WHEN EMEFIELE FLAYS A WAILING NATION . . . Mahmood Yakubu’s INEC & Matters Arising
By ‘Tunji Ajayi
The American writer and political activist, Thomas Paine must have felt the horrendous impact of the American Revolutionary War in the 16th century, such that the prodigious author of “Common Sense and Right of Man” lamented profoundly loudly. Hear Thomas Paine: “Times like this try men’s souls!” More than ever before Nigerians must have seen the impact of bad leadership which makes even the most stone hearted citizens to cry in anguish and sorrow. What a sorrowful moment when a mother watches helplessly as her baby cries profusely of hunger. What a gory situation that humbles the affluent having millions in his bank accounts but could not access it; and had to resolve to begging the proverbial common man – a roadside Point of Sale (POS) operator toplease sell to him part of his bank savings over which he had labored so hard to earn! The Central Bank Governor gave his February 10, 2023 deadline and warned Nigerians to return all the old currencies they had after which the old bank notes would become mere pieces of paper. Banks were overfilled with crowd of customers scampering to return their old currencies. And so they did return all they had. Mr. Godwin Emefiele till today locks the bank vaults. But no new notes to replace the old currencies. Nigerians had no access to their banks savings. Emefiele flays them all. And Nigerians wail inconsolably!
I remember James Hardly Chase’s most deadly character in his “Want to Stay Alive?” The irascible Poke Toholo spoke about the power of fear. To him, “It is fear that unlocks the purse of the riches”. That probably explains why armed robbers often achieve easily what ordinarily could have been a yeoman’s task. With guns and knives - real or toy, they unleash terror on their victims. And even the most stingy and lover of his wealth simply unlocks his wallet to his assailant in trepidation. Life means much to everyone. But Toholo was downright right. Many Nigerians were on the throes of death as they faced the asphyxiating pang of killer huger, and they resolved to doing the most infradig and the bizarre to live. What is more painful than having your own money in the bank but not being able to access; or barred from drawing not more than a paltry N20,000 at a time regardless of your need – which later became almost impossible due to non-availability of both the old and the new currency notes. The automatic teller machines (ATMs) suddenly became empty – mere decorative boxes adorning the entrances of the banks! Guns without bullets are mere walking sticks. For me, two personalities have made history and have themselves recorded as the most popular personalities of Buhari regime, aside from Alhaji Lai Mohammed the loquacious Minister of Information. The personalities are President Buhari himself and his agent, Mr. Emefiele, the CBN Boss, for doing the most unusual. While a major policy affecting the life and soul of a nation was enunciated nocturnally only by the CBN Governor and the President without due consultation even with the Ministry of Finance and the national legislature, Buhari on his own over-ruled a supreme court interim order directing that actions be stayed on Emefiele’s strange policy on old currency, and that it should continue to be legal tender until the apex court’s final ruling on a future date, viz September 20, 2022. Even when Nigerians wailed in pain, Emefiele increased his pace moving in and out of Aso Rock, while keeping mum after each meeting with the President without assuaging the masses problems. His body language however, seemed to be encouraging the President to move ahead with the unpopular policy that almost inflamed the nation.
The environment impacts on human behavior. Emefiele’s policy suddenly turned many Nigerians into queer beings unwittingly; engaging in the funniest things up to the bizarre in a bid to survive the onslaught of Emefiele’s harsh naira-swap policy. This writer, having been so hungry few weeks ago and unable to get cash to fund his breakfast resolved to do the unusual. After moving up and down Osogbo township in the scorching sun in search of where to “buy” N5,000 from his bank deposit, all of which ended in vain chose to suspend his gentlemanship status. Gaining entry into any of the few commercial banks on duty on that memorable day became almost impossible as thousands of customers outside struggling to gain access were far more that those sweating profusely like peacock inside the banking hall. Even my plea to the only POS attendant I saw to kindly “sell” just N5,000 to me from my bank deposit at 20% charge, viz N1,000 fell into her deaf ears. “No Cash” became the sing-song of every POS center around. Many operators had queued up in vain from the wee hours of the day till evening time to withdraw the stipulated N20,000 for their businesses. But being so famished and at the point of fainting, I recalled Fela”s epic album: “I no be gentleman at all”. I had a choice to make: It was either to be a gentleman in hunger and faint or be dead; or I obey Fela’s homily and live. In that epic album he gave an imagery of a hungry man who had no food to eat but was invited by a benevolent host to join him for a breakfast. The apparently timid guest wanting to appear unobtrusive and gentlemanly with his native sense ate only small morsel and lied that he was already well satisfied. Fela argued there was no wisdom in being a gentleman of that sort. According to him: “Dem call you, make you come chop. You chop small, you say you belle-full. You say you be gentleman, you go hungry you go suffer, you go quench. Me I no be gentleman like that. I be African man original. I no be gentleman at all.”
