By: Inuwa Bwala
I am always fascinated by one anecdote about two neighbours: one kept sheep and goats while the other had a beautiful garden at the back of his house.
Very often, the neighbour’s animals invade the other neighbours garden and eat up his plants and flowers. On every such occasions, the garden owner complained to his neighbour, but no attempt was ever made to control the rampaging sheep and goats.
Every time, he explained that, he has the right to rear what he wanted, after all, he had no control over the sheep and goatd because they are animals.
Having been pushed to the wall, so to say, the garden owner abandoned his vocation and brought in two hounds, which he also left free around the house.
One day, the sheep and goats ventured into the hounds’ territory and were eventually devoured.The owner reported the matter to the authorities and a jury was called in to adjudicate.
The jury’s verdict was that: each of the neighbours were free to rear their animals and are not duty bound to control them since they are all animals.
This anecdote captures the political situation in Borno, between the All Progressives Congress, APC and the People’s Democratic Party. PDP.
When its hunt dogs were left free in their remarks: denigrating others, including the State Governor, the PDP never found anything wrong in their actions. Several times, the Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum personally pleaded with his followers not to retaliate: an approach which seems to embolden the PDP elements, pouring more invectives on him and even booing him on the streets.
It goes without saying that, unleashing street urchins on the chief executive of a state is most uncharitable and to start crying foul when faced in their own game is most cowardly.
It is even most mischievous to attempt to turn the Governors eventual response to the several acts of embarrassment, as a threat.
If I were not at the event where he spoke in Biu and if I were not aware of the several acts of disorderliness, often displayed when Governor Zulum visits, I would have swallowed the warped narrative being pursued by a nameless academic, via that audio.
When an ignorant tells stories from his or her uninformed position, people seldom take note, but when such an ignorant takes cover in an enlightened environment, like the academia, it becomes very dangerous and must be responded to.
If truly, the man speaking in that audio is an academic, I am sure most of those who listened him: especially those who know the truth must have been disappointed that, the refinement known of academics did not seem to have robbed off on him even as an ignoramus in that highly enlightened and sophisticated environment.
Listening to the audio made out by the nameless fellow claiming to be an academic about the Governors remark, one cannot but liken him to the sheep keeper, who did did not seem to care about the sensibilities of his neighbour.
I challenge him to go back and listen to what Professor Babagana Umara Zulum said, and I am sure he may discover that, the narrative he seeks to promote, by alleging threats; were actually his own conjectures.
Hear the Governor, “I am one Governor that have come here more number of times than any other one before me. Every time I come, I plead with people, including very small boys, but every time I don’t seem to cut the ice. I am here to tell you that I am prepared for any outcome of the elections. God gives power, and if he decides to do contrary to my preference, I am bound to accept, but given the chance, I will not allow anybody who shows no respect to others; even our leaders to come and work with me. If you insist, we will test our strength in the ballot box and I know that, whoever wins, both sides would have suffered at the end of the day”.
I beg to take only this portion, because this is where our so called academic seem to mischievously quote to bolster his narrative.
If there is anybody who does not seem to understand idiomatic expressions, it is evidently this faceless academic and not Governor Zulum.
If understanding the Governor or idiomatic expressiond was so difficult for the audio maker, there abound amongst his paymasters, many people who understood the Governor very well.
There is no need inflaming passions or appealing to the emotions of Bura people in his desperate quest to demarket the Governor.
Many people who spoke to me about the audio do not seem to fathom what the real motive was as the maker of the audio claims not to be a politician. I personally did not know what to make of it either, even after listening to the audio many time over.
Like the two neighbours in the opening montage of this piece, I think we need right thinking individuals to interprete to us the assumed threat. I did not hear it, and those with me did not hear it either.
If I were not at the venue of the event at which the revered Professor spoke in Biu, I could have easily believed in the nameless academicians theatrics, where in he attempted to stand the import of Governor Zulum’s message on its head.
Leave a Reply