Ahmed Yahaya – Joe
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands during times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)
For anybody with Fulani blood running through their veins “Neaaaaku” is mandatory. Just as “Ngorgu” is necessary. Chief Robert Clarke, SAN not only encompasses both but also possesses “Munyal” being born of a Fulani mother and British father on whose grave the octogenarian recently swore by concerning the cliff hanger Nigeria is under the current dispensation precariously dangling from.
Despite Nigeria currently spinning out of control, I do not subscribe to Clarke’s prescription of “allowing military governance….which means all governors must go, all legislators must go.”
Truth is our collective destiny cannot be entrusted to the present generation of the Nigerian military.
By training and orientation today’s officer corps are a poor reflection of their eminent predecessors like the Yakubu Gowons, David Ejoors, Hassan Usmans and Mamman Shuwas. Those were outstandingly magnificent officers and gentlemen.
This is however a new century. There has been a paradigm shift with the intervening generation of the Buharis, IBBs and Abachas. Vexacious political problems now require amicable political solutions. And not the barrel of a gun.
His position notwithstanding Clarke eminently qualifies as an elder statesman using Martin Luther King’s axiom. The Jos born legal luminary abhorred neutrality at the face of the national calamity bedevilling Nigeria. It is perhaps the least expected from Clarke, a secondary school classmate of Fela Kuti.
Like many Nigerians I have carefully read the Defence Headquarters response to Chief Clarke. I have also followed up on the DSS advisory that almost immediately followed. All are welcome.
Yet no direct word from the man in the arena himself – President Muhammadu Buhari?
While it is not presidential responding to every political dart these are unusual times.
One would have expected before the saliva had dried in the mouths of the spokespersons of DHQ and DSS, Mr. President would have already made a brief “guest appearance” to the nation by at least not reading from any prepared text by his speechwriters. Clarke’s intervention though not sacrosanct is nevertheless in the patriotic context a national wake-up call.
I cannot confirm if Chief Clarke has ever been a subscribing member of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) or Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GADFAN) or indeed Fulani Christian Association of Nigeria (FULCAN). Neither can I ascertain his chieftaincy title is from another of his classmates Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, the incumbent Osile of Oke-Ona in Egbaland.
All I know his British father died while elder statesman was still in his infancy. He remained in the custody of his mother until Clarke the elder’s expatriate friends probably congregated at the famous lounge of the Jos Hill Station with that peculiar rock outcrop in its middle to evaluate the situation before dispatching young Robert variously to the CMS and Abeokuta Grammar Schools at Bariga and Abeokuta respectively.
The Jos boy would over there variously rub shoulders in the same sets as Ernest Shonekan and Doja Adewolu, elder brother to OBJ. Clarke would often reunite with his mother cross country during school holidays.
Clarke who was elevated to the enviable class of SAN silk robes in 2006 was admitted to study Law at UNILAG in 1970. Perhaps in his memoirs he would offer an explanation why he did not pick up the offer of admission from ABU, Zaria.
Anyway, before then he had been in the employ of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) where he rose to be General Secretary of Nigerian dockworkers. After being called to the Bar he re-joined NPA as Legal Officer sharing the same office with a former soldier turned lawyer who would later be CJN Aloysius Katsina-Alu.
After leaving NPA the British-Nigerian lawyer would later join a surviving segment of Nigeria’s first law firm established in 1948 by Chiefs Rotimi Williams, Bode Thomas and Babaremilekun Fani-Kayode. Bode Thomas, legal adviser of the fledging Egbe Omo Oduduwa had in 1944 successfully defended the Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello at a Zaria appeal court after the latter had been convicted for misappropriating Jangali (cattle tax) by a Sultanate court which had sentenced him to 1 year imprisonment.
Lawyer Thomas extricated his client 3 months into the term. That same segmented chambers would in the mid 80s have a certain Malam Abba Kyari, later President Buhari’s Chief of Staff heading its Kaduna chambers.
Clark would eventually open his own firm in Jos with the Turakin Sokoto since 1962, Alhaji Shehu Shagari as one of his earliest clients.
Was Chief Clarke fair to insinuate PMB had lost it? Are Nigerians being duly unfair with the avalanche of criticisms and condemnation of President Buhari? Is there a crisis of over expectation on him? Is Mr. President really doing his best in rolling back the massive insecurity consuming our nation? Has his power and authority been hijacked by a faceless cabal pushing the nation to the brink with a nefarious agenda as widely speculated?
Or is Mr. President fully complicit? Is it really well with the chief tenant at the Villa? Would our good old General Buhari that succinctly declared of Nigeria “We shall stay and salvage it together” so brazenly beg Americans to relocate the headquarters of AFRICOM to help fight our insecurity battles by proxy? Haba!
Yet these are some of the too many questions and too few answers rocking our nation. Something got to eventually give.
Managing conflicting perceptions in such a diverse and complex entity as Nigerian is not a Saturday morning picnic. Particularly, in a Social Media age. President Buhari was not sufficiently prepared for the rigorous assignment he had invested 12 years of his prime age pursuing prior to 2015.
The deteriorating signs and symptoms of Nigeria’s leadership disconnect are obvious to our collective detriment.
The blame should be squarely situated with his handlers who ought to have known better than to allow Nigeria dangerous sail into the uncharted territory of dire straits. Unfortunately, his vociferous supporters have even made things worst by mischievously distorting the narrative reinventing genuinely concerned Nigerians as “haters”.
There is however light at the end of the tunnel which is simply PMB stepping aside and VP Yemi Osinbajo elevated to President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces – constitutionally.
This will not only resuscitate the badly battered remnants of President Buhari’s legacy but salvage Nigeria in the process. The destiny of our nation is bigger than any one individual.
Besides it is the best option to Chief Robert Clarke’s prescription of “allowing military governance.”
