Life as it is known, is full of contradictions, making it difficult for people of lesser minds, who in other words are not perceptive to be able to discern and choose the good, and refuse the evil, as the case may be. The declaration of the choice of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the man of the year, by the Editors of This Day Newspaper and Arise TV, came to Nigerians within and outside the country as a shock, thereby generating a controversy. What immediately came to mind, after the announcement was made, was the choice of the President-elect, Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, by the Time Magazine, as the man of the year. Looking at the two personalities, and the circumstances, especially those that are obvious, surrounding their choices, paints a clear picture of a disparity, which makes it unthinkable to have the two individuals nominated for the same award. Nonetheless, one cannot overlook the difference in the mindsets of the judges, especially because they happened in different countries and were made possible by people of different mental capacity and ideologies.
The choice of Donald Trump, as the man of the year, has not in any way removed the stigma around him, being the first American President with a criminal conviction, but the truth remains that the election that gave him the victory was free, credible and fair, hence, the lack of litigations in any of the courts of the land. It is important to note that the choice of Trump was strictly on the mystery surrounding his second coming, four years after he was voted out of office, and in spite of his alleged insurrection mastermind against the Capitol Hill on January 6th 2021, as well as two failed assassination attempts on his life. It is important that we get this picture clear and appreciated.
However, the case of the choice of our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was connected to what he intends to do, though which he has begun, with negative effects of unprecedented hunger and poverty on Nigerians as the results, and with promises of hope for a better life in the future. This picture is completely different from that of the President-elect, Donald Trump, and cognizant of the fact that no one builds a reputation on what he intends to do. To the Editors of This Day Newspaper and Arise TV, their actions regarding the choice of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the woman of the year, do not add up in line with wise decision-making activity, for it only paint a picture of one who is just trying to stumble into the future, and not creating the future for himself. Similarly, the inclusion of Mr. Dele Farotimi’s name on the list of the titans of the year is hypocritical, deceptive, diversionary, and a way of justifying the irregularities made regarding the choices of the prospective awardees. Furthermore, the decisions reached by the judges of the This Day Newspaper and Arise TV are tantamount to the wise saying of the book of Ecclesiastes 10 verse 1, which says:
“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour”. A miss is as good as a mile. Let the organizers of events like this, not allow their faces to be covered by the veil of sycophancy and be well instructed in this manner;
“If to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work. Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.”- George Washington
We recall with dismay, some of the happenings that have taken place in Nigeria and against Nigerians, between May 25, 2023 and now, which include: the unprecedented hunger, which has led to the loss of precious lives of Nigerians with the most recent and obvious in the stampede in Ibadan, where the precious lives of 35 children were lost, in Abuja, and in Anambra, leading to the loss of a total number of lives of 67 citizens. Nigerians cannot also forget in a hurry, the protest against bad governance and hunger, where precious lives of Nigerians were lost as made possible by the high-handedness of the security agents and with impunity. Record also shows that inflation is at 30%, food inflation is at 40%, and unemployment rate is at an unimaginable high. Just of recent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report of 2024, revealed that Nigerians paid N2.23 trillion as ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024.
It is with dismay also that Nigerians, as well as the citizens of the world received the news that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria has claimed the top spot among a parade of the world’s most ruthless, corrupt leaders. The infamous award came after the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) called for citizens worldwide to nominate individuals worthy of taking the spotlight for their roles in advancing criminal activities while aggravating poverty. The group, which coordinates a network of investigative journalists and activists around the world, said the Nigerian leader came third after a vote by participants.”
On a final note, the Editors of the This Day Newspaper and Arise TV owe Nigerians, as a matter of moral obligation, a clear description of what manner of man of the year 2024 is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and as soon as possible to avoid being complicit in the enthronement of corruption and bad governance in Nigeria.
“View the whole world and with impartial eyes. Consider and examine all that rise. Weigh well their actions and their treacherous ends, how greatness grows and by what steps ascends, what murders, treasons, perjuries, deceits, how many fall to make one monster great.” Together, we can make our country Nigeria work, for nothing is impossible for a willing mind. God bless Nigeria.
By Samuel Tunji Adeyanju
GMN Chief Executive Officer, USA
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