Coastal Road Rename: Beware Of Sycophants, Activist Advises Tinubu

Coastal Road Rename

 

OpenLife Nigeria reports that Comrade Richard Akinnola 11, a Nigerian journalist, author, lawyer and activist has advised President Bola Tinubu to be wary of those naming monuments after his name, describing them as fair weather friends and loyalists.

The advice came less than 24 hours when Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, renamed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in honour of President Bola Tinubu.

Umahi announced the decision on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja, describing the renaming as recognition of Tinubu’s role in initiating the idea behind the 750-kilometre highway.

“That highway is named President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway,” Umahi said.
“By the powers conferred on me as Minister of Works, in consultation with my Permanent Secretary, the Minister of State, directors and staff of the ministry, we decided to name it after him because of his dream for it.”
According to the minister, Tinubu first conceived the coastal highway project about 27 years ago during his tenure as Lagos governor.

In his reaction through his Facebook page, Richard Akinnola II who was the former editor of the Vanguard Newspaper and currently serves as the executive director of the Centre for Free Speech organization, informed Tinubu that such renaming is to earn cheap political patronage.

The member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and Civil Liberties Organisation further described the gesture as lacking substance.

In retrospect, Akinnola 11 called on Tinubu to reflect on how the likes of late Chief Tony Anenih and Baba Gana Kingibe including Jonathan Zwingina dumped late MKO Abiola “when the chips are down” at the height of June 12, 1993 political struggle.

Titles Random musings, Akinnola 11 wrote:

A few days ago was the one year anniversary of the death of former president Buhari. With the exception of Ibikunle Amosun and maybe one or two other persons, the newspapers were devoid of the usual full page advertisements of people celebrating him when he was in office.

To the “powerful” people in the current dispensation, this should serve as a lesson. It’s a game of sycophants.

Dear President Tinubu, many of those renaming monuments in your name and singing “Bola, on your mandate we stand” cannot take bullets for you when the chips are down. They are doing it for political patronage and eye service. “Ti igi ba da, eiye a fo”(when a tree falls, the birds perching on it would fly away).

Ask MKO Abiola. Before the cock could crow at dawn, Babagana Kingibe, his running mate, Tony Anenih, his party Chairman and Jonathan Zwingina, his campaign DG, had jumped ship to Abacha’s side.
May God grant us understanding.
© Richard Akinnola II