Sir, I hope you are well, and that all is well around you, and amongst those who are close to you. It is only right that people like me, who have spent our entire adult lives learning from, imbibing, believing and copying most of your exemplary behaviorial principles and attitudes to life, must wish that your name be always embossed in gold. Over the years, and especially in these blemished times, your visage has become synonymous with truth, honesty, forthrightness and service. As a matter of fact, you are the best example of a public servant I have ever seen (Well, perhaps my father would share the stage with you on that one!).
Perhaps it is genetic, probably, it was the humble beginnings. Maybe it was the education – I mean Government College, Ibadan and Fourah Bay College, Freetown were no mean institutions in your day. But I’d like to think that it was more of the broadcasting background you had.
You left broadcasting as Director–General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation at the rather young age of 45, but your contributions to the broadcasting profession remain indelible. Yours was the golden era of Nigerian television. It’s a shame that not much by way of exciting new content has been created since the like of The Village Headmaster, The New Masquerade, The Bar Beach Show and co. had been rested. The station with the largest reach in Africa, unfortunately, has slowly evolved into an appendage of the Information Ministry.
I have always admired perfect speakers of the English language. As you know, Sir, one would be a perfect speaker if, aside from having perfect grammar and diction, the identification of any kind of accent is totally absent! There were quite a few Nigerian speakers I never could resist listening to as a young broadcaster, and I would listen endlessly to recorded material of speeches and audio recordings of these revered gentlemen. One of such men was Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate. The late Chief Bola Ige was another master linguist. He was nicknamed, Cicero, by the Nigerian press right from his early days in politics. Of course, after Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, orator, political theorist and Roman constitutionalist. The third person, with all due respect, was your humble self!
I have xeroxed my quest for excellence in public behaviour and professional perfection from your brilliant levels of elocution in speech, gentlemanliness in appearance, and humility in person. I believed in you right from your NTA days. I was therefore one of the least surprised when you went on to garner further achievements – Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc., Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Pan-African University, President of The Nigerian Institute of Management, The Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, and The International Institute for Communications, and through various governmental appointments.
You also made a credible name for yourself over the years by assisting in community peace building projects as a diplomat and as a volunteer advocating the achievment of world peace through diplomacy, while also promoting business integrity in Nigeria through organisations like Integrity Organisation Ltd., GTE and The Convention on Business Integrity Ltd. Sir, you have been a broadcaster, a communicator, a quintessential information disseminator and a diplomat, who is nationally and internationally renowned for your exemplary business skills and integrity. All Nigerians are proud of you. You have run a great race so far.
However, because we are proud and happy to celebrate your life of excellence, Godliness and achievement, recent development have begun to make us fear for your reputation. Government recently announced your appointment as Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme Board. The haste with which such decision was taken by the government, evident by the hurried announcement made by President Goodluck Jonathan, allows me to speculate that you were perhaps even unaware of such announcement until after it had been broadcast to the nation! I may be wrong, but what unnerved me more is how you willingly agreed to head this so-called “Palliative” committee – as reported in the press. We are made to understand that your committee will oversee and ensure the effective and timely implementation of projects to be funded with the savings accruing to the Federal Government from the subsidy removal regime. We understand that retired Major-General Mamman Kontagora will serve as your deputy chairman and the board would also include two representatives of the National Assembly, two from organised labour, one National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) member, one representative of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, one representing Nigerian women groups, another for Nigerian youths, one representative of civil society organisations, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy/Finance, National Planning, Petroleum Resources, the Minister of State for Health, the Special Adviser to the President on Technical Matters, and six reputable individuals from the six geopolitical zones in the country, three of whom will be women. A formidable number, but what to do, really, that in all honesty the regular machinery of government should not be able to handle – provide social services, better facilities, improved health and education services, create employment, better the living conditions of the poor? Are these not the same reasons why we have a government, in any case? Methinks that in the search for a way to counter the seeming lack of credibility and absence of trust that hangs around its neck like an albatross, government finds easy solution in riding on the back of your untainted reputation.
The mandate of the board is to oversee the fund in the petroleum subsidy savings account, and the programmes specifically initiated to improve the quality of life of Nigerians in line with the transformation agenda of the president. These are not bad things to do. But Nigerians are asking different questions, Sir. Nigerians have been asking government these same questions since this whole subsidy ‘regime’ started, but have received only loud silence as an answer. Perhaps you are in better position to ask them these questions. Maybe you should, before you embark on your new endeavour.
Questions like:
Why do the refineries not work?
Why the reluctance to repair them and/or build new ones?
How much does a litre of crude cost?
