USA Africa Dialogue Series - Gimba kakanda writes: In Defence of Sadiq Abacha

"Today, you say that Abacha stole money, but can you tell me any Nigerian president or head of state, living or dead, that didn't do the same? Abacha didn't expect his death, which was why he couldn't tie the loose ends of his offshore accounts. The others, before and after him, were lucky. How is the present any different from Abacha's days? Did the presidency, under Goodluck Jonathan, not steal $20 billion? Did the security personnel, under Goodluck Jonathan, not kill unarmed protesters during the fuel subsidy removal protests? Did the presidency, in a democratic system, not suspend a CBN Governor by decree? You even say that Abacha killed Ken Saro Wiwa, but he was not the Judge who headed the tribunal set up to try Wiwa. You don't even know what Wiwa did. If Justice Ibrahim Auta who tried Wiwa had no conscience, he wouldn't have become the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. See? History is already pulling Abacha out of this lake of propaganda designed by NADECO leaders, former exiles-turned-politicians, who only succeeded in teaching us how to loot national resources with wisdom – through ownership of newspaper houses to counter political witch-hunts and vilifications. "

 

- Gimba Kakanda

Lobatan. I am struggling to think of any piece that demonstrates for me the hypocrisy and perfidy of Ikhide's generation (and below) oactivists","journalists", "writers", "public intellectuals", NGO empowerment "elfare monarchs", etc. etc. We are hypocrites, and I am not there yet, but if Gimba continues like this, I am inclined to just kneel down and apologize to the Abachas. My parents would approve.

 

We have all chosen our favorite villains and lined up behind them - to shoot at each other, to hell with moral absolutism. The other day, I learned to my utter shame that the once revered Abdul Mahmud, the poet we call Obemata would be sitting at the same table with the world criminal and enemy of Nigeria Diepreye Alamieyeseigha aka Alams, to vision the future of Nigeria in a jamboree euphemistically called a National Confab. If you don't know about Alams (!!!) google him. Alams is not the vilest of villains to be invited to that "confab." I mean, Obemata was tortured brutally during the Abacha dark days, and for a while he and a few others like Ogaga Ifowodo and Wole Soyinka were poster men for the brutality of those dark days. The other day, Professor Soyinka roundly rejected an opportunity to be honored along with Abacha's ghost. Good for him. Obemata tells me that Alams is representing his people, while he is representing those of us in the "civil society." For N12 million each. I say to you, Obemata, I reject your representation, I really do.

 

After Obemata's acceptance to join Alams to define our future for us, I finally got it, this is not what we all fought for in the 90's, this is not what we were prepared to die for. We were prepared to die for our share of the national cake. My father told me that. I laughed at him. My son, Gimba has just told me that. I am no longer laughing. Abacha is not our problem. We are the problem. Nonsense.

 

Oya read, read from this young man...

http://gimbakakanda.wordpress.com/2014/03/14/in-defence-of-sadiq-abacha/