Trickster Gbajabiamila’s cleverly packaged deception bait
TODAY I mean to keep my promise to do a follow- up on the submissions Professors Ibrahim Bello- Kano and Ademola Da sylva tendered and as illustrated here regarding our national Trickster Speaker who by now cannot but appear as nothing but a vulnerable creature in torments of mind of every ASUU member. Certainly, after the illustrations of 11 November and 18 November respectively, ASUU’S stimulatingly enigmatic and enigmatically stimulating Trickster, our dear Speaker, who was once a happy creature, as he dallied with a hidden wish in his interactions with the academic union of logically brilliant minds, can no more be a happy creature.
The afore- said illustrations which appeared here politely but sensitively revealed our foremost polifoolician in our House of Reps as a dallier who merely dallied with the emotions and affections of ASUU’S first eleven officials. Of course, for the trickster and dallier, all the times that the officers of ASUU interacted with him, he cleverly hid his powerful deceptive impulses. I believe, however, and strongly too, that the powerful patriotic impulses of ASUU’S officers allowed them to collaborate with the merciless deceiver and breaker of all patriotic values which include sincerity, truth, trust, the bent towards good and vital ethics of healthy politics. All of these go against the conventional ethics and conventional creeds of the deceptive deceiver whose will to power is the will to deceive every now and then and perpetually so.
With this brief philosophical specimen that every worthy follower of Nietzsche would applaud, I now will bring to my readers further thoughts of some readers I similarly promised to bring to you today. I am dwelling on the short messages. Longer ones in the forms of un- short essays are still being kept in abeyance. I wish to record my especial gratitude to all of you – readers, callers, contributors, whose collective encouragement helps to decide this column week after week. Please enjoy the remarks of readers who generously spared time from their engagements to rescue me from the hatred of partisanship.
Professor Igho Natufe ( 1): Thanks for your explicit exposition of the foolishness and bankruptcy of governance in Nigeria. I do hope and pray that someday, very soon, a halt will be brought to the reign of “polifoolicians” in Nigeria. Gradually, but surely. Spontaneity is the mother of invention. Professor Igho Natufe ( 2): You have strong allies in Professors Ibrahim Bello- Kano and Ademola Da Sylva. Two powerfully profound scholars. On the ASUU- Federal Government wrestling match, Professor Da Sylva’s advice is germane where he stated that ASUU must not be caught off guard, nor should it swallow the bait of deception being cleverly packaged. Along with this advice, ASUU must also guard against fifth columnists within its rank. Congratulations for standing firm in the struggle against the oppressors.
Suyi Ayodele ( Tribune columnist): God bless Professors Da Sylva and IBK. How ASUU leadership allowed an unstable mind like Gbaja to talk it out of the strike beats my imagination. If I were in ASUU Exco, I would never sit down with any politician to negotiate ASUU’S demands! These sets of locusts are more devastating than the locusts that invaded Egypt. But like I told you in the past, posterity has a positive pen to ink your contribution to this struggle for the emancipation of the soul of our educational system, and you are on the affirmative side!
Dr. Edafe Mukoro: I must submit this piece that unveils the true character of Nigeria’s modern “polifoolicians” – your very creative coinage – and indeed “the President of Taciturnity” - your apt description of Mr. President. They are agents of bad leadership, who use the instrument of the courts to suppress and suffocate those they can’t measure up with intellectually. I am very satisfied that ASUU proved themselves during the negotiations. They had nothing to prove as they floored the federal government on all grounds. Being who they are, the floored and flawed government and its agents resorted to using their instrument of intimidation, what Fela the late Afrobeat King called “instrument of magic.” Mustafa Yasuf- Adebola: Interesting articles from you as always. We cherish you in the diaspora. I heard someone say on air recently that if Gbaja was indeed a saviour, why did he wait for eight months before intervening? I endorse that person’s view. Professor Owojecho Omoha ( 1): “Undemocratic republic of polifoolicians.” My Soul worked on this magnificent piece and described you a Creator, but out of something from politicians to “polifoolicians.” And do you know the elements never appeared on your Whatsapp page? The Soul failed to direct the heart to send, and forgetfulness took over, dear unmatchable columnist and top man of letters. I don’t feel sorry for what’s best for the Soul. No regrets for the piece. “ASUU in the Undemocratic Republic of polifoolicians.” What a marvellous piece!
Professor Owojecho Omoha ( 2): On “Trickster Gbajabiamila.” Again, you have floated “desimulation” for simulation of the tricksters, “Gbajabiamilas.” Wait, we will pull truth from their heels. Wait, and your waiting will de- emulate that of Godot.
These samples ( or gallery) of readers indicate clearly that Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila’s intervention in the FGN- ASUU ding- dong embodies a philosophy that is not based on a genuine concern for our university dons and public universities as well as tertiary education in general. All our readers, including those not presently listed here, do not find this a matter for rejoicing. To appreciate Polifoolician Gbajabiamila’s bait of a trickster is to treat the dallier as a joke. In fact, anyone who gives him admiration will be partaking in appreciation of broad farce. And I am inclined to believe that all the times of his false and pretentious rubbing of minds with ASUU executive members and the days he allotted to his education summit constituted his silly season to consign ASUU to his carefully controlled apron strings of lofty poses that could not but reveal the man in his historic hollowness. Whether I am wrong or not wrong will be proved by the outcome of his education summit and how well Aso Rock owner- less owner will agree with him. The dons and their students and all stakeholders may end up being conned and wrongfooted again by the deceptive baiter.
A few weeks or months back he posted a video of himself at Harvard University where he allegedly was undergoing a vanity or egoistic course or programme. How did that course or programme help him to help the fortunes of our public universities? On this score, it is part of my task here and now to defend our public universities that are only “inferior” to Harvard University in terms of infrastructure and international presence of students and faculties there. Our academic staff can competently compete with Harvard’s once facilities are generously provided or improved and robustly financial and financially robust remunerations are guaranteed here as ASUU has rightly argued. I say so without qualms and without illusions. The inhuman forces in government ruining our public education and institutions, and who foolishly want to win victory over ASUU will not want to hearken to my factual and truthful statement.
Let the snooker and chess gamer and his cohorts and hailers do as they please. Soon they will realise that this is ASUU’S finest hour. I am going to affirm this again and again. But what do I exactly mean? Exactly what I exactly mean. The great day of wrath is hurrying nigh. What do I un- pompously mean? Exactly what I un- pompously mean. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Thot! Thunder!!!