he would have chastised Obasanjo for killing innocent women and children and ransacking whole towns. Instead, George kept publicly quiet while in private endorsing the carnage set down by his boss who would eventually reveal himself to be a turncoat friend and master who would shuffled George off to prison. George talks of people being brought before the ICC in the Hague for what has happened in Lagos. His lawyer should advise him to be circumspect. Should some diligent human rights attorney take a good look at his role in the Obasanjo government and his endorsement of the confirmed large-scale massacres at Zaki Biam and Odi, that lawyer might take a very keen interest in Mr. George. George would surely quake in his boots upon finding on his doorstep one morning a mysterious brochure saying that he just won an all-expenses paid holiday to the Hague.
George is infamous for his meanness of personality and mercenary outlook toward policy – give him an official position and he will do any number of ugly things to keep it. In his writing, he called himself a elder statesman. However, one cannot award that title to oneself. It must be earned not unilaterally expropriated lest it be taken away by those who can rightly bestow it. George is no more a statesman than a mosquito is an eagle.
George claims Lagos to be an awful place yet he still lives here even after vowing to move away forever should the APC win the 2019 election. George will not move because, deep in his heart, he knows Lagos is the best that Nigeria has. It is the best not because of anything George did. It is the best despite George for he tried to thwart every major constructive initiative the state’s progressive governors have attempted since 1999.
George has the nerve to lament about the poor state of infrastructure and blame Tinubu and others. George drips with a double dose of highly toxic hypocrisy here. George well knows he encouraged Obasanjo to illegally withhold Lagos state funds when Tinubu was governor. George did this because he was afraid Tinubu would gain political support if allowed access to those funds to do projects in the state. Thus, George cared nothing that his antics might hurt Lagosians. He is captained by the perverse logic that rules all people who crave public office but are inherently unfit for the roles they seek. He believes the best way for him to gain the support of the people is to make them suffer. This is the way his mind worked then and the manner it malfunctions now. He is more interested in inveigling support than in duly enhancing the public welfare.
As governor, Tinubu brought power generator barges to Lagos to provide 300MW of power to the state and give residents and businesses more, cheaper power. What did George do? He did not applaud the initiative as a boon for Lagosians. He connived with Obasanjo to stop this. Again, he decided that he would rather see Lagosians suffer than Tinubu succeed at doing something new and needed for the people
Like he did in the past, George today is happy about the events that have befallen Lagos. He only feigns concern. He now is possessed of that cruel happiness that specially effects the mean at heart. They are only truly happy when misfortune comes to others. George now gloats the evildoer’s gloat and dances the wicked man’s dance. He is in this deformed way because he knows he cannot gain political traction by outperforming anyone. He cannot win by doing something positive because there is essentially noting positive in him. He is a bundle of negative impulses and actions. Thus, his only avenue of political pleasure and success is to tear down that which others have built. George is a breaker not maker of things.
His career has been monstrous. As military governor in Ondo, he was known to be corrupt to the utmost. He plundered the state’s treasury describing himself, by way of explanation, as a ‘Lagos Boy’ – giving the state a bad name. There was no part of the state treasure his sticky hand did not explore. As NPA chairman, he allowed the port to deteriorate. He is thus partly responsible for the economic bottleneck that is the port and all the harm and higher costs it brings to us. Worse, he was caught artificially segmenting large contracts into smaller ones so as to bypass procurement requirements and oversight. In this manner, he bilked the nation much like he did Ondo state as its governor. If nothing else, one can say that as a thief he has shown remarkable consistency if a coarseness of approach that always seems to get him caught.
As an operative of the PDP in Lagos and the SW, he has been the APC’s best friend for the division and antipathy he foments within his own party makes him one of the APC’s top recruiters.
Last, there is not a truly original thought that ever came from him. Toward the end of his piece, he asserts that the Lekki toll gate should be closed. George is a day late like most plagiarizers are. Tinubu made a similar recommendation the day before. George would not have made his copycat gesture but for having read Tinubu’s earlier statement.
Like the thief he is, George steals someone’s idea then foments hate against the other man for having had the idea first.
George is not a leader, a statesman or a visionary. His is a criminal mind and a cold hearted and an amoral personality. Bode, don’t forget there are still people old enough to remember where you are truly from.
At the end of the statement, George signs off “CON.” For most people that would mean Commander of the Niger. Yet, to get the perfect description of him, one must simply use this word before writing the word “artist” who can’t even identify the grave of his father in Ogun State… WHAT A “LAGOSIAN”.
TINUBU IS THE WISEST MAN EARTH -PROPHET IKURU.
by Collins Nkwocha
Nigerian prophet, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos magnetized everyone’s attention when he referred to the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the wisest man on earth regarding the appointment of Daniel Bwala as special Adviser on policy communications.
