NIGERIA: THE BREEDING GROUND FOR MOVIE STARS

YUBEDEE PYAMENE ANOKARI

“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what insane about it”
~ John Lenon

Turning on the TV, all I could see in the news was a comic act, a drama being played by a man well over 50 – a father figure, the head of a family, a brother, an uncle and perhaps also, a role model to a few.

As funny as it was, I was not surprised; as our country’s economy, sadly so, has successfully become a breeding ground for great actors and movie stars who, failing to join the booming movie industry, Nollywood rightly so, chose to be politicians instead.

Looking at the antecedents; in 2015, Diezani Allison-Madueke, the then Minister of Petroleum Resources, being linked to a plethora of money laundering scandals, in a bid to ditch the wrath of the law, feigned illness. With pictures claiming she was diagnosed of breast cancer and had thus, been receiving treatment. All this she did, just at the moment she was supposed to go on trial for her crimes! Are you thinking what I am thinking?

In 2016, Olisa Metuh, former PDP spokesman, facing a seven count charge for fund misappropriation, threw up at the parking lot of the Federal High Court Abuja, then he ate paper, in a bid to destroy evidence. In 2018, he appeared in court in a stretcher; later on, on a wheelchair before finally collapsing on his way to the dock for cross examination in an ongoing court session.

Also in 2018, Senator Dino Melaye, still facing charges of criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms and many other charges, failed to appear before the court for continuation of his trial, with his legal counsel claiming he has been abducted and he doesn’t know the whereabout of the Senator.

So it was only natural for Pondei to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, as that seems to be the surest way at the moment to evade justice in our current political system.

Being unsurprised about the drama or Mr Pondei the ‘star boy’, my concerns are the conspiracies and meetings held before the day of the shoot (day of the hearing); knowing for every movie, there is always a director, if not directors. Looking at the effrontery and confidence with which Mr Pondei played out that script, such guts! It wasn’t impulsive neither was it a coincidence, it was a carefully calculated and pre-meditated melodrama playing out before our very eyes.

For such a man to pull off such a stunt successfully, he certainly did not act on his own, he was only playing out his little part in a much larger and grand play we cannot see cos that part is not on TV.

This begs the question, what thing, reasonable and benefiting to Nigerians (Niger-deltans) will come out of this probe and even the so-called forensic audit? I feel I heard you say nothing! Well you may be just right, as that has been the outcome in several cases as this.

With the fruit not falling far off the tree, the honourable minister of Niger Delta Affairs, who facing a probe panel, which was just technically setup to fulfill all righteousness and heed the clamouring of Nigerians for a probe into the affairs of the commission. With one obviously being both judge and jury of his own case, what good can come out of it? Who knows, the lady shouting and pushing, pressing with numerous questions could all be all part of the script! Who knows! Even though she was right, she’s just a drop of pin in an ocean anyways.

In another news which caught my attention, appointing a man named Magu to chair the EFCC and expect him not to do magu magu is totally unreasonable. With so many cases of financial inconsistencies tied to his name, it would have been avoided if the presidency heeded the warning of the National Assembly who outrightly rejected the candidacy of Mr Ibrahim Magu as EFCC Chairman, but the presidency went on to appoint Magu in acting capacity for five years, in an acting capacity. Two weeks into his investigation for shady financial records, he is released, his security details reinstated, and nothing seems to be happening.

But really, is anything going to happen in the cases currently going on? I think we both know the answer to that question – ALL FAKE!

In a country where movie stars are made right from the seat of power, expecting anything serious from it will be shooting yourself in the leg.

Yubedee Pyamene Anokari, is a contributor on the blog, an amazing content writer and entrepreneur. Currently a student of environmental studies at the University of Port Harcourt, an SDG advocate, passionate about personal growth and development.