Mimister Aisha Alhassan’s bitter truth

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Developments, Senator Aisha Alhassan has been quoted lavishly in newspapers to have pledged her support for Atiku over Buhari come 2019.

She was said to have made this declaration when she as Taraba APC leader led a delegation of other party stalwarts to pay Salah homage to the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Hear her “If Baba Buhari says he is going to contest, walahi talahi (I swear by Allah), I will go and kneel down before him and say Baba, I am grateful for the opportunity you have given to serve as a Minister in your administration but Baba, like you know, Atiku is my godfather”.

Mark Twain defined patriotism as “loyalty to the country always but loyalty to the government when it deserves”.

If this definition is anything to go by, it means that Aisha Alhassan is not patriotic. For she is neither loyal to the country nor the government she serves under. Her own loyalty is to her godfather who in this case is Atiku Abubakar.

To her, she was only invited to “come and chop” based on the godfather’s recommendation (nomination) and as long as the feast last, she will remain grateful and loyal to the one on whose crest she rode to the dinner table and not to the host of the feast.

We must not deceive ourselves; there are many Alhassan in Buhari’s government. It is like a coup story where intention, planning and execution are adduced.

Alhassan has been able to reveal the intention and the planning while the execution is left in the womb of the future. Others in the cabinet are nursing the same intention; they are only being too scared to disclose their plans publicly.

If Aisha could be excused to have said these among the like minds and party faithful, the interview she granted to the BBC Hausa service has shown she is already in the planning stage and therefore not a hush affairs.

Aisha fondly called Mama Taraba is a study in disloyalty and treachery, her likes should not be allowed to stay in the cabinet a day longer.

She has eroded the confidence bestowed on her by the President who appointed her. Aisha could have been nominated by Atiku but she is in the cabinet at the pleasure of Buhari.

Only Buhari can decide to keep or dispense with her. She may be courageous but surely not patriotic

Aisha’s misadventure has again brought to the fore, the kind of party APP is. APC is a whole glorified by fractions.

It is one party that has found it impossible to close its fault lines. New PDP, ANPP, ACN and CPC and even APGA components in the merger are still very visible.

Aisha represents the New PDP which Atiku headed and emptied into APC. Asiwaju Tinubu’s ACN faction is very much visible-ditto ANPP and CPC. Each of them is working toward its hidden goals and objectives.

The reason Nigeria is at where it is, is not farfetched. This is because the aims and objectives of government have been replaced with ill conceived and ill motivated power play considerations.

That is why in two years, Nigerians lives have been so hopelessly devalued by today’s men and women of power who have replaced their loyalty to the nation with loyalty to godfather.

Incompetence and tardiness have taken the place of competence and actions. The outcome is the indiscipline in governmental circle a prostrate economy and a heightened insecurity.

Buhari is not known for swift actions, especially on issues of national importance. That is why Aisha is expected to come out of this unscathed.

He did not take any action when DSS boss rubbished his authority before the National Assembly by sending adverse report on Magu, thus stalling his confirmation up till today.

He dragged his foot when a report indicted the SGF of contract scam in the North East. He has not called for a probe on Buratai who we heard had acquired a mansion in Dubai through ‘snake farming and family servings’.

He never felt ruffled when we learnt his beloved chairman of Governor’s forum had diverted ball out fund to build hotel in Lagos.

Not even the trendy news of his IGP, pocketing billions of Naira paid by companies and highly exposed persons to get security and armed guards.

All these have given me confidence that Aisha shall remain as long as she wants in Buhari’s Cabinet while her loyalty remains with Atiku.

If Aisha does not resign and not get sacked, you can be sure that, that can only happen in Buhari’s government. (No hate speech intended).