Just over a month since the invisible President Yar’Adua died of unknown causes, some obituaries are being used to revise history, rewrite reality. One such is this one by his former media advisor and PR man, Segun Adeniyi. According to Adeniyi, Yar”Adua’s greatest attributes were ” humility, integrity and humanity”.
Though interrelated, these enduring values reinforce one another, and cannot stand alone. As a leader, if you don’t have the first, you definitely cannot have the others. Humility, which Ezra Taft Benson argues is concerned with what is right as distinct from who is right, is the core of those human virtues which work in tandem with other positive character traits. It is therefore no surprise that Yar’Adua was as honest as he was humble and he had nothing but contempt for the primitive accumulation tendencies of members of the Nigerian political elite who place their personal greed above the collective need.
One almost wants to throw up and is saved by the reality presented by Sonala Olumhense in his response to this revisionist Yar”Adua – friend to James Ibori or was it subordinate to Mr Ibori the eptiome of Nigerian predator greed.
And if humility, according to Mr. Adeniyi’s preferred testimony, “is concerned with what is right as distinct from who is right,” Yar’Adua was in no way a humble man because if he ever had a clue as to what was right, he never identified it.
Really? Contempt? Did he announce that, or did Mr. Adeniyi imagine it? If he whispered it in Mr. Adeniyi’s ear, are we supposed to break out in jubilation? For three years, surrounding Yar’Adua in both his government and his party were the fiercest, filthiest, greediest, most acquisitive and most corrupt people this country has ever known. I do not recall Yar’Adua arresting two or three of them, let alone in the hundreds in which they should be sent to the gas chamber.
On the contrary, such people as the infamous James Ibori and Lucky Igbinedion were his closest friends and confidantes—entering Aso Rock whenever they pleased, and being shown straight to Mr. Adeniyi’s hero
And out of the mouth of the hero himself such humility and honesty…
“You see, these former governors are my colleagues,” he told The Guardian in April 2009. “We had worked together for eight years. Because I am the President, I cannot just jettison people I know. I am always very careful to separate my personal relationship with people from my state duties.”
According to Adeniyi, Nigerians are “over generous about the dead”! Speak for yourself. Surely Adeniyi realises that with his boss gone there is no longer any need for sycophancy or then again is he looking for something else – apparently there is more of this nauseous drivel in the pipeline as he plans to document his life with Yar’Adua. What would be really helpful to the nation is to start a process of truth telling – like what happened in the “disappeared invisible” months? What happened on the night of Yar’Adua’s return to Nigeria and the weeks leading up to his death?
Continue reading Olumhense piece in Sahara Reporters
Just over a month since the invisible President Yar'Adua died of unknown causes, some obituaries are being used to revise history, rewrite reality. One such is this one by his former media advisor and PR man, Segun Adeniyi. According to Adeniyi, Yar"Adua's greatest attributes were " humility, integrity and humanity".
Though interrelated, these enduring values reinforce one another, and cannot stand alone. As a leader, if you don't have the first, you definitely cannot have the others. Humility, which Ezra Taft Benson argues is concerned with what is right as distinct from who is right, is the core of those human virtues which work in tandem with other positive character traits. It is therefore no surprise that Yar'Adua was as honest as he was humble and he had nothing but contempt for the primitive accumulation tendencies of members of the Nigerian political elite who place their personal greed above the collective need.
One almost wants to throw up and is saved by the reality presented by Sonala Olumhense in his response to this revisionist Yar"Adua - friend to James Ibori or was it subordinate to Mr Ibori the eptiome of Nigerian predator greed.
And if humility, according to Mr. Adeniyi’s preferred testimony, “is concerned with what is right as distinct from who is right,” Yar’Adua was in no way a humble man because if he ever had a clue as to what was right, he never identified it.
Really? Contempt? Did he announce that, or did Mr. Adeniyi imagine it? If he whispered it in Mr. Adeniyi’s ear, are we supposed to break out in jubilation? For three years, surrounding Yar’Adua in both his government and his party were the fiercest, filthiest, greediest, most acquisitive and most corrupt people this country has ever known. I do not recall Yar’Adua arresting two or three of them, let alone in the hundreds in which they should be sent to the gas chamber.
On the contrary, such people as the infamous James Ibori and Lucky Igbinedion were his closest friends and confidantes—entering Aso Rock whenever they pleased, and being shown straight to Mr. Adeniyi’s hero
And out of the mouth of the hero himself such humility and honesty...
“You see, these former governors are my colleagues,” he told The Guardian in April 2009. “We had worked together for eight years. Because I am the President, I cannot just jettison people I know. I am always very careful to separate my personal relationship with people from my state duties.”
According to Adeniyi, Nigerians are "over generous about the dead"! Speak for yourself. Surely Adeniyi realises that with his boss gone there is no longer any need for sycophancy or then again is he looking for something else - apparently there is more of this nauseous drivel in the pipeline as he plans to document his life with Yar'Adua. What would be really helpful to the nation is to start a process of truth telling - like what happened in the "disappeared invisible" months? What happened on the night of Yar'Adua's return to Nigeria and the weeks leading up to his death?
Continue reading Olumhense piece in Sahara Reporters
Tagged as:
Africa Politics,
Nigeria
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History is always kind to the dead – look at Abiola's legacy (everyone conveniently forgetting that he looted Nigeria's money and was working hand in hand with Babaginda almost until the end)
Yes I always wondered about that – but I guess being imprisoned & dying under Abacha people conveniently forget!
When Yar Adua passed I was amazed at the amount of my Nigerian friends on FB that were wishing our leader to RIP etc.
These were people I was sure also were p'd off about the disappearing act etc
Can't really understand the mentality – I'm not advocating smiles and joy over anyone's death but come on – humility?integrity? eh?
Some what hypocritical responses considering the pre-death criticisms – How easily people forget!