JUDE IMAGWE: LOVE, SYCOPHANCY, ENVY AND HYSTERIA? (Part 2)

.

Comrade Jude Imagwe

                                               

The acutely corrosive, deeply disheartening and mindlessly damaging practice of sycophancy which is the untrammelled and unrestrained praise of another person for favours or pecuniary reason is endemic in our society and permeates all spheres of the societal framework.

The issue of sycophancy is a systemic problem in our society which requires some radical and drastic measures to resolve. 

How to resolve this malaise is a discussion for another day since this article essentially bothers on the forth coming Bye Election in Etsako Federal Constituency of Edo State and the nomination of Comrade Jude Gabriel Imagwe (M.O.N.) as the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer for the election. 

Now, let's proceed with our discourse.

 On seeing that the sycophants and the genuine admirers of Jude were gaining ground and massively selling the sterling qualities of their preferred candidate, the other groups, the envious, the ingrate, the urchins, the wicked, those who feel they have an axe to grind with Jude and every other group except of course the sycophants and the genuine lovers of Jude became jittery and hysterically launched cyber attacks. 

The attacks came from all corners. They fired from all cylinders. Lolz...

Mundane, comical, false, ludicrous and obvious insane issues were raised on various platforms against the PDP candidate.

I carefully followed all. 

I also made frantic calls to those I considered as relevant and who were visibly angry at the choice of the PDP with a view to calming frayed nerves. Some of them are sincere sympathisers of the P.D.P; others are full blooded members of the Party or other political parties while others belong to the Civil Society Organisations.

Some immediately simmered down, others fire more vitriolic missiles.

While some had reasons to be genuinely aggrieved in view of what they told me, others were just unnecessarily insensitive, wicked, mischievous and envious (read jealous too) of the intimidating credentials and profile of Jude Imagwe. 

I observed clearly that some of those attacking Jude's personality have never had any direct contact with him. 

They just flowed with the bandwagon. The ‘Pull him Down’ (PhD) syndrome was unleashed on the Etsako East Local Government Area born stout Comrade.  

It became quite intense at a point and I was utterly amused, when one fellow who goes by the name Ajayi Peter on Mark Elliot Zuckerberg's Facebook wrote:

"hmmm, Jude Imagwe and Damisa, I can't forget in a hurry wat doze guys did to us way back".

 

I smiled and I quietly sent him a short mail. "Peter, I read your comment on a facebook post. What exactly did I do to you please? Kindly state it there. God bless you bro". 

As you read this, the unknown fellow has not replied to my message.

That is the level some mischievous elements can go in order to slander and destroy others. 

No wonder ex President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan opined on the 8th of October, 2009 while receiving members of the Future Nigeria Project in Abuja that "if we don't engage the energies of our youths productively, they will be exploited by mischievous elements for destructive purposes".

Quite clearly, on this issue, some people have been enlisted my benighted and unscrupulous individuals for destructive tendencies.

 Do I blame them? No I don't. I would rather sympathise with them because some of us have become too idle that we can even quarrel with an insect.   

Is it not amazing that the majority of us (including yours sincerely) running our mouths like the waging of the tail of a dog on Jude are not even from his primary constituency and as such we do not have any direct influence on the aftermath of the election results other than posting comments on the social media in which a large percentage of those who will vote in that election may never read? 

Sometimes, some people just overestimate themselves on issues that do not concern them and will never add to their bank accounts or heights. 

Is it not also curious that those now castigating and making impugnable comments have themselves hitherto served in one capacity or the other and came out wanting both in character and in disposition?

I have it on good authority that some of them have in fact benefited one thing or the other from this same man they are now seeking to be put in the gallows.

A summation of all the allegations made against Mr. Imagwe points to two issues. 

Firstly, as the Senior Special Assistant to President Jonathan on Youth and Students' Affairs, it was alleged that he was never accessible. (the word 'accessible' is quite ambiguous though)

The second issue was that he was not sharing money and that he did not reject the policeman attached to his office as the security man was always seen with him at functions. Some said he attends such functions in jeeps. Funny isn’t it?

While the first issue may be given consideration, the second one was borne out of greed, mischief and the lack of basic understanding of the workings of government and its officials especially at the Federal government level.

This issue is therefore totally ridiculous and laughable. 

Leadership is not a tea party affair and that is why it is extremely difficult to please everybody when in position of authority.

 However, one must seek to always protect the interest of the majority at every point in time because those you meet while on your way up are the same people you will meet on your way down. You must always meet people and they can make or mar you.

