Yar’Adua’s Puppet Masters

This is to wish a Merry Christmas to all my Nigerian Politics readers.  The past twelve months went so fast that it is unbelievable that this was the year that saw the first African American President sworn-in in the USA, witnessed the bottom of the world wide economic recession, saw the collapsed of several banks in Nigeria and abroad, a peace accord between Niger Delta Militants and the Nigerian Government and the despicable carnage in Northern Nigeria resulting from the Apocalyptic and Nihilist Boka Haram cult.

It’s been a lot to digest this past year.  It seems Nigeria has taken several steps back and reversed the gains (however contentious) made during the more dynamic Obasanjo regime.  For one, the foreign debt is once again soaring (approx $6.00 billion as at November 2009), the laudable gains of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been inverted and the rate of unemployment and inflation are even higher.  All these can be traced largely to the inept and punctuated leadership of President Yar’Adua.  The man has surrounded himself with charlatans and sycophants of the Ilk of James Ibori, Fugitive ex-Governor of Delta state and dunderhead ignoramus Michael Aondoakaa, Attorney General of Nigeria.  These people take advantage of the frail health of Mr. Yar’Adua to influence policies and executive actions in their favor.

For over a month now, Mr. Yar’Adua has been said to be receiving medical treatment in a Saudi Arabian Hospital with little information given as to what ails the man and how he is responding to treatment.  It is also said that there was no proper handing over to the Vice President, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan and thus a power vacuum as it were exists in the executive branch of Government in Nigeria. In democracies that work, not only will there be more information available on the health status of the President, a smoother and more transparent temporary transfer of power would have occurred from the President to the Vice President.  But the way politics is conducted in Nigeria, power is hugged and information withheld for ulterior motives. 

Mr. Yar’Adua may very well be in a coma but those around him who claim to speak and act on his behalf and benefit from his remaining as president do all they can to make sure the temporary transfer of power to the VP does not occur.  The puppet masters will continue to run the show as long as they pull the strings.