MISDIRECTION: THE MORE YOU LOOK, THE LESS YOU SEE.

Only this morning, I was embroiled in an argument about Nigeria's recent anti-same sex legislation. This is a very touchy topic especially between people of different opinions on the issue and as expected, the argument devolved from fact to personality attacks.

I have on numerous occasions given air to my opinion on the vexatious issue on my blogs, facebook and twitter accounts and I have gotten the vilest of biles for it. Still, it doesn't change a damn thing.

I steadfastly maintain that a society where homosexuality is viewed as normal and healthy is a dysfunctional one capable of endangering generations unborn. If we must condone homosexuality as the West tells us to, hell, let them condone polygamy, paedophilia and bestiality because the world has no right to tell a person who to love.

That being said, this is not an attempt in any way to commend the National Assembly for speedily passing the bill, or the Goodluck Jonathan administration for assenting to it. In fact, I am truly amazed at how quick it took for the bill to become law. Was it not only last year when the bill was first read in the Senate?

Remarkable!

The political class were obviously motivated for reasons best known to them. I don't know if this is as a result of the threat by the West some time last year to cease Foreign Aid to African countries that fail to embrace homosexuality as a way of life or whether there's another clandestine reason. I am only surprised that a dead-beat system can work this fast when the leaders are motivated.

In the mean time, I would like to ask what's up with the Petroleum Industry Bill...

No matter! What's done is done. However, I will commend our lawmakers and our president for their more awesome ability at performing magic tricks; notably, misdirection.

Nobody understands the psyche of the average Nigerian more than the Nigerian politician. The other group that comes close is our "men of God" but that is the topic of another day. Our politicians understands that the Nigerian masses are one big mob perpetually strung on  high doses of frenzy and guided by euphoria.

How does this Anti-Gay Law enhance development in Nigeria, or better her economy and the pathetic living standards of her people and more importantly, checkmate the awe-inspiring leviathan called corruption that bestrides our political space like a colossus? It doesn't!

I have seen the social media space lavish praises on Mr. President and the National Assembly for taking this indeed, bold step to criminalize same-sex relations. In the mass hysteria that has followed the US condemnation of this new law, we have failed to see this for what it really is; misdirection.

Only last year, the Minister for Aviation was in the news for purchasing two bullet-proof BMWs at outrageous prices in the wake of an airline disaster. More recently, it has come to light that our beloved minister did a "Toronto" on us. She hoodwinked this same Senate we praise now into believing she had a qualification she never had. In the midst of the outrage that followed, Stella Oduah, the Presidency and other "stakeholders" have maintained golden silence.

This is just one of many issues that has been swept under the carpet. The Nigerian masses have shown an insatiable hunger for sensationalism and instead of good roads, constant power, employment and better living conditions, prudence in governance and all that other good stuff, this is what we get; a new sensational topic to make us all forget the things that really matter.

I'm sure the Presidential Media team headed by the amiable Dr. Reuben Abati can now heave a sigh of relief as the attention of the mob has been momentarily diverted. Heck, maybe Stella Oduah can now take a ride in peace in her bullet-proof BMW and no one will notice...

Long live Nigeria!

Malcolm O. Ifi.

Malcolm tweets at @saymalcolm

THE POLITICS OF SENSATIONALISM OR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM?

Hello all,

Happy 2014!

I apologize for my absence. It was due to circumstances beyond my control...well, not really, though. I just decided to stay away from politics for a while and focus on other things. Well, Malcolm the storyteller is back now and without further ado, to the matter on ground!

Yesterday, I saw a news report...no, a link rather by Sahara Reporters stating that Kenyans had ridiculed President Jonathan over the presidential fleet when he visited Kenya to take part in their just concluded Independence Day celebration. I didn't bother to click the link to see the video because there was no report attached.

However, I was surprised to see that the link had metamorphosed into a frenzy especially twitter. It all started with a tweet of the link by former FCT Minister and well known stalwart of the APC, Mallam Nasir El Rufai; a retweet by blogger Japheth Omojuwa and an unguarded, uncouth response by Presidential Media Spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati.

