The Ironsi lesson

"Jonathan sacks defense team"


The Ironsi lesson 

Yes, it is the Presidents prerogative to hire and fire the service chiefs and executive cabinet. Yes the president may to some degree follow the federal character in his appointments but competence and the safeguard for democracy and his government must be the ‘ first’ character to follow in his appointments.  Just to please the un-please-able Hausa/Fulani  political elites with born-to-rule mentality,  the president must not make the Thomas Ironsi mistake of appointing people he would not in his heart or heart trust.

The president must know that as longer as he remains the president, effective and not a stooge to Hausa/Fulani political elite he would never be able to please this group. Why?  Because the President has something that the group truly believes is theirs. Yes, twice they have allowed Obasanjo to have a test of their god given right to rule. But they believe that Jonathan took the presidency from them by force, without their consent and blessing. Therefore it would be impossible for Jonathan to please Hausa/Fulani political elite even if 100% of his cabinet ministers and service chiefs are the group’s ethnicity. However the group would be happy with the 100% position not because they would feel compensated but because they would have turn this administration into stooge for fulfilling their hegemonic interest and the maintenance of the   status quo of social classification of Nigerians into the two groups of Hausa/Fulani and the Other-Nigerians.

The disdain of Malam Sanusi, Speaker Tambuwal,  the other 5 minsters  fired 6 months, the 4 decamped governors, and the flood of decamping of PDP state and national legislators of Hausa/Fulani extraction to APC is not something from the blue. The question is; what is it that Jonathan did to this group that is worse than what Obasanjo did to the group and to Nigeria? Well Obasanjo served with the Hausa/Fulani consent and permission while Jonathan is serving under their disapproval and great opposition.  The Hausa/Fulani has been in power for over 34 years, which is a life-span, in Africa. One could imagine how difficult it would be to give up habit one has had and held for a life span. 

To wane Hausa/Fulani political elite from their addiction and obsession to power, Jonathan must not only contest in 2015 but must ensure his own victory and the Other-Nigerian must help in this effort because as brother’s keeper, it behooves us all to wane Hausa/Fulani from the disease of addictions, whether it is violence, religious intolerance, mass murdering of others, power, or addiction to Niger Delta oil. Jonathan would never win the predominantly Hausa/Fulani, states of kebbi, sokoto, zamfara, kano, yobe, gombe, borne, bauchi, niger,  katsina and jigawa.  However, Jonathan stands to win the remaining 7 middle northern states, 3 western states and 11 eastern states and therefore win the presidency.

So Mr.  President, be bold and treat all persons, all Nigerians, the Hausa/Fulani and the other-Nigerians as equals, without fear or favor. For it is written thou shall rule with the fears of God and not the fear of mortal men.