Which companies have the contracts to import fuel?
What happens exactly at Atlas Cove?
What is the role of Mt. Tuma in the importation process?
Which companies own the oil licences and who owns these companies?
Why is it impossible to audit or probe the Petroleum Ministry, NNPC, PPMC and DPR?
Do any serving or former ministers or senior government officials own oil blocks?
What happened to monies earned on removal of subsidy on diesel?
Why have kerosine prices remained high?
Why does government ignore other solutions to the problem, like a reduction in cost of governance, salary reduction of executive and National Assembly members, reduced spending, etc?
Why is the President spending a billion naira on food alone?
How much did PDP spend on the last election?
Where did the money come from?
Did Petroleum Minister, Dieziani Allison-Madueke, make any returns to the party, courtesy the oil marketers?
How much money?
Who is afraid of Tam David-West?
There are many more niggling questions, but if you begin with these and appreciate the scarcity of answers, Ambassador, you may also come to appreciate our concern. Many of our fellow Nigerians believe that by the time we finally find truthful answers to these questions, we have found solutions to our problems, and that there was no need for any ‘subsidy’ in the first place, or, it never existed anyway. Actually, you may need to know that most Nigerians think that subsidy actually is another word for ‘corruption.’
It may also interest you to know that a few legal loopholes seem to surround the veracity of your board. Many legal experts are claiming that it is both illegal and unconstitutional, since as the committee was not constituted at the instance of an Act of the National Assembly, the body was in conflict with the 1999 constitution.
I was further worried by your rather rushed response to the offer – in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay, you not only accepted, but also gave your full support to the removal of the petroleum subsidy. Somehow this decision does not seem to fully align with the image of the man I had regaled ever so often. In an upcoming book, targeted at future leadership, I write about heroes and role models. Permit me to extract a few paragraphs:
“Who is your role model? If you don’t already have a role model, maybe you think you’re so good you don’t need one. Huge mistake! No matter the profession you choose, or your calling in life, without a role model, without an example of leadership, of virtue, of selflessness, of professionalism, or of excellence, it will be hard to find your true place in the sun. Your role model may even be a person outside the frame of your course of study or profession. Such person may be an inspirational figure, who has exhibited selfless virtues, or a political figure that has an unblemished record of service to mankind, or even a warrior who has performed magnanimous feats of bravery and machismo. There are hundreds of extraordinary personalities to choose from-literary icons, great statesmen and leaders, religious figures, and motivational speakers.
Aside from my broadcast models, I have three people whose lives I have greatly admired to the extent of adulation. One is Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, a man who was sacrificed – a kind word to employ, since in reality he was brutally murdered, for ‘peace’ to reign in his country, Nigeria. By his political struggles and eventual death, MKO as he was popularly called, exhibited unmatched selflessness, a virtue rarely found among Nigerians. More so, as he was perhaps one of the richest men in the world at the time he died. Abiola had everything, yet he was willing to give it all up just so others could have a better life. Totally un-Nigerian behavior – some say one thing the average Nigerian cherishes most is his love of life!
The extraordinary Madiba ranks side-by-side with MKO. Without a single iota of doubt, no other human being gives the world a better example of selflessness, commitment, discipline, honesty, virtue and trustworthiness than South African icon, Nelson Rohilala Mandela. Twenty-seven years of incarceration! Then selflessly relinquishing political leadership after one term in office! He is definitely a modern day saint!
My third hero is a professional senior who moved on to excel in the corporate world, and by virtue of his profound experience, good nature, and perfect composure eventually became a foremost diplomatic representative ambassador. Dr. Christopher Kolade is the perfect example you need of the essential virtues of simplicity and contentment. More importantly, I have never heard any other black person speak the English language so well! A complete gentleman! So, my friend, seek out a role model, professional or otherwise, and watch as the good examples enshrined in their behaviors and deeds begin to empower you and increase your performance.”
I am presently still pretty numb, but I must say, Sir, that If you do decide to go on to lead this palliative committee – and the decision is entirely yours still, sadly, I and many other Nigerians who had looked up to you and lived by your pristine standards all these years, may become so discouraged to begin to alter a few of our established priorities. I, personally, may be left with no choice but to re-edit that part of my book, above! By the way, I checked up on the meaning of the word, palliative again. Palliative: ( pæl-i-yê-tiv ). Remedy that alleviates pain without curing. It’s never going to be a win-win situation, Sir! The problem will not just go away.
We would all love to celebrate with you on your 90th birthday, Ambassador Kolade, Sir. Do be strong!
Femi Sowoolu.