I was forced to visit the link as posted by SR and I was totally disappointed. In an obviously edited video of less than 15 seconds, I saw a woman who's identity is yet to be confirmed, allege that the President of Nigeria arrived Kenya with 7 private jets!

While such a farce may not be impossible, it raised serious issues in my head that ought to be considered quite seriously because of its far reaching consequences.  

Nigeria is at a crucial period of her democratic history considering the fact that she has had uninterrupted democracy in over a decade. Though the dividends of democracy are yet to trickle down to masses, there is still hope that it will.

However, it is pathetic that the only constant thing since the inception of the Fourth Republic is that Nigeria's international image has suffered massively. She is now known by the international community as the den of criminals; a view which has not been helped by the countless criminal escapades and roguery of past and present public officials.

More recently, the campaign of calumny managed by APC which hopes to unseat the ruling party PDP is something that should cause worry in the mind of any rational Nigerian. It is correct that PDP has failed woefully in its mandate to yield the dividends of democracy but is the APC going to be any better?

With the APC extending it's arms to the disgruntled and renegade members of PDP to fill up its ranks in a bid to snatch power from PDP at all costs, one is left to wonder what an APC future holds. A friend of mine made a comment last year that rang so true. He said, "Nigeria is a PDP nation. APC does not exist". Though the statement has a partisan tint to it, it cannot be further from the truth. APC is gradually becoming another acronym for PDP.

That is by the way side: rumours have been rife that the whistle-blowing Sahara Reporters is a contraption of the APC. While the veracity of that is yet to be ascertained, I am beginning to see them in a new light.

Until yesterday, I had the utmost respect for the online newspaper for the role it has played in bringing to light the unbelievable excesses of the public officers of this political dispensation, the most recent being the Stella Oduah Saga which in my opinion, is a masterpiece of investigative journalism.

However, the posting of the link without an attempt at verification smacks of partisan mischief which is no longer far-fetched. The Youtube link that appeared on SR's website with a sensational headline was totally devoid of a report affirming or denying the truthfulness of the allegations of the "Kenyan" woman.

The headline of course caught the attention of Nigerians and without any serious investigation, people jumped into conclusions that further castigated the already battered image of the Presidency. Poor Reuben Abati who must have been infuriated lost control of his emotions and tweeted a tactless statement most unbecoming of a presidential spokesman.

It is good to criticize a government that seems to be losing it's way but at what point do we draw the line between criticisms aimed at causing disaffection and constructive criticism? This is where I have a problem with APC. They only seem to be good at pointing fingers without offering suggestions as to solutions.

Nigeria belongs to all of us and as a result, we must all play our roles to ensure that somehow we achieve the Nigeria of our dreams. Achieving the dream will not be by the vehicle of baseless and antagonistic criticisms by constructive criticism. This report by SR is the kind that has the tendency to overheat the polity needlessly. The fact that we have a profligate government does not make right the attempts to spread evil rumours about it. We who seek change ought to know better.

Young Nigerians who have overrun the social media space in what is seen by many as an unprecendented political awakening lambast the FG government daily. I will not lie, I am one of them but I have learned to draw the line. Sadly, I have not seen any of the opposition Twitter activists applaud this administration for the significant reduction in the activities of the dreaded militant sect, Boko Haram which has in recent times, made holiday seasons an "explosive" one. The FG may be doing a lot of things wrong but it is still doing some things right.

The Nigerian government is viewed with disdain by the world for her notorious profligacy, that's bad enough. However, desperate attempts such as this current one by SR should be seen for what it is; a smear campaign. Pray tell, why didn't SR release the full clip so that we know the genesis of the allegation if it didn't have a pocket full of mischief?

I think it's high time Nigerians start to criticize constructively. For the social media crowd, it is a poor testament of self to latch hopelessly on the opinions of relevance-seeking politicians, influential social media activists and unverifiable, sensational news headlines. We must learn to form opinions based on clear logic rather than herd-mentality sentiments.

MOI.