[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igerian are a funny lot. Easily hoodwinked to fall for effusiveness and the most mundane incidents.
I have been reading so many trending accolades on Ex-Governor Fashola’s ‘performance’ at the Senate Screening yesterday and I wonder at times if Nigerians are from Mars.
Fashola is a lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and one who must have appeared in court hundreds of times in his career over the years. Fashola is a politician, an ex-Governor who has spoken extempore in thousands of events in his political career.
Did anyone expect him to appear before the Senate to fumble or stumble over his speech or answers? So, what are these incomprehensible adulations for? ‘Brilliant!’ ‘Fashola schooled the Senators’ ‘Fashola Masterclass’. What?
It’s adulations like these which makes politicians believe that they are demi-gods and can do no wrong. And those statements about not signing cheques as Governor is all playing to the gallery. I do not think any governor signs cheques because the E-Payment scheme was introduced in 2006 just before Obasanjo left office. So, what kind of defence is that?
I thought it was needless his analogy of loyalty. And people are actually buying into that muck of ‘may your loyalty never be tested’? How does he define loyalty? Was he talking about political loyalty or loyalty in general? He was asked a question which bordered on political loyalty and turned it into a parable of kidney donations? The essence would be that he implied that at times in his tenure, his loyalty to Tinubu was tested but he, Fashola, did not pass that test?
In any case, he should know that his loyalty to the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA will ALWAYS be tested now he’s going to be a Minister and he would do better to also see how his LOYALTY to PMB remains firm in the next three years.
Not to get me wrong, I think he was more than average as Governor of Lagos State and deserves his ministerial position. But what he went up to the Senate stand to do was what was expected of him as a Senior Advocate.
And what is expected of him as a minister, a glorified ‘Noisemaker’, would be much more than not signing cheques or testing loyalties.
I wish him all the luck.
Charles Novia is an award-winning filmmaker. He is founder of November Productions and November Records. Connect with him on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
