By Ebou Gaye
What a misnomer!
There is so much controversy over your recently concluded nationwide tour dubbed Dialogue-With-The-People Tour
Many people argue that the name is a misnomer,
Judging by the invectives, vituperations, threats and rash, unilateral and contentious declarations that characterized the tour,
And suggest changing the name to a more suitable one
I therefore propose that we call it Castigation-And-Declaration Tour, Which I believe to be more appropriate
What a misnomer!
You uncharitably criticized, castigated and caricatured the former and current presidents of our neighbouring country,
Calling the latter a puppet and an incompetent, unqualified head of state,
Saying that you can’t get along with him,
And that you couldn’t work with his predecessors
His compatriots felt offended and flew into a rage,
And thus denounced your outrageous remarks in unison,
Reminding you of your responsibilities as head of state and the gross, grave human rights violations you have shamelessly and remorselessly perpetuated against your own compatriots
Cautioning you to concentrate on your work and desist from meddling into the affairs of their country
I quite concur with them
Your irresponsible, provocative remarks have the danger of souring the fraternal relation between our countries,
And engendering hardship and suffering for their dwellers
If you have a problem with your counterpart, you should try to resolve the matter through diplomatic channels rather than lambasting him and his predecessors publicly
That you have blamed those three heads of state for your inability to work harmoniously with them shows that you are awkward and uncooperative,
And lack the courage to accept your weakness as a leader
The proverb “A bad worker always quarrels with his tools” befits you
Your unscrupulous chief spin doctor and flatterer has made an attempt to defend you by calling your silly, infantile remarks frank talk,
Praising you as usual for having the audacity to address your counterpart in such a harsh manner
No wonder!
As he pretends to see sense in all your utterances and acts, no matter how nonsensical they are
But other sycophants haven’t lost sight of the gravity of your foul language
Hence, they have tried to downplay your vexatious remarks in their defence by calling them a joke
These differing positions taken by your blind supporters have amply demonstrated the absurdity, irrationality and illogicality of your remarks
They have also proven beyond reasonable doubt the insincerity and dishonesty of your apologists,
And the impossibility of defending you or justifying your reckless utterances
What a misnomer!
You branded members of a certain region tribal bigots,
Saying that tribalism is unacceptable to you,
Vowing to combat it by all means
But you habitually make venomous, inflammatory tribal remarks,
And castigate the members of the biggest tribe in our country,
Leading people to believe that you unjustifiably and unreasonably bear grudge and malice against them
Thus, you have no moral authority to preach against tribalism
Put in crude terms, you don’t practise what you preach,
Nor do you lead by example
You also accused members of other regions of killing their own people through sorcery or witchcraft,
Claiming that their relatives in the Diaspora are now afraid to go home due the “practice”,
And warned the alleged culprits,
Threatening to take drastic measures against them
Prior to making such utterances, you said people should have faith in God and believe in predestination
Your remarks are conflicting
You cannot have faith in God and believe in witchcraft at the same time
If you really had faith in God and believed in predestination, you wouldn’t ascribe or attribute deaths to sorcery
People from the areas you accused of practising witchcraft have vehemently denied the killings you claimed,
Contending that they are the figment of your own imagination
Your firm belief in witchcraft runs counter to your claim to espouse the concept of Pan-Africanism
A self-proclaimed Pan-Africanist labelling Africans witches and wizards!
What would you say if the accusation came from the Whites whom you and your spin doctor call racists and haters?
What hypocrisy!
What a fake Pan-Africanist!
You chastised women who wear dresses you deem indecent or inappropriate,
Those who bleach their skins,
And those involved in other practices you consider to be malpractices,
Using extremely derogatory, disparaging remarks
Your utterances are discordant and incompatible with your position as head of state
You manifested your sheer lack of respect for women through your abusive language
It beats people’s imagination that you can address women in such a disrespectful, discourteous and impolite manner,
Given your claim that women are your support base,
And the fact that they are dignified and honourable
You could convey your message without resorting to the use of vulgar language or profanities
What a misnomer!
