TheCable

All through his 48-hour stay in Nigeria, Mark Zuckerberg trended on different social media platforms, but issues around the historic visit might be incomplete without the public spat between two ‘friends’ — Femi Fani-Kayode and Reno Omokri; both supporters of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

While Fani-Kayode was director, media and publicity, of Jonathan’s campaign team, Omokri was his special assistant on new media.

Fani-Kayode had expressed reservations about Zuckerberg’s description of the Hausa Language as unique, but Omokri, who saw nothing wrong with what Facebook founder said, bared his mind on the issue.

FFK: Kerry comes to the north, and sees the Sultan of Sokoto, Buhari, and northern governors. One week later, Facebook founder comes to Nigeria, and says Hausa is a “unique language”, which he has included on Facebook. Think! Nigerians think!

Omokri: Olufemi Olu-Kayode I do not understand why Kerry did what he did, but as for Zuckerberg, all he did was state a fact. After Swahili, Hausa is perhaps the most widely spoken language in sub Saharan Africa. That is why BBChausa, Voahausa, Deutschewelle and other world radio services all have broadcasts in Hausa. We must applaud what Zuckerberg has done and not cast suspicion around it. Doing so may encourage him to add other indigenous Nigerian languages as Facebook languages. That said, I appreciate a lot of your writings and suggestions. Well done.

The next exchange between both men was a bit civil, but the word naïve, which was used by Fani-Kayode seemed to have sent a wrong message across, hence Omokri wrote:

You say I am naive for accepting, as Zuckerberg does, that the Hausa language is unique. Really? Hausa language is the only indigenous African language that is officially spoken in five African nations including Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Cameroun and Sudan. If your argument is true and I am indeed naive then you would have to agree with me that BBC News, Radio France Internationale, Voice of America – VOA, DW Deutsche Welle, China Radio International and Voice of Russia are equally naive, because, like Facebook, they all have a Hausa language service.

You may be right about the British/American conspiracy. I never delved into that and I defer to your superior knowledge of history and statecraft. My point of departure from you was strictly and solely as touching your insinuation against Mark Zuckerberg.

The mistake we in the South often make is to see ordinary Hausa as our enemies. Not true. The Hausa as a people are some of the most decent Nigerians and are to be differentiated from the feudalists who have retarded their progress as an ethnic nationality. What they need from progressive and freedom loving Nigerians  is solidarity not hostility. This was the point of view that the late Aminu Kano tried to pass across to us down South.

What Facebook has done deserves commendation and not condemnation. Again, having said this, I must maintain that I have a high regard for your intellect and this intervention should not be interpreted as a confrontation.

At this point, the former minister lost his cool, and unleashed venom on Omokri, telling him how the ex-new media aide was in diapers when he fought against the military.

Fani-Kayode said unlike Omokri, who has allegedly abandoned those being detained for serving Jonathan, he was busy fighting the government of the day.

Branding Omokri his “little brother” whose “little bottom needed to be spanked for being so cheeky and naughty, Fani-Kayode dared him to come back home, and stop being an arm chair critic in California.

FFK: Reno Omokri, now I am beginning to get a little irritated by you… In any case, are you the spokesman of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, or indeed that of the Hausa people of northern Nigeria? Is that your new job since you stopped working under my friend and brother Reuben Abati at the Villa and managing social media for the Jonathan administration?

And if you insist on being their defender-in-chief, when were you appointed? Honestly, Reno my dear little brother, you need to have your little bottom spanked for being so cheeky and naughty.

I have known the north and interacted with northerners far more than you and for far longer, so I don’t need lessons from you or anyone else about  who or what they are, either for good or for bad.

And neither do I need to say only things that are politically correct about them. Or anyone else because, unlike you, I have paid my dues politically and in terms of public commentary for over a period of 27 years.

 I worked in the presidency as President Obasanjo’s spokesman as far back as 13 years ago. I don’t know where you were then.  I ran, not one, but two federal ministries as the Hon. Minister over 10 years ago, and since then I have been in the thick of the political fray and drama.

I know who I am and I don’t need to please anyone with what I say. I was in NADECO risking my life fighting against military rule and for the late Chief MKO Abiola’s June 12th mandate when you were probably still wearing diapers.

I know the north, and indeed this whole country far better than you ever possibly could, and over the years I have gained and gathered a lot of experience.

I have also suffered for Nigeria far more than you have. I say this all with the greatest humility knowing that it is only God that made it so, and that enabled me to survive it. The result of all that is this: I do not suffer fools gladly and I say things as they are.

You dare to lecture me about northerners and I wonder how many you actually know? I wonder how many you have ever fought for or defended in the past?

Our mutual friend, Nasir El Rufai, often warned me about you but I never listened to him. Now you have proved him right and all because you want to please your foreign and newfound northern friends.

Not even 100 million Reno Omokiris can stop us from doing that, and neither can they make us love those that commit these heinous crimes.

Maybe you should come home and see what is really going on here rather than writing those great anti-government articles from the relative safety of California.

If you can muster the courage to do that, you will discover that political correctness is a very expensive luxury which we simply cannot afford.

Some of us are right here and we have refused to run away from the evil that has gripped the land even when we had every opportunity to do so.

Please endeavour to do the same then perhaps we may take you more seriously. Hundreds of your fellow Niger Deltans  and southerners are languishing in jails all over the country today simply because they supported a southern Christian called President Jonathan during the election, yet you have not even cared to visit any of them.

You were in the last government with them and many others but you couldn’t even stand in solidarity with them when they needed you the most.  And if you did you insisted on doing so from a safe distance. It is a shame.

The truth is that you are the naive one. You alone and not them. If you really believe the garbage that you wrote here, then you are not just naive but dangerously naive and far dumber than I first thought.

If only you knew what we as a people in Nigeria and Africa suffered in the hands of the western imperialists over the last 100 years, you would appreciate this intervention instead of attempting to treat it with contempt just to impress your friends at Facebook and in California.

I urge you to continue to attempt to appease those that see you and those that think like you as nothing more than glorified monkeys and see how far it gets you.

Omokri would not allow him have the last words, so he responded:

Since it has reached the stage where you are irritated with me, I think it is best to leave well enough alone. Let us agree to disagree without being irritated by each other.

I have said all I need to say on the matter of Mark Zuckerberg’s description of the Hausa language as being unique, and I have heard all you have to say. Thank God we are both professing Christ followers and are thus familiar with the advice of Saint Paul in 2 Timothy 2:24 “the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.”

By the way, I was in Nigeria two weeks ago. I preached at Holyhill Church, Abuja. The pastor, Sunday Ogidigbo, publicized my visit. If I was a coward as you claim and was speaking from the safety of California, why would I visit Nigeria after my strong and very public criticism of the current administration?