OBInomics OBIsession OBImania and the onset of OBIcracy

During the epochal June 12 elections, I was totally for MKO, despite the Moslem-Moslem ticket; I was a ‘hopeful’ young Nigerian. Along the line, my people unabashedly supported Obasanjo, Yar’adua and Lucky Good Luck, whom some people saw as an Igbo-man.

Four years ago, I was Fully Atukulated. Last year, as a Soludoist, I promoted Soludoism. Soludo was not new to politics but he was not the typical politician and thus, he did not ‘have’ a structure; he had to depend on somebody’s structure. People rallied round him, created all sorts of non-APGA structures, campaigned for him with their own money and even donated some money to him. That was in Anambra State.

Today, I want to declare unapologetically that I am OBImatically OBIdient! Even though I am not bound to justify my position, my OBIdience is based on competence, character (integrity), and verifiable performance. Of course, equity is also a factor. I agree in toto with Seun Okinbaloye (Channels TV) that if we employ the best hands to run our private companies, we should have the best of us to run this country.

But in Nigerian politics, a ‘structure’ refers to the offices and officers for politicking across the federation, but in reality, it is a framework for rigging and sharing money; for subverting the electoral process by intimidation, violence, destruction of electoral materials and other forms of unholy subterfuge

Since Obi ‘dumped’ the PDP because the party is not in sync with his 2Ps (persona and principles), and migrated to the less-known and fancied Labour Party, the main issue by those who believe that he has no chance is that he has ‘no structure’.

Why did he even join LP? Because as a servant leader, he wants to labour for (and not boss over) the people. By the way, the LP logo is about we, the people; it is not made up of inanimate objects. So, why all the fuss about structures? ‘Wetin be structure sef’? Structure is the ‘grouping of activities in such a way to achieve objectives, departmentation of these activities and provision of authority, delegation and coordination (Ik Muo, (2019) Management: Principles Practices and Processes; Enugu, Potter Creations, P425).

But in Nigerian politics, a ‘structure’ refers to the offices and officers for politicking across the federation but in reality, it is a framework for rigging and sharing money; for subverting the electoral process by intimidation, violence, destruction of electoral materials and other forms of unholy subterfuge. In its practical interpretation, it is OBIvious that Obi does not have a structure and following common wisdom, does not stand a chance in 2023.

So, why do those who have chance worry so much about a structureless man who has no chance? Why have all internet warriors, rogue writers, and apologists of the political class devoted all their attack-efforts on Obi? Why have we spared those who stole intimidating sums of money; those that are richer than some states, those who have no certificates or whose certificates are missing or defaced and descend on the stingy man who saved money? Why are we rooting for a desperate fellow who ‘privatised’ our privatisation process, milked Nigeria holistically, lives abroad, comes back to contest every four years and who wants to be president by all means? Or the fellow with entitlement mindset who looted and still loots Lagos treasury who wants to be president because it is his turn?

Why not the visionary one who was a billionaire before joining the political front, whose certificates and other details can be verified, lives a simple and contented life and believes that ‘things cannot continue to be like this’? Who tells you what he has done, and proffers solution to our problems based on his experiences and what he learnt from other climes; who shows incomparable compassion, concern and respect for fellow human beings and who wears simplicity and humility as a cloak.

Read also: Kingsley Moghalu endorses Peter Obi for 2023 presidency

Why are other candidates and their supporters investing scarce resources in desperate efforts to discover the failings of PO? Why is it that rather than marketing their programmes and identifying and proffering workable solutions to the myriad and complicated Nigerian problems they are resorting to analogue strategies like forcing people to pay for and wear branded vests, intimidating people at the registration centres, sharing of cash and items. Well, in this circumstance, I am moved by the timeless postulation of Marcus Aurelius that ‘when a bunch of known corrupt people unite against one man and spare no efforts to ridicule him, blackmail him and attempt to assassinate his character, blindly follow that one man’. I am BLINDLY OBIdient!

Anyway, here are some words of elders that are appropriate for those suffering from acute OBIphibia. Our people say that God drives away flies for the tail-less cow; that at times, a disregarded small pot would produce enough foam to quench the entire fire, that a small flood can wash away the bridge, that a small sh…t can scatter he anus and at times, a smallish elephant might drive away the huge ones.

Even those who are close to the Bible will tell you the story of Naboth, Joseph and David, Elijah, whose battles were fought by God. This is for those who look down on Obi.

OBInomics has been defined as the branch of knowledge concerned with production, consumption and transfer of wealth according to Peter Obi.

However, beyond this generic definition, OBInomics has a multiplicity of interconnected elements. It has frugality (prudence) as a religion in public, private and social lives. It is all about financial responsibility and is allergic to squander mania. If you refer to it as stinginess, ‘na you sabi’ but even at that, the Stingy Men Association of Nigeria has appointed Peter Obi as their Grand Patron.

It believes in deploying public money for public purses, patronisation of home-made products and paying for the utilitarian value of goods and services (seeing economy class as the same as first class sit in the same flight). Obinomics adopts a statistics-based governance (go and verify), prioritises education, health and roads as the foundation for overall development, promotes savings, investments and production (as against consumption), separates personal from public resources and affairs, does not believe in enrichment from the office, beyond formal remunerations( which can even be surrendered for the public good), and believes in learning from other climes.

It is against any form of ostentation and practices lean government, lean convoys (size and quality), lean personal staff strength and hangers on. It is based on competence, technology driven and willingness to learn.