With three weeks to the 2015 general election,
political analyst Kesiena Ewubare exposes a political ideology that
posses grave danger to the well-being of Nigerians. Excerpts below.
One would have thought that with the demise of Lamidi Adedibu on June
11, 2008, the era of amala politics would end, but this was not to be.
With the current happenings in Nigeria, it is certain that amala
politics has come to stay.
For those who do not know him, Lamide Adedibu was the godfather of godfathers. He was the one who held the reigns of Oyo politics for almost a decade, ensuring that anyone who aspired for any political position got the nod from him. His Molete residence was a mecca of some sort, feeding about 400 people on a daily bases. This drew an army of touts and miscreants who came to get free meals.
Adedibu played a pivotal role in the installation of two governors in the state, as well as many other political office holders. He was even given the privilege to select the commissioners and special advisers of the governors. All went well, as long as the governors paid him 10 million naira monthly, default on this payment and you will be impeached.
With six years gone by, one might want to believe that Nigeria politics has matured with the emergence of young budding politicians. Sad to say, we are not any better. Amala politics has resurfaced again, this time; it has taken a new name, “Stomach Infrastructure”.
Stomach infrastructure, a revamped form of amala politics, is a political school of thought based on inducing voters with bag of rice and other foodstuff to vote in certain direction. Stomach infrastructure is the backward and archaic way of giving people fish to eat as against teaching them to fish.
As appalling and degrading as it may appear, stomach infrastructure is gaining grounds, in fact this idea has recorded successes in several states, notable is Ekiti State where Governor Ayo Fayose attested to the success of this backward political style by appointing special advisers on stomach infrastructure matters.
As laughable as it sounds, this ideology enabled Governor Fayose of
the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, emerge governor, with a resounding
victory over the then incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All
Progressive Congress, APC , on June 22 2,014.Yes, the people choose
foodstuff above any grand political plan that Governor Fayemi could
offer.
When he was criticized for swaying voters with food, Fayose answered: “You
can put tar on the road but if I don’t have a car and I’m hungry, then
that tar is meaningless. Tarring our road is wonderful but putting food
inside this stomach is very important.”
The newly celebrated stomach infrastructure policy is now in fashion,
alluding to this, Premium Times on September, 27, 2014, reported
President Goodluck Jonathan admitting that the “Peoples Democratic
Party fully subscribes to stomach infrastructure because the party must
ensure that there was food security and job creation in the country.” The president said that any leader who claimed not to believe in stomach infrastructure was not ready to lead, as “you cannot lead hungry people.”
If this assertion comes from a sitting president who claims to be educated to the level of a doctorate degree, then it means Nigerian political class are 100 years behind their counterparts in other parts of the world.
On February 14, Nigerians will go to the polls to elect a new president. Fourteen people are on the ballot, two of them the frontrunners: the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, 57, and his challenger Muhammadu Buhari, a 72-year-old former army general who ruled Nigeria thirty years ago. The question begging for answer is: Will you vote for money or for conscience?
Late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu
For those who do not know him, Lamide Adedibu was the godfather of godfathers. He was the one who held the reigns of Oyo politics for almost a decade, ensuring that anyone who aspired for any political position got the nod from him. His Molete residence was a mecca of some sort, feeding about 400 people on a daily bases. This drew an army of touts and miscreants who came to get free meals.
Adedibu played a pivotal role in the installation of two governors in the state, as well as many other political office holders. He was even given the privilege to select the commissioners and special advisers of the governors. All went well, as long as the governors paid him 10 million naira monthly, default on this payment and you will be impeached.
With six years gone by, one might want to believe that Nigeria politics has matured with the emergence of young budding politicians. Sad to say, we are not any better. Amala politics has resurfaced again, this time; it has taken a new name, “Stomach Infrastructure”.
Stomach infrastructure, a revamped form of amala politics, is a political school of thought based on inducing voters with bag of rice and other foodstuff to vote in certain direction. Stomach infrastructure is the backward and archaic way of giving people fish to eat as against teaching them to fish.
As appalling and degrading as it may appear, stomach infrastructure is gaining grounds, in fact this idea has recorded successes in several states, notable is Ekiti State where Governor Ayo Fayose attested to the success of this backward political style by appointing special advisers on stomach infrastructure matters.
Governor Fayose distributing poultry products
Police men in queue waiting for chickens
See what our Police Men have been reduced to, curtesy; Stomach Infrastructure
People in queue with Fayose’s gifts
Bola Tinubu distributing oil and rice
If this assertion comes from a sitting president who claims to be educated to the level of a doctorate degree, then it means Nigerian political class are 100 years behind their counterparts in other parts of the world.
On February 14, Nigerians will go to the polls to elect a new president. Fourteen people are on the ballot, two of them the frontrunners: the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, 57, and his challenger Muhammadu Buhari, a 72-year-old former army general who ruled Nigeria thirty years ago. The question begging for answer is: Will you vote for money or for conscience?
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