Last night, we saw a long list of ‘advisers’ said to be released by the Minister of Finance
Apparently, the list was made up of a lot of egg heads whose job, I suppose, is to advise the Hon Minister in his new task of handling the fiscal part of governance and also coordinating the economy
As we speak, I have not seen the list on any serious mainstream media, but the authenticity of the list may not really be in doubt, as it was dropped on an alumni group that I belong to by a former Commissioner of Finance in an SS State who has strong connections within the corridors of power
The authenticity of the list is not my concern today, but a small comical issue that it threw up on the group
As we scurried down the list of Nigeria’s most brilliant names, one name stuck out
X is an extremely brilliant economist with a strong corporate track that few have plied
But wait. He was a closet Government critic whose anti-government rhetoric sometimes bordered on abuse, bile and vitriolic attacks
He was strictly an Obidient who didn’t see anything good in this government and its antecedents, and to add it all up, the Nigerian state has been very unfair to his people, and as a result, he was in support of a separation
Everyone knew his position as he didn’t mince words and didn’t suffer fools
His positions, although sometimes childish and banal, didn’t leave us confused as to where he stood on the Nigerian question
Then all of a sudden, he gets the appointment from the same people he had spent most of his N100 data abusing and cursing
The group burst into laughter, wondering if he would accept the offer
Bobo had accepted the offer long ago and even had flown into Abuja ‘with my own money to contribute to national development’
Laughter, jest, and derision filled the group as some of his staunchest supporters tried to pull up defence
Ohh, it’s better that he fights from the inside one of them said.
The other said, ‘ But you, Duke, you don’t like Tinubu, but you support SANWO-OLU
I just laughed and begged him to make sure he not only accepts the appointment but uses it to leverage his career and be the better for it
He should leave all that talk of fighting from the inside, abeg’
What fight does he want to fight as a member of a hurriedly put together group of Honourable Minister’s, former colleagues, and fellow conference circuit paddys in a complex system that has gone to the dogs
This one must think we have fufu in our brains to want to justify a well-lobbied position as a reluctant decision to go in and contribute
Contribute what I may ask. My brother, Dr Tope Fasua has been there since, contributing to the point that his portfolio is now one of telling us how we can spend N4,0000 a day on boli and epa to survive
So as he was being pelted by the group, he came at me privately with his contribution story, and I say – why come private, you are now a very important public officer, so go back to the group and defend yourselves, and he replies – getat.
See this one o, I proclaim. He has not even been sworn in, and he is doing me Bwala and Reno
I laughed and went to sleep
But the truth is that who in his shoes will not accept the position
It’s easy for us all to sit on the outside and be shouting – ohh Tinubu is a thief, ohhh Nigeria is gone, ohhh Obi is a messiah, and the moment some agbado is dangled, you jump like a tot that has not seen breast milk in a while
Honest to God, we are a country of anywhere belle face people, and this is why we are easily plied by our leaders
As I said in the group, this is not a repositioning of the Kingibe magnitude – a running mate who quickly took a Ministerial appointment even when we were still fighting for his mandate
This was just a blip that gave a hardworking, brilliant technocrat a chance of a lifetime to put on his CV – advised the Honourable Minister on fiscal bla bla bal – you all know all the jargon that goes with these kinds of people
My own is, let’s pray the Committee would now not go and be another fake one o, this one that Gbaja has not said anything about it and finally mbok do they still have a vacancy cos I’m interested o
Kai. They will beat me one day, I swear
Lol
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: July 20, 2026
