Aisha Alhassan: Now that your Sainthood is over ~By Fejiro Oliver

I love loyalty. I value it a lot. My loyalty to friendship is second to none. I have been in serious cases to let friends face the shame of their life but I chose to pay the sacrifice. 

I love loyalty to leaders and boss. It is such loyalty that I’m ever grateful to Otuya Victor who gave me my national break as a political/line editor of a National Newspaper, the defunct Metropolitan Newspaper.

It is same life loyalty I owe Daniel Elombah of Elombah.com for making me the star of his platform till I left gracefully after seeking his prayers and boss blessing.

It is same loyalty I owe Hilary Ibegbulem who had never seen me but threw in all he had when I had my first journalism baptism of fire in Niger State. Such loyalty can’t be bought with position or fattest of coins; they are earned.

Let me shock you. Few days ago, I had a serious battle with my Co-Publishers over what they called ‘unnecessary loyalty to Okowa’ where they threatened to pull out of the paper to float their own if we don’t go back to our ethics and business orientation of media practice. 

To prove how serious they were, they went ahead to register Brave Reporters Headquartered in Spain. We were however able to navigate through the storm and came back as one. Loyalty almost tore up an establishment that took two solid years to build.

Why this sermon on loyalty? Mama Taraba has proven that she has a root, that despite her position in a Federal Cabinet, she has not lost touch of the person that made her who she is today. She’s a lesson in political loyalty to today’s politicians and the future ones.

But this is Nigeria where APC is in power. To the party, loyalty to another person outside the President is political treason that calls for the hangman. 

In APC, no matter your sins, as long as you’re loyal to Buhari and the cabals around him, you are robed in sainthood. You are automatically whiter than white and more Catholic than the Pope. All sins past and present are soaked in the blood of Buhari and washed away.

We celebrate you Mama Taraba and ever will do for not allowing the lures of office and gains of the moment forget your benefactor. But your woes begins today. Your years as Registrar in Abuja Federal High Court will be X-rayed beginning from next week and EFCC will feast on you once the lords of the Villa give a go-ahead.

Already the little N12 million you used in fishing out non-existing ghost workers in your ministry has been dug out. This is just a preamble to what is to come. You will become the first victim for Atiku and will be the first casualty in the battle to tame Atiku’s unending ambition.

Your Sainthood has been removed off you. The veil that covered your multitude of sins has been uncovered and henceforth you will face the media trial. 

But do not despair, you have us as a people who believe in you and your conscience not to abandon the ship that brought you to shore.

Now that your sainthood is over, brace up for the challenges ahead. You have a Savior in Garba Shehu who would have spewed out press releases on your tantrums to the Presidency.

But like you; he has also not forgotten the pool that gave him water. Like you, his loyalty to Atiku had killed his usual ATIKUlation of such matter.

Now that the sainthood is over, now that the romance is over, we will stand with you who is loyal to your conscience and not bread and butter.

These little things matter…

© Fejiro Oliver (God’s Pen of Morality)

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