In all of this, unlike some of those making divisive and slanderous comments, the man Jude has never been accused of stealing or the misappropriation of public funds. So what is the hullabaloo all about?

With the nomination of a young, intelligent and vibrant Comrade Jude Imagwe, the leaders and delegates of the PDP have 'set us up' as young people.

Since there is an ongoing agitation for youth inclusiveness in governance, they have thus given us a real youth in a major election and they have stepped aside to watch how we will rally round our own and make him a member of the House of Representative. 

If you call yourself a youth, the ball is now in your court. Let's see how we will play this out for according to Martin Luther King Jr. "The time is always right to do what's right".

I conclude this article today by aligning myself completely with the potent words of President Jonathan who once said "If this country will achieve greatness, it is in the hands of the youths"

Nigerian youths, let's do what is right now and always for it is in our hands...! 

To be continued....

Itote Damisa is a Lawyer and a youth Advocate.  

JUDE IMAGWE: LOVE, SYCOPHANCY, ENVY AND HYSTERIA? (Part 1)

.

 

When one prominent personality in Nigeria told me that Comrade Jude Gabriel Imagwe (M.O.N) was being considered as a possible flag bearer for the forth coming Etsako Federal Constituency Bye Election, I had mixed feelings.

Comrade Jude Imagwe

                                                          

My first thought was that the Jude that I know may not even be willing to stand for the election in view of the prevailing circumstances in Nigeria especially as it relates to the independence of the Electoral Commission and the demonetization of the electoral process. 

Secondly, I felt the time was too short for any serious and effect campaigns and that this may just be the obstructing factor. 

As I gave it more consideration, something told me that Jude may accept the challenge just to prove a point that the youths can indeed break into the highest level of party politicking and successfully come out with something meaningful. 

Shortly afterwards, I got a message from him which read thus "I have just been given the Rep (House of Representatives) (ticket) for my Federal Constituency Bye Election. It came to me as a shock" 

As expected, I congratulated Comrade Jude Imagwe on his victory at the P.D.P primaries and I raised some issues which he never had the time to reply to even as I write this article.

When the news eventually broke out on the social media that Jude Imagwe was the PDP candidate for Etsako Bye Election, I waited to see the reactions this piece of news would generate. 

I immediately penned down and categorised how the reactions will flow in and I predicted how the various groups will react considering that Jude had had a stint with the Federal Government of Nigeria as an appointee of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and he had served at the highest level of Students' Union Movement in this country among other positions.  

To be more specific, I predicted and rightly so that the first group of people that will react are those I categorised as sycophants. 

These are people who will sing Jude's praises to high heavens. 

To the consternation of the other groups which we shall later, the sycophants will make all efforts to paint him as ‘Mr. Perfect’ who can make no mistakes or has never made any mistake in life. 

If one is not careful, you may even begin to see Jude as the second Jesus who will take away the contemporary sins of the world.

Within minutes, I was inundated with comments and posts on the various social media platforms. 

Some hailed Jude's party, the Peoples' Democratic Party, (PDP) for nominating him, while as usual, others condemned his choice. I shall dwell on the condemnation later.

I read things like "I can die for our leader, MON",

"we will deliver him", he must win o. 

"Clear road for our great leader" 

"Jude na my father, in fact, he assisted my father to impregnate my mother who gave birth to me, so all roads to Auchi for campaign" 

Some other sycophantic comments would read “let’s set up committee for mobilisation (and you know what setting up committee means).

 "Victory is sure", "I smell victory", 

"MON go carry us commot for street if he win" 

 

"Make we put all body o, Leader must win o" 

I laughed and tears almost rolled down my eyes when somebody said "The (NANS) secretariat must be relocated to that constituency until victory is sure!"

 

Can you beat that? The National Association of Nigerian students Secretariat must be relocated to Etsako for election purposes and to secure victory for a political party and its candidate. Omanshe o....

I am not oblivious of the fact that a large chunk of this group is just after what they can garner from Jude as they see every election as an end in itself. 

I can bet that over 90% of these individuals will rant only on the social media without following the Agenebode man to his constituency for campaigns. And if a few of them eventually do, Jude will have to pay handsomely for it.

If Jude makes the mistake of asking them to set up committee for campaign, you will be confronted with a huge amount of budget that will leave you very distressed about politics in its entirety!

In all honestly, I am not adverse to the opinions and views of this set of people; sycophancy will always be visible in any human organization including churches, mosques, working environment and of course in politics. 

Truth be told, a very few of these guys who make these absurd and incredible comments may just be sincere after all. 

 They may just be genuinely expressing their feelings at that material time, but they will most likely never match their words with tangible and corresponding actions.

