David Hundeyin sounds like a well-read brilliant chap, a pseudo kind of polymath. That kind induced by reading Wikipedia excerpts or the 3-page summary of a 450-page book. Yes, that kind of empty-barrel-but-sounding-loud pseudo-brilliance; knowing the major highlights of a particular topic, but flatly ignorant of its wider significance and broader lessons.
This is what Hundeyin did with his outrageously bizarre piece published on August 25, 2021, titled “Yemi Osinbajo existed in 1944 – His name was Friedrich Fromm”, an article that was not only polluted by the poisonous flatulence of words, but the total misrepresentation of history.
One could be tempted to pardon the young man, who obviously seems to be high on misguided judgement, the kind akin to that induced by vodka in a teetotaller young gun. But how, in the name of everything holy, can you compare Friedrich Wilhelm Waldemar Fromm, a Commander in Chief of Germany’s Replacement Army in the 2nd World War, to Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President of Nigeria, a servant-leader, a respected pastor, highly acclaimed professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); how? The things some of these misguided collective children of anger write these Internet days are baffling.
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But let’s ignore childish petulance and address some misconceptions the writer penned in his article.
Osinbajo has been described as the most hardworking vice president in Nigeria’s history. That does not come by PR, but by actual work. He has spearheaded the biggest social welfare scheme in our history, which has benefitted several millions of Nigerians across social classes. The VP is now leading Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) which has continued to help the country mitigate the socio-economic effect of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The VP has continued to lead several efforts of the Government to boost national development and unity, from social welfare schemes, youth development, tech and innovation growth, job creation, education and other sectors. Some have even rightly described him as the engine room of the Buhari government.
That the country fell into recession twice was mainly due to the global fall in crude oil prices to unprecedented levels and then the effects of the global pandemic. Not only that, the implementation of the Osinbajo-led ESP has been credited for helping Nigeria exit recession faster than predicted during the pandemic.
Despite the opinion of the likes of Hundeyin, the jury is still out on the Twitter ban. But it was not a stifle on free speech, but a clarion call to Twitter to take necessary action on general tweets likely to incite violence or civil war. Following the later deletion or flagging of tweets by Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, it is now clear that the Social Media company was bias in its treatment when it came to tweets capable of inciting violence and deaths of innocent Nigerians.
Also, the President did not order the shooting of unarmed civilian protesters in Lekki, Lagos. Two, the Vice President Osinbajo never sat and watched. This man has been working hard to ensure the good of Nigeria, advocating for the common man and just causes, whether in the limelight or in the back-stages.
For the records, the VP was constantly in touch with the President to ensure that the demands of the protesters were met. He arranged for the Inspector of General to meet with the President. Also, it was the National Economic Council (NEC) led by VP Osinbajo that directed the establishment of State-based Judicial Panels of Inquiry nationwide to receive and investigate complaints of Police brutality or related extra-judicial killings so as to ensure justice for all victims of the dissolved SARS and other police units.
Or maybe he is looking for online publicity to pursue that foreign grant or something of that nature. After all, such a ‘blasphemous’ article could help with application for asylum or further a narrative of ‘being wanted’ in one’s own countries for allegedly ‘speaking half (truth)- alternate truth- lie-packaged-as-truth) to power’.
So, for example, if you Google “Friedrich Fromm”, voila, Hundeyin’s article is highlighted in the searches, with the name of Yemi Osinbajo. Any guess on why the writer asked that we Google the German officer’s name? Sorry, David, Osinbajo is too busy with serious matters to consider the tomfoolery in written form you call an opinion piece.
The writer’s naivety and ignorance are so glaring that a discerning reader would clearly know he knows nothing about the weight or significance of history. Does he understand the effects the 2nd World War had on Germany and the rest of the world? Does the writer understand the broader significance of history at all? But in his infantile anger and displaced aggression, he decides to liken Osinbajo to Fromm! Not only is it nauseating and outrageous, it is utter rubbish.
According to history, Fromm was executed in 1945 by a firing squad because he failed to take action against the coup plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. What then was Hundeyin implying in his article, was he indirectly baying for Osinbajo’s blood? Just because the Internet has democratised historical archives does not equate to rubbishing it with pseudo-intellectualism, like the writer did.
It is also important to state that history will definitely remember Osinbajo for good, as a man who dedicated most of his life to public service and the betterment of Nigeria and Nigerians.
Like one of our local proverbs says, “If a man beats his child with his right hand, he should draw him to himself with his left.” So, I’d leave David Hundeyin with a small piece of advice, wherever he’s reading from: go back to school and learn basic history and comprehension.
Adebayo, a political analyst and social commentator, writes from Abuja
