The various activities earmarked to mark the 100 years of Nigeria’s amalgamation ended on Sunday with a special thanksgiving service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

While the one-year long activities lasted, not a few held the belief that the celebration was unnecessary. The President and indeed the Federal Government had responded to the various criticisms. This piece is not meant to revisit that episode.

What is of concern here are the few lapses observed in the celebration despite the fact that it took the Federal Government or whoever was responsible for the organisation one year of planning.

One of such cases that readily comes to mind is the award night that was held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Indications that the organisers would be overwhelmed started emerging when those who came in for the event were more than the available seats.

Many dignitaries remained standing for many minutes as ushers and some organisers searched adjoining halls for more chairs to cater for stranded guests. One would have thought that since attendance was said to be strictly by invitation, the organisers should have a fair idea of the number of guests they were expecting and prepare adequately for them.

More pronounced among the lapses were the errors observed in the 100-page glossy book in which the biodata of the 100 persons honoured by the government were published with the reasons for their nomination for the centenary award.

One of such was the reason for nomination they published for the late Afro beat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Despite that he was known as a musician, our government wrote on page 77 of the book that he was nominated for the award for being the “first boxer in the world to have won the middleweight and the light-heavyweight categories.” Scandalous!

That reason for nomination was actually meant for a boxer, Richard Ihetu (Dick Tiger). Maybe Anikulapo-Kuti was taken for a boxer since he was known for “boxing” the governments in power with his songs that were always critical of them!

Anyway, his family may not bother about the error if they had access to a copy of the book since they had made it clear that they were rejecting the award on behalf of the late musician. They also rejected the one given to their matriarch, Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti. So no family representative was at the event to receive the medals and certificates meant for the duo. Maybe the government will make arrangement to send them to their family house.

Another blunder in the compendium is the one the Holy Bible succinctly put as “finding the living among the dead.” That is the story of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman. Despite that the former minister is not only alive but is also hale and hearty, the organisers of the event in their wisdom wrote on page 48 that he was born in 1864 and that he died in 1946! But alas, Lukman “resurrected” that evening and collected his award in flesh and blood, not posthumously the way the likes of late Umar Yar’Adua, late MKO Abiola and late Murtala Muhammed and other deceased awardees did.

These were just two among numerous errors that included spelling mistakes, punctuation errors and repetitions like in the case of the biodata of the designer of the national flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, on page 63 where about two paragraphs were repeated.

For a compendium of such national importance like a nation’s centenary, these errors are, to me, clearly unpardonable. The good thing however is that none of those behind the blunders would have the opportunity of producing a similar compendium by the time the nation turns 200.

Bolaji Abdullahi took his turn

When I asked in the last but one edition who would be the next yesterday’s man with the way President Jonathan had started showing his appointees the red card, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi would not have thought it would be his turn so soon, especially with the successes so far recorded under his watch as the Minister of Sports and Chairman, Nigeria Sports Commission.

Abdullahi had in recent times led victorious football teams and athletes to present their trophies and medals to the President. During such visits, the eloquent ex-minister had consistently been describing this period as the greatest moment for sports in the history of the nation, saying Jonathan would be remembered as the best President ever in terms of achievements in sports.

President Jonathan on Wednesday used his case to introduce a new method of sacking his appointees. In the time past, he had sacked ministers and he had asked some “to opt out of cabinet to pursue further interest.” Whatever that means.

In the case of Abdullahi however, the President simply named a replacement for him without necessarily announcing his sacking. He asked a new minister from Rivers State, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, to take over his seat. Since there cannot be two kings in a palace and Jonathan did not announce another portfolio for Abdullahi, common sense dictated to journalists who covered the swearing-in of the 11 new ministers that he had been showed the way out.

Since State House correspondents could not approach the President directly for clarification, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, took the heat. The question on the lips of many was whether the “performing minister” had been sacked.

Of course, the answer could not come straightaway until Abati returned into the inner chamber to consult with his boss. By the time he emerged from where he went to seek clarification, these few words sealed Abdullahi’s fate: “Yes, confirmed. He (Abdullahi) has been dropped.”

Before the swearing in of the new ministers, anxiety had enveloped the cabinet with reports suggesting that the President would drop more ministers while some others would swap portfolios. So it was relief of sort for some of the old ministers who are still holding on to their seats. But the storm is not over yet as Jonathan has asked Nigerians to expect another list of ministerial nominees next week.

Touch not His Excellency

The President on Tuesday asked state governors to stop abusing him because doing so will be inimical to the growth of their states. “A number of politicians feel that the best thing to do is to be abusing Mr. President…Wearing boxing gloves, jumping into the boxing ring to face Mr. President does not help the development of any state,” he said without mentioning names.

But keen observers of events in the polity in recent times can easily slot in names without stress. Don’t ask me whether Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State are reading this please. Next week Saturday is another day!

-Punch