Mbadiwe’s Campaign for Obasanjo: By. Valentine Obienyem

Mbadiwe’s Campaign for Obasanjo (Archives, first published in Thisday newspaper of 10th may, 2005))
Valentine Obienyem

I thought I would resist the temptation to write on Ambassador Greg. Mbadiwe. I have the feeling that upon reading this article and numerous articles on him, he may be pleased with himself. Indeed, history shows that some people come to limelight by holding or proposing views or measures some people may take as outlandish. This was how Alcibiades, who was the talk of the Athenian city many centuries ago cut the tail of his beautiful dog and said the reason was for people to talk about him.

Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe is now the talk of the town for championing that Chief Olusegun Obassanjo should stay forever. I am only surprised that Nigerians are paying so much attention to such distractions much as I would have been if we do not occasionally witness the dawn of such characters. For the record, Mbadiwe has not done something odd since to affirm the contrary is to pretend that we have forgotten the Abimbola Davies and the Daniel Kanus of Nigeria . He is still a good example if we seek to prove that man is a mosaic of contradictions that neverthless contribute in making life lively.

Why is Mbadiwe coming under the assault of sharply pointed, sometimes poisoned pens of Nigeria journalists? As far as I am concerned, he has not broken any law nor acted contrary to the law. Under General Ibrahim Babangida and General Sani Abacha, highly placed Nigerians proposed that life presidency should become part of our politics. Some Nigerians, even those old enough to be Abacha’s fathers marched to Abuja in what was called a “2-Million Man March”, all in the bid to persuade Abacha to continue as the President. I am not concerned whether their action was justified or not, legal or illegal, my concern was that even in an era when Nigerians were harassed by the army through novelties of tortures such that freedom of speech/expression were understood to depend on quiescence, some people still were free clamouring for the perpetuity of their governments. Now we have a democratic government, I detest people being hounded for expressing their right to freedom of speech/expression.

The question to ask is: Does Greg mean to achieve his aim by subverting the constitution? If yes, that is where one ought to be worried, but facts on ground show that he is determined to follow due process. In defending toleration, Voltaire said: “Do I propose, them, that every citizen shall be free to follow his own reason and propagate whatever his enlightened or deluded reason shall dictate to him? Certainly provided he does not disturb the public order.”

But the curious thing is that most Nigerians are ready to swear that Mbadiwe is not speaking out of conviction or professing what he sincerely believes in, but only seeking political appointment, by trying to deceive Obasanjo that he is one of those who are ready to die for him. Who made them censors of Mbadiwe’s inner thinking? But can a man gamble with his reputation because of a political appointment? Evidence abounds that Nigerians are not bothered and can actually do anything to gain power and retain it.

Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe is the scion of the famous Dr. K. O. Mbadiwe. In the reckoning of great Nigerians, Mbadiwe somewhat merits a space. If you look again at the sons and daughters of most great Nigerians, you notice that they are not particularly spectacular. I have come to believe that most of them suffer the handicap of having great/rich parents and assured and comfortable places. Thus, neither the fear of hunger nor the resentment of subordination stirs them to achievements.

Let us face it, where are the sons of the Ziks, the Awolowos, the Akintolas, etc of Nigeria . Some were on the verge of becoming useless, in no metaphorical sense, to themselves and to the country before Chief Olusegun Obasanjo decided to rehabilitate them. This is one of the suppositions on which we can venture an explanation for the appointment of the scions of the Ziks, the Mbadiwes, the Awolowos, the Akintolas, and the Adesanyas to “serve” the country in various capacities.

Nigeria is not alone in the general degeneration observable among some of the sons of influential people. I have noticed that most geniuses do not give birth to geniuses. I have often sought for the reason. Why? Is it that the genius spends most of his energy in doing great work that he reserves weak energy for procreation? Is it that the energy that goes into great work dilutes the vital forces that play part in reproduction? Is it that the gamble of genes that produces a genius is so complicated that it occurs successful once in many years? Why?

If you look around you, you will notice that the rehabilitated sons of the famous men are not doing well in their posts. Nigeria has abundance of human resources, especially those who have proved their mettle unaided, those who have shown that by sheer hard work, one can rise from obscurity to popularity. It is unjust when such proven characters are neglected in preference to people whose only credential is being accidentally borne to great men. If that is the idea of governance, them one has every reason to be disappointed.

Mbadiwe has every right to what he is doing today. With saxophones and talking drums, he is dancing around Obasanjo. I suspect he is being grateful to the man who saw reason to rehabilitate him and his ilk. My suspicion, however, is only a surmise. I say this because Mbadiwe is neither deaf nor dumb; he tells us that he is being realistic for the greater glory of the country. In his calculation, since Obasanjo is the anointed one of God as evidently manifested in the good work he is doing, Nigerians should allow him to continue. Who will have the guts to carry out such far-reaching reforms as Baba is doing? On this logic he frequently rests his case.

If we debate about Mbadiwe’s antics just within the realm of logic and rationalization, I see a no-win situation. After studying the nature of man, I have noticed that nothing is beyond rationalization. I once told of a woman who knew, but failed to tell her husband that he had a disagreeable breath. The man was a tyrant and did not welcome any opinion that did not celebrate him. Eventually, a foreign woman who slept with him had the courage to tell him. Threateningly, he questioned his wife why he did not tell him even when she had a better opportunity of knowing. Rationalizing, the wife said she had not come near any man that he thought that was how all men smelt. The man was disarmed.

Talking about rationalization, the famous Emperor Caesar once sat down, contrary to traditions, to receive Roman Senators. Tongues wagged, the Senators felt humiliated. One of Caesar’s aides explained that he had a running stomach and was careful not to stand up to avoid the careless movement of his bowels at so unpropitious a moment. Rationalization!

Consider the story of a Frisian King, when they were just being converted to Christianity. They were however not pleased to be told that their unbaptised forebears were in hell. The King, having learned this as he stood on the brink of baptism, turned away saying that he preferred to spend eternity with his ancestors. It was also a Frisian who saw divine design in bedbugs, for they do us the service of preventing us from oversleeping.

But what have all these stories got to do with Mbadiwe. The man has been busy rationalizing on why Obasanjo should rule forever. Like his fellow “rationalists,” he can give us excellent reasons to support his thesis. Let Mbadiwe note the reasons given by the woman whose husband had disagreeable smell; it was a clever one, that of Caesar’s aide was an afterthought, while that of the Frisians sounded foolish. Let Mbadiwe be worried on how his own rationalization will be classified. Is he telling us that no other Nigeria is capable of ruling?

With Obasanjo’s pronouncement that he would not stay beyond 2007, we are persuaded to believe that he has realized that those wishing him to stay forever are actually not his friends. Once a leader has inner conviction, not even the clamour of a million Mbadiwes will make him take a path of dishonour. Let each man, as Voltaire said, be free to follow whatever his enlightened or deluded reason shall dictate to him? But please let it not be to the detriment of democracy, peace and fairness. The events in Togo , Republic of Congo , and some other countries are enough specimens in the laboratory of history.