PARK WELL, ASHIWAJU

Why am I not surprised at Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's 10 paragraph blasting of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu over the latter's innocuous admittance that he was not a magician? 

Commenting on the lingering fuel scarcity in the country recently, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu apologized to Nigerians for the long queues they are currently witnessing in fuel stations and urged them to be patient as his ministry was working on long term solutions. Few days later in another comment, he reportedly stated that he was not a magician to be able to solve the fuel crisis overnight.

The latter statement is precisely what has drawn the Ashiwaju's ire. Even though directed at Kachikwu, any discerning fellow would know that, to all intents and purposes, the tone of Ashiwaju's statement showed that he was actually criticizing President Buhari. 

But of course he was clever enough to know that he had to tread carefully and not criticize Buhari directly. Hence he took out his frustration on Kachikwu.

It seems Ashiwaju has been waiting for opportunity to vent his spleens on Buhari haven not succeeded in making the President accede to all his wishes. Everyone knew Who Ashiwaju really wanted as Petroleum minister but could not openly canvass for for obvious reasons. The other Tinubu of course. The Oando guy. 

But President Buhari said no way, and appointed himself to that position. And of course he chose  a man who had a reputation, knowledge and the necessary gravitas in the petroleum industry. He chose Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to be his minister of state for petroleum resources.

And that put paid to a burning desire to have a foothold in the petroleum sector. Bukola  Saraki's emergence as Senate President against Tinubu's preferred candidate, and Buhari's apparent disinterest in playing the National Assembly politics, coupled with the President's refusal to fund the APC drove further wedge into the Ashiwaju's political schemes.

Given the foregoing, something was bound to break. It is no surprise then, that Kachikwu's otherwise innocuous comment would attract such vicious distemper from the Ashiwaju. 

I don't know when candour and truth became offense in this country of ours. Kachikwu said what we all knew – that he was not a magician. That is the plain truth. Or is he a magician? 

Kachikwu is a first class brain. He is a lawyer, but not your typical everyday lawyer who sees white and tries to convince you to accept it as black. Kachikwu is a lawyer with a difference. Perhaps that is why he is not in private practice. He says things the way they are and calls black black. If he were otherwise he wouldn't have risen in Exxon Mobil to become that oil giant's Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel for Africa before he became Minister. 

May be Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is yet to wake up to reality. May be he is yet to realize that change has truly happened;  that this is the era of truth, the era of saying things as they are, the era of telling Nigerians the plain truth even if it is bitter, the era of not coating lies in sugar. 

For Many years Nigerians were fed lies coated in sugar. Now that they are beginning to get used to bitter truth from their leaders, Tinubu wants to throw spanner in the works. Why? Has Tinubu not realized that TRUTH is the essence of the CHANGE Nigerians voted for? Was it not truth that is the underlying philosophy that informed APC's Change mantra. So what if I may ask, is now wrong with telling the truth?

Ashiwaju should please park well joor.