And Four Other Things…

MATA FIRE

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has been very outspoken since he lost his reelection bid. He said “presidency” sent soldiers to ensure his loss because of his opposition to the naira recolouring policy. Last week, Matawalle fired more shots, saying the EFCC should not focus its investigations on governors alone but also on “presidency” officials. But as it turned out, the EFCC said Matawalle is being probed over allegations of money laundering. About N70 billion was mentioned. He too has accused Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, the EFCC chair, of demanding a $2 million bribe from him, an allegation Bawa has denied. I am eager to see how this will pan out. Drama.

ATIKU BLINKS

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, was unhappy that Mr Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, president-elect, ahead of the May 29 inauguration. Atiku said he was in disbelief because it was a contradiction to the “publicly stated position” of the US. I don’t understand. The only “publicly stated position” of the US government was its congratulatory message to Tinubu after the election, which so infuriated Chimamanda Adichie, Peter Obi’s supporter, that she wrote an open letter to President Joe Biden. Obi too has weighed in, saying the US should have waited for the outcome of litigation. Really?

FLOOD OF BLOOD

The attack on the convoy of US consulate staff and police officers in Anambra state on Tuesday was absolutely disheartening. Their trip to Ogbaru LGA was in respect of a US-funded flood-control project in a state perennially at the mercy of erosion and flooding. Seven persons were killed, including four policemen, with their bodies burnt. The police have blamed the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its twin, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), for the attack. When you think things are getting calmer and better, then a sudden destruction. How long shall citizens live in fear? I hope this will be a turning point in the war against insecurity in the south-east. Disturbing.

MENU CARD

Hilda Effiong Bassey “Baci” has cooked her way into the Guinness World Record for marathon cooking, pending ratification. She cooked nonstop for 87 hours and 50 minutes. The record was held by Lata Tondon, the Indian chef who did 87 hours and 45 minutes in September 2019. Guinness records are not what they used to be — people now stage-manage feats — but I was delighted to be a Nigerian yet again with the national solidarity Hilda got. It feeds into my theory that when you take politicking out of the plate, Nigerians do not really hate one another. There is a Naija spirit that binds us together. If only the politicians would take patriotic advantage of this melting pot! Delicious.