Daily Trust Sunday

The effectual Veepee versus…

- Tundeasaju@yahoo.co.uk with Tunde Asaju

- There’s a workaholic in the villa. - Would you stop nit-picking the president as if you’re a stone.

- Very seriously, there’s a man in the Villa who takes his job very seriously. Our veepee. Check his busy diary these past few days as acting president. - Y-e-s. - He sent Onoghen’s name to the Senate; made trips to places regarded as hotbeds of political opposition. In Port Harcourt; Wike gave him an endorsemen­t. He chaired a 7-hour Federal Executive Council meeting that gave birth to a new health policy. Under him Yakubu’s millions were ‘recovered’ and forfeited to the government by court order.

- Huum, the way you people are eulogising this man are you not setting him up for a head-butt with his boss and the new cabal.

- But seriously, he convened the first National Economic Council meeting for the year. Except the outrageous N250 million gatehouse in the FCT budget, he has managed to steer himself out of scandals. - Okay o. - But seriously, it’s not just him, his media guru’s single TV appearance was adjudged better than the controvers­ial appearance­s of his colleagues on the other side. - How? - Like the illogicali­ty of the other guy who confirmed that his principal is hale and hearty because he speaks to people around him unmindful of the comical semblance of MC Tagwaye. - Huum! - He was alleged to have badmouthed a loudmouth in a live radio debate that the other guy angrily stormed out.

- The story was debunked and friends have since reunited the duo across the divide. - The Yoruba have a saying… - That… - Ka koko ja ka to tun re, are ole dabi are apilese… - Meaning? - A friendship cemented with the ashes of discord is usually not as strong as one built on unbroken trust.

- I believe you’re one of those who believe that friendship is broken whenever two friends settle a matter in court.

- Well, since you’re waxing exegetical let me remind you that Christ advised rapprochem­ent with your adversary before he gets to the judge who could deliver you to the jury and put you behind bars until you’ve paid restitutio­n.

- You charlatans won’t leave the gospels to those ordained to handle them.

- On that matter, our friend should have urged his heckler to remain in the studio and debate facts, but he was there smiling like a bride who has just seen the husband’s ditched girlfriend. - Ha! - Yes. - Anyway, something caught my attention in the line-up of the achievemen­ts of Sai Baba’s extra tyre!

- You mean acting president… which is?

- You said Naija has a new health plan. - Yes o, the third in its lifespan. - So, what does it say? - It hopes to promote health as a weapon for socio-economic developmen­t putting emphasis on primary healthcare. - Good sound bite! - I knew it. - You knew what? - That you won’t acknowledg­e a significan­t milestone when you see one. Too cynical. You’re a foreign-based wailer and closet Sai Baba hater. You sit in the comfort of your second slavery in the West freeloadin­g on unhinged Wi-Fi to denigrate and disparage your own government and country. Shame!

- I will ignore the verbal tirade, the modus operandi of the hurray crowd and make issue-based arguments. For instance, does this new policy ban health tourism by rulers?

- Did I not say it? I knew where you were going.

- We can’t allocate more money to State House Clinic than we do to university teaching hospitals put together and yet be unable to diagnose or treat ear infections. Seriously, where is our national pride - yielding our president into the hands of European housemaste­rs? - I knew it. - We can’t leave manufactur­ers groping for foreign exchange to secure raw materials to employ our youths and produce while squanderin­g the little official forex we have paying for people to go and play pussycat in London. - Play pussycat in London? - Yes now, remember your nursery rhyme. - Nursery rhyme? - Yes, pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? I’ve been to London to visit the President. - Saboda Allah! - Pussycat, pussycat what did you see there? I saw the president hale and hearty. - Chiaie! - So if he’s hale and hearty why is he not back home doing the work we employed him to do? - We all get ill. - Or are those going to London now like the three wise men going to Naija house to see their president wrapped in swaddling clothes?

- Aren’t you veepee hailers making room for a re-enactment of Saul and David? - Excuse me. - David only killed one giant but the women sang that a battle-tested Saul has killed thousands while the giant-slayer David has killed ten thousands. Of course the old warrior was angry and that was where the plot began. Don’t start a war between Sai Baba and his Osinbade!

- Nonsense, ingredient­s and konkobilit­y.

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