I had no money. Not even one naira in my purse. But I must live. In one corner beside the main road I saw a “Calabar Food Joint”. I reasoned fast and had intra-personal communication with myself; asking myself rhetorical questions and spontaneously providing myself with answers. The best method of playing a part in drama is thinking yourself into the act. To act a mad man, simply become one psychologically and instantaneously. Yes! While entering the food joint, I held a meeting with myself. And the resolution was that I engaged the seller in a friendly chat, but not disclosing my financial state - an empty pocket, until I ate my meal. Then, I would have saved myself from the pang of hunger. Food first. Quarrel later.
I took a risk! Her “Calabar Food Joint” signpost outside shows she would be more of an “Obidient” camp than “Emi lo kan Bula balu”. I sat down chatting her up; explaining why I love Peter Obi so much as a stingy man Nigeria needed now, instead of any profligate leader showing off Nigeria’s vainglorious pseudo-affluence status, while posing as Africa’s Giant. I must have appealed to her emotions and sensibility. Jokes, banter and laughter unlimited began. I heaved a sigh of relief from the killer hunger and thirst the moment she eagerly served the usual stone-hard “Gaàrí” otherwise called “Èbà” in Yoruba parlance with her sumptuous sweet-scented “Ègúsí” soup with assorted meat and cold bottled water. Any nation’s leader that starves her citizens of food is not deserving of loyalty. Hunger kills! Yes. It is a breeder of every form of social vices. Even at war, the warring nations and their soldiers still find time to eat lest they become nincompoop at war! No citizen is a gentleman in the face of hunger and deprivation. Oh God! . . . I had barely swallowed a morsel from my four wraps of solid “Èbà” when an agelong friend I hadn’t seen for years sauntered in wearily. Looking so famished, the heat of the scorching sun must have blurred his vision. He had come to eat in the same restaurant. Thank God! He didn’t notice me. I had no money even to pay for my own meal, needless playing a Father Christmas role in that circumstance. To conceal my identity, I disguised, altering my look, while drawing my face mask closer to the jaw, and adorning myself with my dark glasses. In a rascally manner I wore my face-cap tilted to about an angle 65 degrees typical of a street urchin to cover my one + one tribal facial marks. Sitting next to me, my old friend ate ravenously like hyena and yet couldn’t notice me. Hunger is a killer and blinder. Finishing my food hurriedly I hopped to the entrance and spoke gently with muffled tone to the restaurateur promising I would bring her N1,000 bill the following day. “Should I leave my complimentary card bearing my name and phone number to be assured?” I asked, stylishly peeping at my friend indoor, and feeling so uncomfortable, while the floor seemed furnace hot below my feet. “Never mind, I can trust you my new friend”; the food seller replied seeming impressed to have chatted with a fellow “Obidient”. And that explains the power of political camaraderie. In that same restaurant I saw a man exchanging his detergent for food! A disgusting retrogression into the stone-age era of “trade by barter”. Really, like Thomas Paine lamented painfully “Times like this try men’s soul.”
Perhaps the INEC never knew the efforts and huge costs it took millions of Nigerians going back and forth their offices to collect their PVC in spite of dearth of money to travel to and from their locations. This is especially of those whose PVCs were reportedly burnt down with other sensitive materials in INEC offices across the nation by arsonists and were always asked to come back. If for over 30 days I frequented INEC office requesting for a reproduced copy of my allegedly burnt PVC only to be told point blank few days to the election that I needed not bother myself any longer as it might never be reproduced by the Abuja INEC office. Who really is being punished unduly for arsonists’ unpatriotic and criminal action? Is it the arsonists, who in a permissive society of Nigerian breed, might never be arrested and be brought to book; or the citizen with patriotic zeal wanting to perform his civic duties? What happens to the interest of millions reportedly disenfranchised in such circumstances due to no fault of theirs but INEC’s dereliction in protecting such sensitive materials? What happens when a nation that advocates patriotic act of voting in one breath, but disenfranchises her citizens in another breath through her negligent agency? Instead of “no PVC no voting” harsh and draconian rule that disenfranchises the innocent, what wrong would have been committed if the Electoral Act gives exemption clauses to the effect that “a duly registered voter will, upon presentation of his temporary voters card shall not be disenfranchised where inability to procure the PVC before election date; which to me is like a “force majeur”. This also includes loss or destruction of PVC in INEC’s transit, not due to registered voter’s negligence. After all, at the initial registration of a citizen, his status, name, photograph, and biometrics were taken and stored in INECs data base. Thus, his temporary voters card should suffice on the voting date. The non-existent of such clause has exposed the innocent citizens to being disenfranchised - an undue punishment, simply due to INEC’s negligence and arsonists attack on her facilities across the nation.
