Beasts Of Our Nation

Beasts Of Our Nation By M.B.O Owolowo

“A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.” - Albert Camus

A beast can be described as a contemptible or crude person, a brute, a savage or an animal.

How do you identify a beast? The easiest method of identification is by their actions.

Through empirical evidence, some beasts exhibit traits of plotting ill-conceived schemes, and non-existent considerations for the consequences of criminal activity.


Such characters posses a general lack for a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Some of their other characteristics include:
A negligence for laws and social mores
A total disregard for the rights and privileges of others
A failure to feel remorse for lawlessness or corruption
A peculiar selfishness with narcissistic undertones
A tendency to react harshly to criticism.

A good example of reacting harshly to criticism is the “I don't give a damn” outburst by the president on his non-compliance for asset declaration in 2012. His irruption during the presidential media chat was a solemn reminder of the sort of individual we have in power. The president was actually revealing his true nature to us, but many failed to take heed!
If he didn’t give a damn then, he surely doesn’t give a damn now, all his political theatrics are solely about his personal ambition - he just wants to remain in power!

President Jonathan is trying to make history, he wants to be re-elected without the full support of the electorate in 2015. He was so confident of his re-election bid, he paid little attention to the public mood, or maybe he was just being deceived by his worst enemies – his political associates. Such political associates advised the president to play politics with the Boko Haram menace - as it only affected the North, to initially ignore the Chibok girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram, to stage a belated compensation for families of the victims of the immigration job mishap, to associate private jet ownership with economic development, to make statements about not being consulted by the Service Chiefs before election postponement, to withhold the release of the full NNPC Audit Report, to beguile on the diplomatic phone call with Morocco's King, just to mention a few.
Generally, the president has been associated with prevarication on so many issues.

Through their unethical conduct, the president's political associates have done his ambition irreparable damage over time. Also, a major part of their problem was the selling of their candidate, as there was really nothing to sell! To counter this impediment, the president's campaign team devised a convenient but banal political strategy: the character assassination ploy against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari. ‎Instead of constituting an issue based campaign, they chose the vile path of dividing the electorate ethnically and religiously.


Some of Jonathan's political associates are despicable fellows without an iota of scruples.
A duplicitous Femi Fani Kayode that had frequently lambasted the president and the PDP in the past, only to volte-face and become the official mouthpiece of Jonathan's campaign.

A Doyin Okupe that is so cocksure Buhari “will never be president”. A recent video footage showed him shouting at the top of his lungs against Buhari's candidature. He associates with those who prefer the military scuttles our democracy, than allow a peaceful democratic transition to a Buhari administration. He is also referred to as a “bastard”, for his wrong predictions about the formation and subsistence of the APC.


A Fayose that should be in court facing charges of election rigging in Ekiti State, has been wishing death upon Muhammadu Buhari. He ridicules himself in his vain attempts at disparaging Buhari and continues to successfully break his own low standards – as you never really know how low he will go. He has obviously lost his marbles!


There are other beasts in the Jonathan camp, including the Niger Delta militants lead by the Asari's and Tompolo's – vociferously threatening fire and brimstone if their clansman isn’t re-elected. To them it is a right, and the choice of the electorate doesn’t really matter.
These apparent incitements to violence are threats against the State and national peace. These acts clearly violate the electoral peace accord Jonathan co-signed. More worrisome is fact that the president in particular hasn’t condemned such utterances that threaten our fragile existence, hence, why he has been accused of tacitly supporting these threats.


Enter Madame Patience Jonathan a.k.a Madame Stoner. Yes! The president's political associates includes his other half. Though she has committed numerous indecorous gaffes, she recently told those present at a campaign rally for her husband, to 'stone' anyone that clamours for 'change'. The APC has reported her to the International Criminal Court. Ideally, the pathetic case of Ivory Coast's ex-president, Laurent Gbagbo and his wife ought to be a reminder about the consequences of abusing power.
Also, I find it incredulous President Jonathan expects to be voted for by the electorate in the North, considering his wife's recent vilification of Northerners about child raring.


Evidently, the president's associates have something in common, the fear of Buhari has practically driven them insane! This is the situation with the corrupt and contemptible. Since it is their last gasp for political survival, they have gone full beast mode. They have gone from not just vilifying opposition and sponsoring vituperative documentaries on TV, to using ethnic militias to organize protests against the INEC Chairman.

The president's associates thought they bought advantageous time with the 6 week election postponement, but in reality gave the APC more time to win over more supporters. Muhammadu Buhari's Chatham House event is just one of many advantages the APC capitalised on with the extra time provided. Some of the undecided electorate pitched their tent with Buhari following scandalous revelations of sponsored protests by the PDP.

The reality of imminent defeat confronts the PDP, so they have become very desperate. As it is the ethos of the president's handlers, they are trying to salvage what is left of the president's dwindling popularity and scathed reputation. The similitude of the stuporous trying to save a drowning man from self-induced asphyxiation. A political shipwreck metamorphosing before our very eyes. An unprecedented political bestiality in our polity. The best way of dealing with beasts is by taming them. On March 28^th 2015, Nigerians have a golden opportunity to initiate the taming of the beasts ‎of our nation. 

By their actions they shall be identified: those who prefer our nascent democracy is truncated via military coup or interim government, and those who prefer the nation be plunged into chaos or war, in the event their candidate loses his re-election bid, are not just beasts, but real enemies of state.

In case you are wondering why Jonathan hasn’t disassociated himself from such unscrupulous characters? The answer is quite obvious, it is because he is like them!

“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” - Nicolo Machiavelli. 

m.b.o.owolowo@gmail.com

- M.B.O

2015©