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FFK: Give him food, he will praise you and sing for you – Olusegun Obasanjo
By Mikky Attah
Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), vocal critic of President Muhammadu Buhari and one- time Aviation Minister is a firm believer in the maxim No News Is Bad News. FFK is not one to be worried if he always seems to be in the news for all the wrong reasons- to him, there is no such thing as bad news. What is bad, for him, is NOT being in the news at all.
This time, FFK is in the news again for a hobnobbing trip to the APC bigwigs in their own lairs. Since FFK was the one who said that they, APC are nothing but darkness, and there can be no fellowship between light and darkness, then this novel fraternity bears notice. The latest report by The Nation indicates that “Femi Fani-Kayode may be on his way back to the APC ”.
On Monday February 8, 2021 FFK went for a meeting with the Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello at the Governor’s Abuja residence. From there, Gov Bello led FFK to meet with the chairman, national caretaker committee of the APC, Mallam Mai Mala Buni. Mallam Buni is also the Yobe State Governor.
FFK, a most consistent critic of the APC- led government put up a series of posts on social media to explain the strange meetings. FFK posted that the purpose of his visits to the APC leaders was to “discuss national issues, the state of the nation, party politics and the way forward”.
Continuing, he said, “ It is right and proper for us to talk and to attempt to join hands across political, religious and regional lines to save Nigeria”.
What FFK did not disclose however were the specific steps to be taken by the self-styled PDP stalwart to actually ‘save Nigeria’ like he said.
There is this political scam that is obtainable around the localities and states of Nigeria. The concept of the very revered, notable and exalted political leaders and stakeholders is nothing but a hoax.
In actual, practical terms, these leaders, stakeholders and stalwarts have no electoral value whatsoever, and are unable to install a local government Chairman, nay, even a councillor ,in their localities. These people are all former political office holders / appointees , especially those who were players at the onset of democracy.
They simply align themselves with the Governor of the day, then tip their cup for endless government largesse. But this free largesse they never dispense to, or share with their communities or even associates. They grab it all to themselves. This is the category to which the man Femi Fani-Kayode belongs.
FFK started his political journey in the Action Congress ACN as a rabid critic of the Obasanjo administration, and of the PDP. Quickly, President Obasanjo OBJ co-opted FFK into his government with a juicy, albeit inconsequential position. FFK promptly jumped ship, redirecting his criticism to the then opposition. OBJ was to later famously say of him-‘when you give FFK food he will start barking like a faithful dog’.
In fact in Lagos the man is known as FFK alias Anywhere Belle Face.
Notwithstanding, FFK rose from that appointment to be made Aviation Minister. The Aviation sector declined under his tenure. His vituperation against the APC as the ruling party has continued since his time as the campaign spokesman for the Jonathan presidential campaign, and he has not let up.
A little over six months ago FFK was in the news again, and this time it was for threatening and insulting a journalist at a press conference that he himself called, in Calabar.
Even though FFK is irrelevant politically and is a liability to any party based on his woeful performance as a cabinet minister; notwithstanding, by the instrumentality of the media- FFK continues to be in the news.
Thus it was shocking when a viral video last year showed him raining abuses on a journalist.
The fellow had only asked FFK the harmless question as to who was sponsoring FFK’s “project inspection tour of the South-South”. (That exercise ended with many state chapters of the Nigeria Union of Journalists clamping a media blackout on all activities of FFK during his South- South tour).
What is painful today is that , in what was a well- planned move, FFK only went round that time visiting all the PDP South- South governors to collect his “last card ” from them before striking, barely 6 months later, for the APC.
And the true position is that even though he initiated the controversial project inspection tour, but he was recompensed in millionfolds by the Governors at each and every stop. It is so sad to see that those were only stopovers of deceit.
Mercifully, FFK has not bothered to confuse anyone with strenuous denials of his ‘APC Tours’. This is the same FFK who in 2019 said he was committed to opposing the APC and those in their ranks, for the rest of his natural life. He said he would never join them, no matter what.
Hear him, in December 2019, “The suggestion that I have joined the APC is not only false but is simply insulting. With what we have witnessed over the last 5 years, I would rather die than join the filthy, rat- infested sinking ship, the APC.”
Just one year later ,he is visiting the APC top guns and this is patently geared towards his dumping the PDP and going back to the APC to align himself for 2023. A few days ago, this was confirmed by Gov Bello.
It is pertinent here to give the full statement of Chief Obasanjo on FFK, it ended thus – “…But when you remove the food from FFK’s mouth, you become an enemy”.
Clearly, Nigeria is in dire need of salvation now – this time, from its Machiavellian saviours.
Mikky Attah is a Newscaster and a Columnist. Twitter: @mikky_princess.
Source: The Street Reporters Newspaper
