When the erstwhile super Finance
minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala compelled the termination of my
appointment as a civil servant after serving my nation for nearly 20
years, I returned to my hobby of writing. My retirement, which I am
still contesting in court, was because of a single article out of the over 200 I had written since my university days in Bayero University, Kano.
Not only was I retired prematurely, many
institutions and individuals in government became afraid of associating
with me for fear of victimisation. I had been stigmatized as the “Rebel
in Civil Service.”
Surprisingly, while many agencies of
government and managements distanced themselves from me, I receive
massive goodwill from the media who not only stand by me but provide
their platforms for my works.
Meanwhile, few top public officers do
secretly seek my professional advice in public relations management.
There is an instance when one of the spokespersons in the Presidential
Villa sought my intervention about a report on First Lady Patience
Jonathan in Sahara Reporters, which was considered inaccurate. Since I
am a beneficiary of media goodwill, I called Omoyele Sowore, the
Publisher of Sahara Reporters to correct the erroneous aspect of the
said report.
“Shuaibu, you are either crazy or
unserious! Why do you want to defend those that tormented and sacked you
from the public service?” Sowore was seriously concerned
I took time to explain that there is a
major difference between my person ‘Shuaib’ a Nigerian who has right to
his personal opinion and conviction and Shuaib who now represents a PR
consultancy for professional attainment and contentment. I assured him
that I will continue to express myself through opinion writing while
engaging in media relations for my clients. Sowore accepted to publish
the Presidency’s response on Patience Goodluck Jonathan and subsequent
press statements from that office.
Curiously, there were very few top
functionaries who stood by me too and showed support during the critical
period of my life. Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser
(NSA) was one of them.
It was after attending a workshop
organised by The Netherlands Embassy for security agencies where I
presented a paper and also published an article that I received an invitation to meet with NSA. I wrote on that first encounter too with Dasuki.
During our first encounter, I was
furiously criticising everything about President Jonathan and his
administration. Dasuki was very attentive, probably thinking that my
bitterness was informed by my sudden exit from the service.
Dasuki attempted to influence my return
into the service but I was reluctant. I had decided to rather work for
government but not inside government so as to enjoy my liberty of
self-expression and doing what I like rather than being another
subservient civil servant. I nevertheless obliged his request that I
should provide him daily media content analyses that should include
suggestions and recommendations. I recruited highly brilliant, young but
unemployed Nigerian graduates into my team.
In the course of our occasional
interactions, Dasuki was always open and transparent about information.
He once told me how himself and two young military officers (they are
still alive) travelled to Jos to brief Major General Buhari who was then
the GOC of 3rd Armoured Division on the furtherance of the planning of
the 1983 coup which made Buhari the major beneficiary of the ouster of
the elected President Shehu Shagari. He even told me how Buhari
expressed his bitterness about insinuations on his stewardship in one of
the public institutions. Dasuki assured the then GOC not to worry about
such reckless and mischievous insinuations.
I asked why he participated in the
ouster of Buhari just less than two years afterward. He simply answered
that General Buhari should know whom he should blame.
Probing further, I enquired how he treated Buhari on the day of the August 1985 coup. His exact response goes thus:
“I always respect and dignify my seniors
and those in positions of authority whether in service or after. Though
a young officer, I was reluctant to be among those that arrested him.
And I was not. I only met him afterward at Bonny Camp with Lawal
Rafindadi. There is no way I could have maltreated him as being alleged
in some quarters. I am glad most of the actors are still alive.”
Dasuki told me the story of how himself
and some others confronted late General Sani Abacha over June 12
election which was won by Chief Mashood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO). This led
to their premature retirement. The persecution that followed forced him
into exile where he teamed up with opposition elements struggling for
the return of democracy in Nigeria.
Apart from serving as Managing Director
of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) after the
return of democracy, Dasuki had engaged in legitimate international
businesses, mostly outside the country.
On his roles in politics, Sambo Dasuki
narrated how he supported the campaign aspiration of Muhammadu Buhari
for Presidential elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011. In fact, he mentioned
names of individuals who were also privy to his active involvement
including respected Northern elements like Adamu Adamu, Bashir Kurfi,
Wada Maida, Sule Hamman and Kabir Yusuf among others.
The major shocker for me in his
narratives was his campaign for Buhari to emerge the joint candidate of
ACN and CPC in 2011. He disclosed how he pleaded with Asiwaju Ahmed
Tinubu in the presence of Bisi Akande to accept Muhammad Buhari as the
joint Presidential candidate for ACN and CPC. Dasuki stated that he
knelt down begging ‘Baba Bisi Akande’ who was then Chairman of ACN that
“General Buhari is a man to be trusted.”
In their belief that Yorubas and South
Westerners are never religious fanatics especially regarding politics,
Dasuki and his group suggested that Tinubu should be a running mate to
Buhari. When other elements opposed that proposition, Tinubu team
therefore recommended a Buhari-Osinbajo ticket. Unfortunately, the
ticket failed to stick as Pastor Tunde Bakare was eventually pushed
forward by other forces.
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