AIT/Raypower shutdown: An albatross around the neck of Buhari

To start with, I do not like both the AIT and RAYPOWER one bit. I opine that their founder betrayed the collective trust of our people when AIT became a partisan when the PDP held sway in Nigeria. Decades ago, when AIT went up in flames, it was the poor and helpless people of Nigeria—who contributed their “widow’s mite” to bring it back to life. I am of the opinion that someone as Chief Dokpesi is supposed to be ceaselessly grateful to Nigerians and serve their interests till he breathe his last, not that of a self-seeking political party. Anyway, every political party in our clime is self-seeking.

I had to start by saying that I am not one of the fans of AIT and RAYPOWER, because we are living in a comical time in the history of our nation, where every opinion leader is seen to be bought. I always pitch my tent with the truth, because if we all look away from what is wrong, very soon, those who shut down AIT and RAYPOWER will soon come for our corporate-voice too. If we are practicing democracy, let us completely stick with how it is being practiced in developed world. And if we are opting for dictatorship, let us know, so we can all prepare for it.

I support that both the AIT and RAYPOWER be sanctioned, but I am sternly against them being shut-down! It is morally wrong. It is dictatorial. It is anti-democracy. It is reprehensible. It does not make any sense. It sends the wrong signals to the world. It shows we are not serious as a people.

There are television and radio stations in the nations of the earth that are anti-government, especially in saner climes, but they do not switch them on and off at will as we enjoying doing here. Take for instance, in America, CNN is clearly against President Donald Trump while FOX NEWS is pro-TRUMP, but till this moment, CNN is yet to be shutdown like AIT.

Political power is not to punish and reprimand the people and organizations, because you do have an access to it today. Political power is very transient and it is supposed to be used for service while it lasts. Tomorrow, another set of people will take over the sword of political power that you are wielding and brandishing anyhow today. The problem with the African man is that he does not learn from history.

When people cannot freely speak, we cannot build a healthy and prosperous country. People should be able to hold those in government accountable without their sources of income being threatened. When people are afraid of speaking out, lies effortlessly triumph in the country and the nation’s soul dies! This is what leads to the death of nations. Remember, a nation dies when it loses its cutting-edge.

I have told Mr. President before and I want to say it again that he should be wary of those who hang around him because of their belly and pocket. He should always look for those who tell him the truth. He does not need “yes-men” around him. It is one of the laws of leadership that I teach: “those whom a leader is feeding cannot tell him the truth…” If a leader wants to hear the truth on whatever is happening under his or her leadership, he or she should look for those whom are not being fed by him or her. Buhari, you cannot hear the truth from the mouth of those whom you are controlling their mouth.

The man who is leading the NBC is pro-APC. This robs him of the moral right to shut-down the duo of AIT and RAYPOWER being owned by a PDP chieftain. Going forward, a neutral man should be sought for—to start calling the shots of that government agency. A man who is completely partisan is a like a round peg in a square hole.

Also, where was the NBC when the APC was in opposition? There was nothing that was said against Buhari that worse things were not said against Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, but he never shut-down TVC and Radio Continental. Am I justifying an illegality when it is committed? No! If the NBC has an issue with AIT and RAYPOWER, they should sanction them, but shutting them down is totally wrong and we are demanding that, that the illegal pronouncement and order should be thrown into the river of nothingness—within the next twelve (12) hours!

No one did “shut-down” the mouth of Alhaji Lai Muhammed—when he was the spokesman of the political party (APC) that transformed GMB to PMB. Every politician (and political party) gets dirty during political campaigns. And the campaign that brought Buhari to where he is today was very dirty too and no one’s business was sent to the grave.

Lastly, we do have too many poor and jobless people in Nigeria already and we cannot afford to churn out some more poor and jobless people. There are thousands of people that both—AIT and RAYPOWER are putting food on their table. Remember, wives, husbands and children who go to bed hungry as an effect of that incorrect decision cannot bless Nigeria. This is why I am calling on President Buhari to order that those two stations should get back to their business within the next twelve (12) hours! When your administration becomes history, no one will remember the name of the man (Modibbo Kawu) who calls the shots of NBC, it is your name (Buhari) that generations of unborn will remember—either for good or bad.