Abba Kyari: Overhyping Of Individuals Vs Strong Institutions – Richard Odusanya.

Overtime, in many of the countries in Africa, particularly in Nigeria; the issue of overhyping of individuals, that are saddled with certain responsibilities, have become so prevalent in the system. The Nigerian system is structured in a way that promotes individual as against strong institution. Some of the smart fellows, who understands the advantage of personal aggrandizement and the gullibility of Nigerians takes pleasure in maximizing the benefits of such incongruence.

Interestingly, the Nigerian system in particular is skewed in favour of a few privileged overfed “cats” who determine the where, how and the crumbs that is available for the rest of the millions of Nigerians. This is done with a brazen sense of entitlement that is in alignment with the position of a few individuals, claiming ownership of Nigeria as posited by Dele Momodu in a recent national TV interview. This is unacceptable, sad and unfortunate.

The Abba Kyari-Hushpuppi-Cubanna saga is a pointer to the many issues bedeviling the troubled Giant of Africa.

Abba Kyari was able to use social media to create an image of himself being a ‘super cop’, a police officer that bust criminals, and in this story, the embattled DCP is the only cop in Nigeria doing his job.

Abba Kyari was a masters self-promoter, promoting himself to the statue of a celebrity that no one can touch. Due to this projected image, he kept receiving awards. The First Lady, Aisha Buhari gave him an award, youth groups flock around him, giving him numerous awards for his valour. The National Assembly even arranged to give him an award.

Yet, few months after denying the allegations by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which indicted him in an internet fraud case, claiming that his “hands are clean”; Nigeria’s ‘super cop’ was declared wanted over suspected links with an international drug cartel by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and has subsequently been arrested.

Prof. Farooq Kperogi aptly captured the shameful and disgraceful antecedents of top government functionaries. He had said; “Pantami is the academic version of of Kyari, while Kyari is the paramilitary version of Pantami.” It speak volumes.

Indeed, avalanche of reactions from our citizens across board suggest that we are running a system that is not transparent and open. This is what you get when lack of accountability and trust deficit is prevalent.

Abba Kyari, clearly, wasn’t trying to eat with the back of a spoon. He wasn’t doing the unthinkable. He knew what gig he was in, albeit, he placed too much a premium on his personal ability to oil his way – his godfathers in the shadows – through the Nigerian system. A few cold calls would do the magic, he’d be freed.

Abba Kyari is not the only one involved in this. It is the way of many of our officials and law enforcement agents in Nigeria, they are deeply involved. Some of them are doing marvelously well in plum positions that was used to compensate them for a job well done by the political elites.

Similarly, political appointees and others also understand the vulnerability of the system and the gullibility of the people. Backed up and supported by a small clique of the ‘owners’ of Nigeria, in connivance with the media, they begin to recklessly squander the nation’s riches and plunder resources to the advantage of their ‘promoters’ and to the benefits of the imperialist agenda.

It is, partly because of some of the reasons, that I am persuaded and believe that we may be in for a long night, complete with a few bouts of nightmares; more name dropping and jail calling. We need to get ready to have more of our reverence for some ‘national heroes’ get tossed, for good. As a nation destined for greatness, we need to begin to interrogate the motives and actual intentions of the promoters and sponsors of such incongruence.

Richard Odusanya
Ayékòótọ́ Onígègéewúrà (Parrot with the golden pen), convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI