By Hon. Olumide Olubakinde
Evangelist Sony Okosuns of blessed memory was so concerned about the plight of Nigeria in the hands of men without vision when in one of his chatbusters he cried out ‘Which Way Nigeria’.
Of course Sony Okosuns was a patroitic Nigerian and a great son of Africa who used his music as an instrument to fight oppression and bad leadership.
With his Oziddi band he was at the forefront of the battle to free South Africa from Apartheid in those dark days until South Africa became free and Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years of imprisonment.
He was a legendary musician like Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Bob Marley.
Which way Nigeria was the track that moved Nigerians to action to fight for democracy with their lifes, whereby many noble Nigerians died in the struggle including Chief MKO Abiola GCFR.
It can be said that the death of Chief Abiola the winner of the 1993 Presidential election that was wickedly annuled by the military junta paved the way for the democracy we are enjoying today.
President Bola Tinubu GCFR is one of the survivors of that tyranny of the miltary days and a lieutenant of Chief Abiola: his ascention to Aso Villa in 2023, 20 years after the annulment of the best election in the history of Nigeria was greeted with funfare by all Nigerians with high hopes that Abiola lives on and that Tinubu will deliver on the promises of ‘HOPE AGAIN’ of Abiola coined now as ‘RENEWED HOPE AGENDA’.
In the journey of governance Tinubu enjoyed the support of Nigerians despite his drastic reforms that turned the people into eternal poverty but with high hope of a better tomorrow from a trusted son.
It got to a head when the good people of Lagos state, Tinubu’s home base cried out to him at a visit that they were starving – ‘ebi pa wa’. It was very emotional and regretful that Lagosians known for an abundant life could cry of hunger with their son at the Helm of affairs.
Tinubu took the bull by the horns then to soothe the masses and the nation Nigeria started making steady progress. His assembly of trusted and committed hands and best brains to run his government was legendary with the likes of Mr Wale Edun as Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy: the turn around of Nigeria’s economy in two years that was almost in doldrums at Tinubu take over was encouraging and drew support to him even from the opposition camps.
The economy was widely acclaimed by foreign Investors and creditors including World Bank as making promising progress and remarkable.
The mechanism of been hard on criticism however is not healthy for democracy and that was what probably defeated Mr Edun. The eulogy of the followership praising President Tinubu as ‘Mr Know it all’ in politics may backfire as only God is the know it all.
Tinubu with his method may soon become like Goliath but let him be cautious because nobody knows when a David will rise.
As we go into the primaries i once again call on Mr President to allow the principles of democracy to prevail, lets there be transparency, fairness and dialogue in the system.
I have said it before that the same people that shout alleluia today at you will turn tomorrow and say ‘crucify him’ in the event of any mistake.
The labour of our heros past shall not be in vain including that of Evangelist Sony Okosuns. Lets save Nigeria.