In a sharp critique of the nation’s political landscape, former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, stated that the brand of politics practiced by some Nigerian politicians is nothing more than “treachery wrapped in a party flag.”
Farounbi expressed his frustration, lamenting that Nigerian politicians often boast about opposing a president or a policy for purely political reasons, long after the country has suffered the consequences.
He noted this is a uniquely Nigerian phenomenon, where seasoned leaders openly admit their opposition was not based on what was best for the nation.
He said that some are now openly admitting that their relentless hostility to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration had nothing to do with national interest, but was simply to ensure that he lost the election.
In a statement sent to Persecondnews on Sunday, the octogenarian warned that every time leaders kill a good idea to deny their rivals a win, they are not playing chess — they are playing Russian roulette with the lives of 200 million people.
“And unlike the game, the bullet always finds its target: in our crumbling hospitals, in our darkened streets, in the wasted years of our unemployed youth,” he said.
He said: “When the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway is abandoned because the “wrong” government started it, when the power sector reform is slowed
down because the credit would go to an opponent, when vital security
reforms are shelved because an election is coming — that is not
strategy, it is sabotage.
“APC did it to PDP. PDP it to APC. The losers were never the politicians
— it was always Nigerians. We paid with potholes, blackouts, and lost
opportunities while the political class cashed their allowances and
laughed at the gullibility of the masses.
“A road does not know if it was commissioned by APC or PDP before
it carries traders to market. A working refinery does not care which party cut the ribbon before it fuels the nation. Good policies should be above petty rivalries.
“This politics of destruction must end. We need leaders who will clap
for a good policy even if it comes from their sworn enemy — because
the real allegiance should be to Nigeria, not to the party logo or the
godfather’s whisper.
“History has a long memory. And when the roll call is made, those who
played games with our future will not be remembered as clever — only
as reckless men and women who traded a nation’s progress for the thrill
of a political point.”
Farounbi has always been a vocal voice that continues to call for and stand by accountable politics that will benefit Nigeria and Nigerians.
Persecondnews recalls that Farounbi, in an interview granted during his 80th birthday celebration in October 2024, expressed his desire to witness the rebirth of a new Nigeria before his passing.
Leave a comment