Speaking to reporters today in Lagos,
Prophet Ikuru applauded the president for choosing him and enunciated that he’s capable of delivering effectively and marketing the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president and urged Nigerians to stop the criticism because of what he said in the past “I’m personally happy with his appointment and I urge Nigerians to forget about the past, forget about what he must have said about the president some years ago which people are now disseminating on the social and taunting him a betrayal that lacks integrity, Nigerians should forget his past because he’s the best choice”.
Prophet Ikuru insisted that Bwala saw the sincerity and genuity of the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda and he decided to partake in it “even if he criticized the president, it was in the past, he saw the sincerity in the Renewed Hope Agenda and decided to join in nation building ,the president is ready to unite everyone in order to build Nigeria,that’s why someone like Wike is in his government,Bwala has what it’s required to be successful under Mr.president, as a wise man, the president saw it and decided to harness it ”
Finally, he praised Tinubu and referred to him as a great leader who is ready to involve everyone in his government, he maintained that his wisdom is magnanimous ,Baba is truly the wisest man on earth.
U.S. Courtroom Shock: Funke Ashekun, Husband Collapse as MFM Wins
Had FFK Faced Mehdi Hassan, Nigeria Would Have Spoken With Fire
By Mohammed Bello Doka
In politics, timing is everything. In diplomacy, character is everything. And in moments of national importance, leadership must be entrusted to individuals who possess not only experience but courage, intellect and an unshakable commitment to the nation they represent.
It is for this reason that the appointment of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode as Nigeria’s Ambassador to a foreign nation stands out as one of the most consequential diplomatic decisions in recent years.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, better known in the South as “FFK” and in the North as “Sadauki”, is one of the most brilliant, experienced, accomplished, vocal, respected, educated, profound, intellectual, patriotic, disciplined, well-read, historically literate, versatile, forceful, persuasive, sophisticated, cosmopolitan, charming, eloquent, courageous and resilient men in Nigerian politics and he has paid his dues and proved his worth over the last 35 years in politics and political discourse.
In each role he has played he has excelled and succeeded even when he was in opposition.
His friends value him as a great and loyal defender and his traducers and political adversaries fear and respect him because when he goes to war he is utterly relentless, takes no prisoners and literally spits fire.
How I wish it was him that was interviewed by Mehdi Hassan of Al Jazeera and not the young and inexperienced Daniel Bwala because he would have not only humbled Hassan but also done Nigeria proud.
He played Bwala’s present role in the Presidential Villa 23 years ago as President Olusegun Obasanjo’s spokesman and not only brought the then President’s domestic enemies to their knees but also had a series of very hot exchanges with foreign Government officials like America’s Under-Secreatary of State for Africa Jendaye Fraser and the White House over the Charles Taylor issue and Liberia.
Tinubu decision to appoint him as an Ambassador for our nation was a wise one because he will fight for and protect the interests of Nigeria and the Nigerian community whetever he goes and will never sell his soul or bow to foreign imperialist interests.
His appointment is not about just rewarding loyalty for the key role he played in Tinubu’s presidentiel campaign organisation as Director of New Media and Special Operations in 2023 and the staunch support he has given the President over the last three years but also about putting a square peg in a square hole.
If you want to put Nigeria first Sadauki is the one to do it.
If he runs the Nigerian Mission in the country that he is sent to in the same way he ran the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Aviation when he was Minister to each of them one after the other twenty years ago he will do very well and both our nation and whichever nation he is posted to itself will benefit from his efforts.
History teaches that diplomacy is most effective when nations deploy individuals who possess both intellect and courage.
As the American statesman Henry Kissinger once noted, “Diplomacy is the art of restraining power.”
To do so successfully requires deep historical awareness and strategic clarity—qualities that have long defined Fani-Kayode’s political career.
Sending a politically seasoned voice like FFK to any nation that is a key partner to Nigeria signals that Bola Ahmed Tinubu intends to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic posture with confidence.
Throughout more than three decades in the political arena, Fani-Kayode has remained one of the most resilient and outspoken figures in Nigerian public life despite numerous challenges which would have broken and destroyed lesser men.
Regardless of all that was thrown at him he continues to pull through and come out victorious which is why many refer to him as the “Akanda Eledumare” and the “Ayanfe Oluwa” which mean “the strange one of God” and “the beloved of the Lord”.
There appears to be a divine dimension to his life that makes him unstoppable and irrepressible even though his enemies are legion.
One wonders what sets him apart and makes him so different.
There is no doubt that his education played a part in it and this set him apart from most.
