A debate is described as the mutual understanding of two or more people to talk about something at length and in detail, especially as part of a formal exchange of opinion. It is the ability of different minds to talk and ponder about something carefully, argue and intellectually proffer a satisfactory solution. A debate in other words is to jaw-jaw with brain and at the end a solution arrived at to tackle any negative wahala or kata-kata.
I like debates because they give you the chance to know your weakness and at the same time comprehend your opponent’s own. It is sometimes fun and educative to listen to other people talk and by talking you shall know them, because what comes out of the mind of a person defines his or her thinking. So I was very happy and excited last week that a slated debate among some of our prominent presidential contenders was in the offing.
I had sharpened my brain to absolve some of the missiles and punches that might have been thrown at each other and also laugh myself silly at some of the jibes and drama that would accompany an important gathering like this in Nigeria, especially after the great debate, when aides, supporters and followers of the debaters would go for each other’s throat in the media or engage each other in campaign battles or physical combats and attacks. And abracadabra! Like magic, my excitement was robbed off by the sudden announcement that the great debate has been cancelled, because some aide to one of the presidential candidates, Mr. Presido precisely, refused to sign a very important MoU. According to reports the presidential representative demanded to see the debate questions first before signing anything. Just like a student asking to be shown his examination question papers before sitting for the exams. But the organizers, I leant said no to the ojoro, thus ending my dream of witnessing a hot presidential debate, maybe hotter than the famous Barack Obama versus Hillary Clinton debate during their struggle to occupy the White House.
And like everything proposed or done in Nigeria, the issue was quickly covered under the carpet and the politicians are busy campaigning, shuttling from one state to another and as usual, trying to convince and convert the electorate with their sweet mouth and two sided promises. But honestly this old style won’t work in my side and I believe with other curious Nigerians who are insisting that there must be a debate among the serious presidential candidates vying to occupy the most popular house in the country, namely General Muhammadu Buhari of the CPC, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau of the ANPP, Malam Nuhu Ribadu of the ACN and the current tenant President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP.
I am happy to announce my decision to join this all important gathering as an independent candidate under the Jaw-Jaw party of Nigeria. Thank God one does not really need plenty of cash or sacks of Ghana must go to talk and do some hot debating. I have made preparation for bags of pure water and some homemade chop-chop to see me through the rigorous exercise.
Let us invite our largest network in Africa NTA, including some private media like AIT, CHANNELS, DITV, and other interested broadcasting stations across the country, to beam their cameras across our faces as we tell the electorate what we want to do for them if luck smiles on any of us and we become the bonalfide tenant of Aso Rock come 2011. Let us be generous as usual to the international media since we believe much more in them than our local ones and invite the BBC, CNN, ALJAZEERA and the other curious international media and beam happily to their inquisitiveness, as we proudly role out our plans to tackle some of the mountainous problems bedeviling this great rich nation. Let us debate and tell our mothers, daughters, sisters and wives, including those with girlfriends, mistresses and concubines on how we intend to tackle the escalating price of kerosene and high cost of foodstuffs in our markets.
It is important that we debate and jaw-jaw on this shameful issue of epileptic power supply and the high rate of insecurity and bomb-blast going on around us. Let us come out straight to tell the people and assure them of the ways and means we intend to tackle the crazy killings going on in Jos and the mysterious ones in Maiduguri. I think there is need to keep aside all campaign tours, and campaign festivity and come boldly to the venue of this great debates to tell the electorate how we intend to create more jobs to the teeming unemployed Nigerians starving everyday across the country.
This is no time for shame or undercover, this is the right time to let the electorate hear our well fed voices and assurance on why we want to be President of this great nation. It is important and a matter of urgency that all the presidential candidates come live on TV, radio and satellite and tell the world how they intend to tackle our poor health sector, infrastructure and deathtrap roads.
I am not afraid or ashamed on my own side to face the people and tell them in whatever language they want, my plans and vision for this great country if elected the Presido of the giant of Africa with plenty human and natural resources. I am sure the other contestants are not shy or afraid to speak in public. After all we have a candidate with a PhD among us, another, a humble classroom teacher, an ex- commander - in - chief and an anti - corruption czar among the debaters.
Let us remove shame and stage freight and face the people, this same people we know as our kinsmen and women. We should boldly face the camera and tell our countrymen and women our plans to uplift their lives and living condition. They are the same people we know and grew up with, so we should not be ashamed of speaking even in pidgin, Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba, those four popular Nigerian languages we know so well. In fact, any contester is free to speak in Nupe, Kaje, Birom, Okpella, Ibie, Kanuri, Ijaw,Ibibio,Furfulde, Igbirra, Okun, Ejebu or any of the numerous languages available in this country yanfu-yanfu. I want to assure the speaker that we have plenty of interpreters around.
Please no candidate should run or decline to participate in this worthy debate. I wish INEC would insist that all candidates vying for elected office, from councilor to chairman, state honourables, to national legislators and senators, including governors must participate in a debate with their opponents and face the people, so that they have a choice and know who is more qualified to represent them. They should be summoned to the people’s parliament to face them and tell them with an undertaking how they intend to bring development to the rural areas,create alternative source of generating income, instead of depending on oil-windfall and government disbursement like parasites. All aspiring candidates should be mandated to jaw-jaw among each other and the electorates, to tell them their visions on how to tackle the long housing problems and the sky rocketing house rents across the country. They should tell the whole world loudly how they intend to tackle our dilapidating educational sector and ensure that teachers and lecturers are sensibly compensated for the unquantifiable knowledge they impact on the people.
It should be no debate no vote, for any candidate who refuse to participate in a debate; it shows he or she has nothing to offer, but to come- chop and siddon look for office. I wish our Prof at INEC would insist that all candidates should suspend all campaign tour for now and face the people to answer their questions and worries on the insecurity around them. They should be ready to provide solution to the yearly lamentations of the rural farmers about the high cost of fertilizer and lack of access roads to bring their goods to the markets.
Back to the presidential debate, I am ready and boiling to showcase my vision and promises to the electorate through this must hold debate. Let our PhD candidate join this important debate to jaw- jaw with us on his plans if elected in 2011. Let the humble class- room teacher among us face the people and tell them his dream for this country. It is important that we listen to the patriotic words of our ex - Commander- in- Chief and his plans to tackle insecurity, indiscipline and corruption in the country if he wins. Why should we not allow our ex - anti-corruption crusader to tell us his new plans and methods of tackling the disgraceful corruption bug that has eaten deep into the fabric of this great nation? Yes, I think it is important that we jaw-jaw and debate intensively on the way forward for this country. It is paramount that we debate and assure the youth of a positive future and make them part of this new age of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and other fast growing development across the globe, so that they won’t be left behind by their peers from other nations.
So I am waiting eagerly to climb the podium and beam happily to all the cameras and jaw-jaw freely on the big microphones and also cool my throat with pure water as we fire away at each other. Please let us debate and give the electorate the choice to choose the most qualified candidate among us.
NEW NIGERIAN ON SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2011
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