Thus, I am quite sure that majority of those comments are outlandish, mendacious and misleading. If Jude believes them, then, he can believe even the devil. 

Well, am not bothered because I trust his (Jude's) discerning spirit, smartness and astuteness.  

But as young people, fawning must be discouraged, discarded and disallowed whenever one of us is involved in a positive project.

We must begin to reform and transform our minds. Once your attention is drawn to a project and you know you do not genuinely believe in it, you are at liberty to stay away no matter your closeness to the person involved. Express your honest opinion and leave at that. 

This may even be more advantageous to the individual in question if you extricate yourself. 

We don't need to sacrifice our human dignity on the altar of sycophancy just to prove a point or just to get something into your belle or curry home favour. 

Let's get real abeg. 

Itote Damisa is a Lawyer and a youth Advocate

BREAKING NEWS: CRISIS IN NANS AS CSO TO THE NANS PRESIDENT RESIGNS.

. 

Aruna Kadiri

      

A former Vice President (External Affairs) of the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS) and current Chief Security Officer (C.S.O) to the NANS President, Comrade Wealth I Ehimemen popularly called Morino has resigned from office. 

In a statement issued earlier today, Ehimemen, an Engineering graduate of the University of Benin alleged that the NANS President sent his Secretary to attack him over Christmas bonuses purportedly from the Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Osasere Orumwense. 

He also queried how the sum of N5,000,000.00 (five million Naira) allegedly collected as bribe over the recent skirmishes in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma on the increment of tuition was spent. 

In the statement, he alleged that only few people shared the money among themselves.

A Lawyer and Youth Advocate, Itote Damisa and some students of A.A.U have hitherto alleged that NANS has been bribed with huge sums of money to thwart the protest over the recent increment of school fees.

Details later. 

BRIGHT OKOEBOR AND HIS REVIEW OF NANS ACTIVITIES.

.

      Matters Arising.

                                                        

I read with amusement Mr. Bright Okoebor's post on his review of the activities of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and its leaders. 

According to him, his conclusion was that some of the leaders of NANS do not deserve his respect because of their greed, deceit and rapacious attitude.

He equally urged them to immediately expel themselves from Students' politics to focus on fatherhood and being great husbands to their wives. 

He fell short of shouting at the rooftop; "Leave Students' politics for real and genuine students and desist from being perpetual students". 

While condemning some of the alleged leaders of NANS, he singled out a few others for commendation! 

I couldn't help but laugh out loud over Okoebor's post. 

I think Bright Okoebor and several of us must also find a way to leave students' politics. 

We must avoid the tendency to hide under Students' Union Movement to perpetuate unholy acts of commercialization of Unionism and chronic greed. One of my friends has tagged it cash and carry Unionism.

We are wont to only voice out our grievances, pains and dissatisfaction when the 'spoils' do not get to us.

 We keep quiet if we are beneficiaries of the bounty.

Sadly, people like my wonderful friend, Mr. Richard Ekhutu, (the immediate past Deputy Coordinator, NANS Zone B) will sanctimoniously and vociferously rise in blind defense of treachery while others like my Edo North brother, Mr. Kassim Kadiri, a.k.a Kass (whom I doubt if I have met before) will sit by a corner of his sitting room and scornfully laugh at Ekhutu.

 Kadiri, from what I gathered is a Personal Assistant and direct younger to the NANS President, Aruna Kadiri.

The Kadiri brothers certainly know what is going in the organization and as such it won’t be unusual for the younger Kadiri to look on Ekhutu pitiably for obvious lack of knowledge of the happenings in his dear NANS.

Until we learn to always insist on the truth, we won't go forward as a people, because we will always remain hindered and encumbered. 

Truth must be upheld always whether or not it pleases you and no matter whose ox is gored. 

If we don't insist on the truth, we will all lack the moral rectitude, honesty, probity, sincerity, nobility, honour and uprightness to complain and or condemn when things do not flow in our direction. 

The aftermath of not upholding sincerity and truthfulness can be catastrophic.  

Not saying the truth will always remain an albatross, impediment, Achilles heels, restriction, regression and a stumbling block to progress in any organization in the long. This is where Nigeria has found herself.

However, before we make allegations, we must verify, confirm and re-verify.

 For me, I have done my due diligence (especially as it concerns the recent A.A.U imbroglio) and I stand by my earlier assertions; Students' Union movement in Nigeria has been commercialized. 

It's as simple as that. 

Itote Damisa is a lawyer and a youth Advocate. 

He tweets via @Itotedamisa.