In defense of Wada Nas
By
After going through the article: Wada Nas And The Price Of Loyalty, scripted by the learned gentleman, Banjo Odutola, Esq., a solicitor in the Supreme Court of England and Wales. I feel compelled to come to the defense of my friend, mentor, godfather, uncle and fellow Nigerian, Wada Nas, heretofore, referred to as the Mallam. In doing so, I take note that, Mr. Odutola diverged from his subject to rope in Aluko, Okadigbo, Mbadiniju and Ikimi. I refuse to comment on these people because they are capable of defending themselves, as against the poor and oft misunderstood Mallam. Mr. Odutola, I believe has imbibed the saying that: Cow where no get tail, na tsetse fly go kill am. He is mistaken.
My defense of the Mallam is with the full understanding that the Mallam and I, have something in common, though he might not know it. The Mallam is reputed to be an ordinary tailor, while I am a serving security guard, not maigard – I practice abroad. And, as a commoner, I believe my fate is extrinsically linked to that of the Mallam, hence this defense. I take particular exception when he tries to confuse the Mallam with statements like: the converse of my position may be misconstrued as an approval of what the Mallam disapproves. Dogo turenchi!
Let me state outright, that I am more handsome than the Mallam, but I am jealous of his uncanny ability at loyalty and pungent wit. Remember Adesanya and the testing of the ayeta or bullet proof juju. That case is still in court, but I believe it would go the same way as the case of the United States versus Larry Flynt.
I submit that the grouse and gripe which in conspectus ejus of Mr. Odutola, calls for a reprove of my friend Mallam Wada Nas is inconsequential, but a case of bad belle and should be ignored. Though his complaints are wide and varied, I would try to take each one on, as well as I could.
Mr. Odutola has a problem with the Mallam defending the Abachas’. There is a precedence. Did Beko not defend Mr. Chicago in Lagos? What is wrong with the Mallam defending his friends, the Abachas’, that brought him to national prominence? Who determines the quantum of ‘required allegiance to uphold the honor of the nation as required in the national pledge’?
He claims blind loyalty is a terminal affliction. Who says the Mallam has blind loyalty? What kind of disease is that? The only thing I know that is blind is called love, not loyalty. How can someone in his right mind wish blindness on a tailor? How does he thread his needle, when sewing? Mallam’s crime is that unlike those ‘good times’ friends, he has stuck to the Abachas’ in life and in death. You might not like his way of showing it, but it is his right to do so.
He acknowledges the Mallams' knowledge of public finance. I agree. The Mallam is our modern day equivalent of an economic oracle in the country today. Mr. Odutola opines. "The Mallam had alerted the nation to the findings of the Auditor General’s report, as it pertains to the Presidency’ Yet, he is not satisfied. Did Mr. Odutola expect him to list that of the House members? That is already public knowledge. Thanks to Nzeribe. He mentions Transparency International? Who has forgotten when Awo woke up one day, and took Shamgar to task on the economy? Poor Fulani man, all he did was to go and dig up Prof. Dudley, or was it Edozien, to come and debunk the allegation. Was Awo right? Yes. Was he vilified? No. How does Mallam Nas do it? There must be something in the chewing of kolanut which enables a tailor to predict auditing outcomes. Love him or hate him, the Mallam is unassailable and should be given a national honor. That, of course is my opinion.
He claims Mallam is guilty of attacking the President. So? Who is he supposed to attack? The president’s wife? Hear him: Mallam is guilty of serving in a regime that defied criticisms. All military governments in Nigeria were of that vein. Who burnt down Kalakuta? Unknown Soldier, na him do am, Unknown Soldier!
Mr. Odutola also alleges that the Mallam is suborning the rule of law. What law? The Sharia Law? An illiterate Mallam suborning the rule of law? How? Did the Mallam invite the Swiss to hold Court in a Nigerian prison to try a fellow Nigerian? He claims that Mallam pleaded for executive intervention and they obliged. Silly executives. He is unhappy that Mallam 'championed the praise that our legal system works'. See me, see trouble. I do not know about you, but every man or woman, who has his or her prayers answered by the court, always come out to proclaim how they believe in the court system. And Mallam is just behaving true to type.