He never went to school in Nigeria but was educated from the age of eight in England starting off at Holmewood House School in Kent, one of the UK’s best and most famous Preparatory schools, after which he attended the famous Harrow School just outside London which is, together with Eton College, an institution that is the exclusive preserve of high society in the UK, one of the two best private schools in that country where only the ruling elite, the rich, the well-to-do, the famous and only a tiny proportion of those in British high society can afford or even qualify to attend.
No less than eight British Prime Ministers, including the great Sir Winston Churchill, and countless British cabinet ministers attended Harrow and so did many leaders, diplomats and top politicians from many foreign countries.
After finishing at Harrow he attended some of the top universities in the world, including London University (SOAS) and Cambridge University (Pembroke College) where he did so well.
As a matter of fact his great grandfather, Rev. Emmanuel Adelabi Kayode, attended Furrough Bay College which at that time was part of Durham University and graduated with an MA (Hons.) in Theology in 1893. His grandfather Justice Adedapo Kayode attended Cambridge University (Selwyn College) where he studied law and graduated in 1922. His father Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode attended Cambridge University (Downing College) where he studied law and graduated in 1943. Sadauki himself graduated in law at Cambridge University (Pembroke College) in 1984 whilst his daughter Folake Fani-Kayode graduated from Durham University in 2009.
No African family has an uninterrupted streak of 116 years of Oxbridge-level university graduates except for the Fani-Kayode’s which is something that both his family and every patriotic Nigerian should be proud of.
It therefore makes perfect sense that a man from such a distinguished pedigree and intimidating lineage and that has such an extraordinary intellectual heritage should represent Nigeria on the international stage.
There is also his role in the debate on Gaza which made him a hero in the eyes of millions of people in the Global South both amongst Christians and Muslims.
He spoke out consistently about what he described as the genocide being committed against the Palestinians and he was prepared to put his life and career on the line for this cause even though most Nigerian leaders and politicians refused to say what he was saying publicly out of fear of the Zionist lobby and the Jewish state.
His sense of patriotism is unquestionable and nothing reflects this better than his series of essays written against Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Opposition Conservative Party and his write up against one Ben Llewelyn-Jones, who at that time was the Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, when the former consistently sought to insult and denigrate Nigeria and the Nigerian people and the latter attempted to interfere in our internal affairs by making statements in support of Peter Obi and his Obidients in the 2023 presidential elections.
Sadauki successfully put them both in their place and when American Senator Ted Cruz, President Donald Trump, Congressman Tim Riley and other American politicians began to peddle the false narrative and fake gospel of Christian genocide and persecution in Nigeria Sadauki, a devout Christian himself, rose to the challenge and more than any other Nigerian wrote about the issue in a series of essays pointing out the fact that as many Muslims were being killed as Christians by the terrorists in our country and that Christians were not being persecuted by our Government and are in fact faring better when it comes to positions in the security apparatus and governance under Tinubu than they did in the previous administration.
He also spoke out boldly against President Trump and his administration when they accused the Government of South Africa of indulging in genocide against the white minority population in their country and pointed out the fact that South Africa, like Brazil, was a shining example of a successful multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation that was treating its white minority population with the greatest respect. Few Africans said a word to defend South Africa at the time even though they knew that Trump was wrong but Sadauki did so without thinking twice.
He is clearly a strong Pan-Africanist and a believer in the importance of the African Union, African solidarity, the BRICS coalition and the Global South alliance comprising of China, Russia, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other emerging world powers.
This is commendable and it reflects his courage and disdain for those that display ignorance, disdain and contempt for our nation and people and that seek to denigrate and misrepresent us.
Sadauki is not the type that bows and quivers before Westerners like so many other Nigerian leaders and politicians but rather takes pride in his Nigerian culture, race, heritage and identity and is prepared to defend us and speak for us no matter whose ox is gored and who is involved.
In an increasingly competitive global environment, Nigeria requires diplomats capable not only of negotiation but also of defending national interests with conviction.
If the energy, eloquence and intellectual fire that have defined Fani-Kayode’s political life accompany him to the country to which he has been posted, his tenure may well become one of the most consequential chapters in Nigeria’s modern diplomatic engagements.
I wish him well and I thank God that he is back in the saddle of public office after so many years.
What more could any of us ask of this great and noble son of Nigeria?
This is undoubtedly the quality of personnel and leaders that we need on the international stage.
I hope and pray that in his endeavours and during the course of his work he meets with Mehdi Hassan in a debate and prove to him and the rest of the world that Nigeria still has men that can not only match them but that can also remove their trousers in any verbal encounter. Bwala put us to shame but FFK can redeem us before the eyes of the world.
(Mohammed Bello Doka, the author of this essay, is the publisher of Abuja Network News and can be reached via [email protected])
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