You declared a ban on female circumcision otherwise known as female genital mutilation (FGM),
Claiming that you had discovered after a “thorough research” that the practice is wrong from both the Islamic and scientific perspectives
You said in obscene language that you would deal drastically with any religious leader who dares to defy the ban,
Threatening to punish circumcisers and parents of would-be victims ferociously
Your declaration has been received with mixed feelings and reactions
Many have hailed it as a bold, welcome move,
Heaping praises on you
Some see that the ban had long been overdue,
As you have supported the practice for over two decades,
During which period you persecuted those who campaigned for its abandonment,
Including a prominent religious leader who voiced his aversion and opposition to it from the Islamic point of view
Others have opined that the declaration should have been preceded by legislation,
Arguing that you behave as if your words are more powerful than the laws enshrined in the constitution of our country
Many people believe that you have made the decision just to appease and woo Western donors,
With the aim of manoeuvring your way out of the dire financial situation in which you have found yourself
Whatever the case may be, your threats and insults are uncalled for
You should treat those parents as you treat your own parents and want people to treat them
The religious leaders you insulted are the very ones whose advice you claimed you relied on while supporting the practice
You have proven your chief spin doctor wrong and vindicated the only religious leader- an eminent Imam- who campaigned vigorously and openly against FGM
Your chief spin doctor recently criticized that distinguished Imam severely while defending you,
Contending that the Imam couldn’t be right in his defiant positions vis-à-vis your decisions,
As he was the only one among the lot to challenge your decisions
The verdict of time has come with your declaration banning FGM
I call on the spin doctor to muster up his courage- if at all he has any- and come out and tell us where he stands now
What a misnomer!
You stunned and stupefied your audience and the entire nation by declaring our country an Islamic state at one of your rallies
You tried to allay fears by saying that members of other faiths would be allowed to continue to practise unhindered,
That you had not appointed anyone Islamic police officer,
And that no one should seize the opportunity to interfere in the way Muslims comport themselves or tell them how to dress,
As the way people dress is no one’s business
Your sycophants have applauded the declaration as expected of them,
Contending that it should be accepted in good faith as the vast majority of the population are Muslims,
And that they see no reason why a Muslim should oppose the move
On the contrary, some people have advanced the argument that the declaration is untenable as our country is a secular state,
And that it is null and void as it violates our constitution
Many believe that there is ulterior motive behind the declaration
Some people see it as a cheque book declaration or declaration for cash,
In other words, they believe that you want to fool rich Muslim countries for monetary gain
Other cons of the declaration say that you should be among the first batch of people to be lashed, stoned or executed if our country is transformed into a genuine Islamic state
I believe your chief spin doctor and other praise-singers and flatterers will suffer the same fate as you
The fact that you want to be selective in the implementation of laws in the Islamic state you envisage has clearly demonstrated your lack of seriousness and sharp contradiction in your remarks,
Besides, it strongly suggests that the country will be an Islamic state only by name if transformed
How can you censure women for “dressing inappropriately” and turn round and say that Muslim women should not be told how to dress when an Islamic state is established?
Will you stop organising dances, beauty contests and festivals during which men and women mingle freely if you succeed in establishing an Islamic state?
Will you abandon your practice of mysticism which your spin doctor has told us you steadfastly believe in?
Your selectivity and contradictory, irreconcilable remarks lend credence to the widely held belief that your declaration is meant merely to line your pockets, and not to set up a true Islamic state
This selectivity has been condemned by Allah as “accepting/practising some parts/aspects of The Book (The Holy Qur’an) while rejecting others”
The fact of the matter is that we are more concerned about the bad manner in which you treat us than the secular nature of our country
We prefer a secular state where our God-given, constitutional rights are respected and our precious lives valued to an Islamic state headed by a person who has no regard for human rights and cares less about human lives
We hope and pray for your quick departure so that we can live in peace and harmony
Vamoose!
Ends