Judas Iscariot was a whistleblower. He snitched on Christ. He was an insider in Jesus Ministry. In fact, he was the treasurer, but a thief, stealing from the common-wealth. He was also treacherous and cheap. For 30 pieces of silver, he threw eternity away. Redemption was too late for him. He committed suicide on the same land he bought with the Blood Money. The land became Akeldama, the Field of Blood.
Godwin Obaseki, Edo Governor, is a whistleblower. He snitched on his co-power operators. He is an insider in a plundering system and has his facts, first hand. He is the chief treasurer in Edo State, but no accusation of stealing has been proved against him. Except there was a subsisting oath of secrecy, to see evil and say nothing, at the monthly money-sharing FAAC meeting in Abuja, he can’t be deemed treacherous for squealing on the obviously-disingenuous N60 billion make-weight for March allocation by Abuja.
Politicians aren’t a reliable lot, but whatever motive, is being imputed to the latest outing by the Edo leader on Nigeria’s fast-derailing economy, he hasn’t definitely played Judas, even if his style makes him a Janus.
At least, his claim has been confirmed to be true by the Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, despite his rant about playing politics and suddenly remembering Obaseki and his colleagues are owing the apex bank $2.1 billion and must now pay back. Nothing could be more childish. Emefiele reduced the worrisome economic crises facing the country to “you Tarka me, I Daboh you.” Does it mean if Obaseki had sealed his lips, like others, as the country slides dangerously into a pit, Emefiele would never demand the repayment of loans granted the governors about six years ago? Kids always demand their precious toys from playmates, when offended or they stop playing with them. Maybe CBN Godwin had similar background growing up, but he should have outgrown it, by now.
For helping him to an uncommon second term in office, the money man in CBN who is also proving to be of small mind is doing all he can to display loyalty to his Villa benefactor(s) and after his EndSARS misadventure of freezing campaigners’ accounts and banning crypto-currency because of Sunday Igboho’s foreign support, amid other untowardness, days ahead, may get surreal for the Edo Governor, his government, friends, associates and even business links. That is how this government rolls, except if the president simply decides to still keep his Prodigal Son in Benin in a telepathic warm embrace, just as he did, helping his re-election as an opposition candidate.
Already, the Godwin of Abuja is talking forex ban for sugar and wheat, the domain of Obaseki’s bosom friend, Aliko Dangote. It is power warning to Aliko to talk to his friend. Emefiele may be a bootlicker par excellence, but he is a shade better than the pious-forming Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, who lied outright that extra cash, not earned, was shared.
Where do we always hunt her kind for sensitive national assignments? Kemi Adeosun was here and her exit etched an invisible “Kemo was here” graffiti on the spatial of the nation’s economy and national memory with her elementary display and certificate inconsistency. She practically walked into oblivion.
The current managers of our economy are toying with fire. A season is coming when highfalutin grammar won’t save their neck. While Yemi Kale and his team of statisticians are doing the numbers on the raging inflation, which they currently put at 18.17%, Nigerians are doing the reality with their continuously-shrinking financial capacities to put staple in their mouth and a time is coming when those tinkering with the economy and governance like Emefiele would be demanded of their work in arena Yoruba would call, oju olomo o to (no mercy corner). Some of his kind were cornered during the EndSARS and official security couldn’t save them.
While violence should be abhorred by all, those entrusted with public trust and management of common welfare should stop behaving like Judas, stealing today, and selling tomorrow away. The judgment of the Lord is upon the wicked and if Emefiele, Zainab and co think they can keep bamboozling the entire nation with monetary rascality, their lies would keep finding them out.
It is obvious government is rattled because one of them let it out. Unlike an outsider, he can’t be easily dismissed like their usual punch bag; the media. Imagine if a reporter had chanced on the N60 billion bonanza and quoted a reliable source, (possibly the governor), spokespersons of different shades in government, including recruited vuvuzelas, would have taken to the information highway, fast and furious, denouncing the forefathers of the reporter and his bosses. A panicky newsroom might just send the reporter and publishing editor home on leave without pay, until things get better. But when God is in it, nothing would be hidden for too long. He assured us in Daniel Chapter 2 and He would use the most unlikely of breeze to expose toes, legs, torso and even the face of the dead, they buried in hush and hurry.
True, Coronavirus clobbered global economy and desperate measures are being adopted everywhere to meet the demands of the desperate times. But, adding salted water to a burning eye ball is bad solution, though water should ordinarily help. Nobody so far has spoken in favour of printing billions not earned and dumping it in a consuming economy, where inflation is hitting the stratosphere. Who exactly is Emefiele listening to? Who does he want to impress, by further killing the economy, in order for things not to look too bad, on his watch? From the way he sounded in his response to his namesake, it is certainly not the first time he has been engaging in this rascality. It was just God’s time to expose him and his kind. Coronavirus began in China and economy expectedly shut down. Today, it has grown by a record 18.3% (almost Nigeria’s inflation rate figure). The managers over there; aren’t Janus with two heads. Here, we presented a scorecard that suggested we exited recession earlier than anticipated. Yet, it is becoming increasingly difficult to “soak” gaari. There is this joke about searching those named Innocent well, because they are almost, always not innocent. Nigerians should pay closer attention to the gentle-looking man at CBN.
Credit: Lanre Adewole, NT