If Nigeria is truly serious with her elections, when shall we stop hearing the horrendous and gory news that thousands of PVCs were allegedly found by hunters in Nnewi forest of Anambra State barely 3 days to the presidential elections? According to an analyst on the gory issue: “INEC in Anambra is not alive to their functions. PVC is the property of INEC, printed by INEC and meant to be distributed to its owners. Now these cards were printed, and INEC could not get them to the owners, and eventually they found their way into a bush and someone intercepted it. Up till this moment, INEC has not been able to say how the cards left their office to the bush . . . It is now the people that are distributing INEC PVCs to their owners, while INEC officials sit and watch.” Isn’t that laughable, shocking and painful? How many of such instances would have occurred across the country? Elections had been conducted in the past years with stories of election crimes. But who were punished and seen to be adequately punished to deter criminality? No sooner than panels of inquiries were set up to investigate than relevant agencies looked elsewhere, while more horrendous occurrences are being awaited in future exercises.
Again, if the law would not punish an innocent unjustly, what is the rationale in the Electoral Act that seeks to cancel all the votes of any polling station where destruction of voting exercises or over-voting occurred? Who is being punished here? The vandals who disrupted an election or the citizens? Is it the votes that should be canceled or the manipulator that should be apprehended while remedy is sought? In a society like ours where deterrent are not made of criminals, all it takes a desperately envious politician with little or no followership in such wards or polling center is to surreptitiously organize a mayhem in the polling booth, dislodge INEC staff and the electorates with toy guns; and the whole votes are cancelled apparently to disruptor’s great advantage! Oh! . . . Police without arms maintaining law and order at the voting centers? How possible? If political thugs, vandals and street boys with their dare-devilry do confront fully armed security men; aren’t policemen mere puns without arms? How do they stop criminals when ballot boxes are being snatched?
Slavish adherence to old retrogressive practices is an enemy of societal progress. Over 6.7 million PVCs were reportedly not collected as at January 2023 barely 30 days to the general elections. Nonetheless, INEC is sure to continue with the unproductive method of PVCs distribution even after this exercise, and yet will expect improved results. In this age of internet and information technology, where voters with ATM cards have their data stored in their bankers portals, National Identity Management Commission e-portal, SIM cards e-portals etc, the insistence by INEC that voters throng INEC offices daily across the nation in quest of their PVCs seems burdensome. Any more simplified method adopted is best.
In “BOLA TINUBU’s ENTANGLEMENT IN HIS OWN VICARIOUS LIABILITY WEB: A Potpourri of Gaffe & Controversies” I spoke my mind on BAT with candor.And my position on him doesn’t change. (see Ohio Wesleyan University Press, USA, Feb. 10, 2023) This suggests I am not “BATified.”But I don’t write under the influence of “selective perception” syndrome simply to suit my predisposition. Some aggrieved parties especially the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Labour Party sought total cancellation of the whole presidential election results – a seemingly peremptory, superfluous and exaggerated request. I am not a learned lawyer. But I know that even in contracts law, allowance is given to “Quantum Meruit” which emphasizes the doctrine of “part performance” where a whole agreement may not be deemed vitiated or be discountenanced due to compromise to any of its parts. Thus, an aggrieved party may be obliged to honour that part of the agreement that is not tainted. This suggests that the aggrieved political parties could have rather called for remedies only where errors were allegedly found. Again, I am yet to understand why Senator Dino Melaye re-invented the historic “Orubebeic” role of 2015 at the INEC collation centre on that February 27, 2023 harping on INEC Chairman’s failure to transmit results real time. Could INEC Chairman have stopped results collation exercise on that day without causing mayhem on the streets by those who felt otherwise? Is INEC Chairman’s verbal promise embedded in the Electoral Act? Does transmitting “real time” form part of the Electoral Act? Even if it is embedded, what role does the doctrine of “force majeur” (viz Act of God) play in this? Thus, an unfortunate event or calamity which, though not foreseen, but fully or partially affected the root of an agreement, is like a man promising to be at a ceremony by 10am but was prevented by heavy rainfall to make good his promise, but arrived at the venue by 12 noon. Consequently, wouldn’t BVAS failure in some areas allegedly due to network problems, or suspected threat to INEC’s e-portals and servers by faceless hackers amount to a “force majeur”? Perhaps the aggrieved parties need to do more than strict reliance on their “argumentum ad baculum”. Verbum Satis Sapienti.
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*Tunji Ajayi, a creative writer, author and documentary producer writes from Lagos, Nigeria. (+2348162124412; +2348033203115)
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