According to the learned Mr. Odutola, President Obasanjo lamented that his father’s money [oil wealth] which he is managing had been stolen by the Abachas’ and he had agreed to allow them retain $100 million. Extrajudicial public finance! Please, make una let us rest, jare. Who dey for that place where no follow enjoy?
The problem is that we are a ‘shortcut’ society. What inanity pushes a government to enter into a deal with a so called criminal suspect, to return stolen money? When did prisoners start having such agbara or odu in our society? Who is the president to suborn the court system to set someone free, when the person is guilty? It is the government that is at fault, and not the Abacha scion or the Mallam. Any agreement entered by Abacha while he was in prison was obtained under duress. And, what makes Mr. Odutola think that the Swiss do not lie? Is it because they are white? Why has it taken them so long to come out with their interjection? So the Abachas’ stole? Which head of state and his cohorts have not stolen? Start from the beginning and probe all of them, then come out and tell us why the Abachas’ should be singled out. That is the crux of the Mallam’s message.
Mr. Odutola, then proceeded on a voyage of discovery. He is unhappy that Mallam has become a self styled campaigner for Buhari. Wetin concern agbero for overload? Why is Mr. Odutola so interested in seeing Buhari run an efficient campaign? Is Mr. Odutola a closet Buhari supporter? What is his primary interest in seeing Buhari’s campaign succeed? Mr. Odutola claims Buharis campaign would suffer because of the Mallam’s input. Thank you. The Mallam is on the ground in Funtua. He does not have any intention of going to the South West to campaign, because he recognizes a lost case, when he smells one.
He complains of Mallams’ failings, for which he would not be remembered. I know for a fact that Mr. Odutola is being disingenuous. Mallam only attended almajiri school and there is compulsory promotion, so he could not have failed. Mr. Odutola is lying here. The last time I spoke to Mallam Wada, he affirmed that he would be better off, if he is remembered for something rather than nothing, even if it is amaurotic loyalty. I can attest that Mallam’s only weakness is his fondness for gworo, which he uses to sustain the agricultural economy of my state. A business which the Abachas' were well versed in, as the father of the late general was reputed to be the best taba and gworo seller in the whole of Kano. I have it on good authority, that the Abachas' had the monopoly on the gworo trade from the southern part of the country to the north and the whole of West Africa. At a profit margin of fifty shillings to a basket in the 50's, to the days of the Naira and multiplying that against one hundred million consumers, plus the compound interest. We are talking old money here my friends.
Mr. Odutola used the word Gaurcherie twice. I do not know the meaning of that, and I bet, Mallam doesn’t either. So I cannot comment on it. Subservience? Mr. Odutola, that is the Will of Allah. His ilk? Strong word. You have a problem with the Abachas' sue them. If not leave them be. You have proof of IBB's financial shenanigans, provide it to the government, if not, go and settle your quarrel personally with him.
Mr. Odutola also claims my friend is the butt of jokes? Did we not laugh at Penkelemesi, Eruobodo, K. O. Mbadiwe and Barkin Zuwo?
Between Gani [Omo Mummy] Fawenhimi and Mr. Odutola, whom would you believe? Gani said, the Mallam "is a good man but he was in a bad government". Mr. Odutola says, the Abachas’ are not decent because they could not advise their self styled defender to lower the tempo of his defense. How many people in Nigeria are defending the Abachas’ apart from the Mallam? In such a scenario, shouldn’t the Abachas’ thank God that there is at least one soul who is shouting on their behalf.
Mr. Odutola, the point in question is not that stealing is good or legal, but when a society or her legal system, turns a blind eye to other people's crime. That same society, cannot wake up one day and pick on another culprit. As a learned fellow, you should know something about fair hearing, due process and equal treatment before the law. When a society uses that approach, the Mallams of this world would go back to tailoring, and Buhari, just might ask me to front for his campaign team.
I rest my case.
Feb 2003