THE CONUNDRUM ABOUT NOTORIETY AND FAME IN NIGERIA It is heart-wrenching to discover that in a beleagered nation like ours were job seekers are offered death instead of Jobs that people do not know the difference between notoriety and fame. Notoriety is a state of being well known for some bad quality or deed while fame is the account of being known and talked about by many people especially for some notable achievements. However, renowned criminals are celebrated and honoured as heroes and this has left many wondering about the direction of the ship of the state. The masses have not helped to remedy the malaise, but they have worsened the whole issue and this has given the Government the temerity to honour renowned thieves and anti-democrats like we regrettably witnessed during the just concluded centenary celebrations. For instance, when Chief Bode George the former Chairman of Nigeria Ports Authority was released from Prison after serving a two-year jail term for embezzling public funds, his supporters gathered to celebrate and welcome him back and decried his conviction as a witchunt by his political foes. What a faux pas! An ex-convict being celebrated! Secondly, President Jonathan stirred the hornets nest last year when he pardoned his former boss DSP Alamieyeseigha a foreign-convicted thief whose avarice forced him to stash away abroad billions of naira belonging to the good people of Bayelsa State. The corrupt fellow even disguised himself and turned a woman to jump bail in London before he was imppeached at home. Such men are seen as victims of political persecution and still celebrated by their people. In addition, it sretched my mind when I discovered that President Goodluck Jonathan endorsed the kleptomaniac and decimating tenure of late Gen Sani Abacha by honouring him postmouthously during the centenary celebrations, Abachas autocratic and retrogressive rule was characterised by unimaginable looting of public funds, incessant assasinations, marginalisation and trumped up judicial judgement and executions. The callous hanging of Ken Sarowiwa and the Ogoni 8 in November 1994 by the Abacha regime despite international outcry is a testament of the tyrany metted out on Nigerians by that ruthless and inhuman miitary regime. This award approves and nationalizes every murder, theft and crime that was done by the regime. What a national tragedy! I wonder the message our leaders are passing to the future generation with these societal blunders, no wonder most youths have chosen internet fraud as a career because the centre has been destroyed and things have fallen apart for most Nigerians. The scenario appears a conundrum, people celebrate anyone who has got money to throw around no matter his source of income and the Federal Government honour every tenant of Aso Rock no matter the crimes committed by such leaders or their abysmal record in office. No wonder eminent Nigerians like Wole Soyinka has continuously rejected National awards, they have refused to be numbered alongside thieves. It has come to my notice that some evil men are also acquited by the government either by hook or crook or by dubious and shoddy court processes. The way Abachas henchman Major Ahlmza Mustapha was set free by the court of Appeal is suspect! After his beastility and notoriety as a killing machine during Abachas regime everyone knows that Mustapha is not innocent because the Lagos High Court found him guilty as charged. This ploy by PDP to use him as a political tool in the North is deplorable. Mustapha has been rewarded for the evil he has done, he was promoted and paid his arrears by the Nigerian Army, what a national tragedy! The notorious has become the famous! Mustapha is celebrated in his Home state. It is high time we called a spade a spade in this country, let our Government stop honouring criminals and anti-democrats, let our government differentiate notoriety and fame. The masses should relegate sentiments to the background and withdraw their support for evil men in order to preserve the moral fibre of this society.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 21:54:30 +0000
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