TheCable

BY EHIGIE UZAMERE

If we do not want public attacks, we shouldn’t start them at all. I do not know what my brother and friend, Governor Bala Mohammed, was thinking when he attempted his failed ridicule of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar publicly. The simple question of whether he would step down for Atiku or not could have elicited a more decent response like: “We haven’t reached that bridge yet. We’ll cross it when we get there.” Or “If the need arises, I’m sure aspirants can step down for our best”. Wouldn’t the opposition use Bala’s statement against Atiku, if he emerges as presidential candidate for PDP?

Done with this brief tutorial on the decorum of speech and reasoning, and though I would not want to trade words with Udenta Udenta, as we do not have anything in common, and he is free to work for his stomach infrastructure, I am constrained to reply his diatribe.

I have read his convoluted reasons for working for Bala Mohammed and I can only deduce from his reasoning, a man out to make money. If actually Udenta is a professor and as learned as he claims to be, he ought to know better than to egg on a man on bail from EFCC, to dream of running for president of our country. Nigerians should hold people like Udenta responsible for the decline in the quality of our democracy.

I stand on my reaction to Mohammed’s attempted affront. Being a fellow senator of the 6th senate, I can relate in some ways with him and a direct response from him — rather than a response from a professor I’m yet to quantify his level of decent reasoning — would have been better appreciated. I also doubt if Bala Mohammed was privy to Udenta’s reply, as he could not counter any of my assertions, nor did he address them, but rather chose personal attacks.

If Udenta can refer to Mohammed as a consensus candidate of the north, even when the same north has come out to debunk whatever was written and made public by distinguished Professor Ango Abdullahi, it reveals his level of sycophancy and deceit. Why lead someone on, if not to defraud him? My little research on him shows he’s an opportunist.

Udenta, with all the political prowess he has ascribed to himself, should have been running for office and not chasing crumbs. At his age, experiences and betrayals he ascribed to himself dating as far back as MKO Abiola era presidential politics, Udenta should have done better for himself, rather than massaging his greed all the time.

Or haven’t journalists risen high in politics in Nigeria? And Udenta is claiming to be a journalist. I am surprised he did not consider the role of journalists as the conscience of the people, in throwing his weight behind a man, Mohammed, who has publicly made a case for marauding undocumented terrorists that have tormented the south-east and the rest of the country; killing, raping and maiming.

How posterity would judge him should be Udenta’s main preoccupation as a journalist, if he has a conscience. Apparently, Udenta is a Man Friday, ready to be hired by the gullible that fall for his doubtful credentials.

In his own words, he has always worked against his Igbo people, Ezeife, et al. I guess he sure knows where his bread is buttered. His people, Ndigbo, are desirous of politics of presidency to the south-east… he is busy giving puerile reasons for supporting Bala Mohammed. He is free to support whoever he chooses to. It is his prerogative, but I dare him to preach Bala Mohammed to delegates from the south-east, if he is not working for him for money. I have made my choice based on my belief in the character, intelligence and ability of my choice — Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Wazirin Adamawa — to effectively lead, and pilot this country out of the doldrums.

I refuse to be distracted by rants of a paid servant.

Ehigie Uzamere was a member of the sixth senate