SEALING OF THE PDP NATIONAL SECRETARIAT: Matters arising
By UCHE DIALA
I only hope it was not all scripted, though, but I will give the President the benefit of the doubt that he is not aware or part of what his Minister is doing in this regard, but it is incomprehensible how a minister and an appointee of this president can be so ungovernable and out of control.
I made a post yesterday (Monday May 26, 2025) on the action of the Minister of FCT and his agents of sealing a premises that houses the national headquarters of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP), because the property owner had not paid overdue ground rent.
I submitted that the optics of agents of the ruling party sealing the National headquarters of the major opposition party in Nigeria on such grounds was not good. I further reminded us that this administration from inception has never really cared about optics.
As expected, some (the usual persons) jumped in to make needless and unntelligent arguments and defence. One said, I cared “more about the optics than the law”.
Well, yes. Optics can be everything, especially in politics and in governance.
It is optics and to save face that made the President to almost immediately intervene and give a two weeks grace to the affected individuals, even though that is not enough time frame, in my view.
The President understands that, but his compulsive and unthinking supposed supporters have no clue.
I only hope it was not all scripted, though, but I will give the President the benefit of the doubt that he is not aware or part of what his Minister is doing in this regard, but it is incomprehensible how a minister and an appointee of this president can be so ungovernable and out of control.
It is really laughable for some people to think that they know or care about the law more than I do or that I did not know what I was talking about on this issue. One even said that I was “defending the PDP”. How ridiculous.
Yes. There is the law, but the law is made for man and not the other way round.
The ability to apply the law with firmness but fairness, sincerity, common sense, and discretion makes the entire difference between an astute, fair, compassionate, and efficient administrator and an autocratic, vindictive, and victimising individual.
In this country it was, under the last administration when businesses (and they were many) who had defaulted in making their tax returns for years, some for decades, were giving waivers, rebates and grace of up to a year by the FIRS to regularise it, and that move was effective and the goal largely achieved.
The key motive of such a move is not necessarily to punish, rather to correct, regularise and normalise the system going forward, but that can only be when the enforcer is sincere and altruistic without an ulterior motive or a specific target as is obviously the case here.
It is ground rent that is being talked about. Not murder. Some people, even though they are in default, may, actually, sincerely not have the money to pay presently.
Continuing the civilized conversation and pressure while giving them even more time to pay up, especially considering the very challenging economic situation, won’t hurt anyone, definitely not the government. It is our government, by the way.
Everything, especially in public service and administration, must not be handled with rambunctiousness or a ‘cutlass weilding’ mentality. Definitely, people should not use public office and position to fight personal fights or push their selfish political agenda and other interests.
Unfortunately, the likes of Wike are the albatross of this President and his administration.
Unfortunately, a lot of people obviously can not reason or comprehend anymore having been blinded by tribal and other shenanigans, but with time, they would realise the damage they have done to the President and more importantly to the nation. By then it would be too late.
May God bless Nigeria and protect it from agents of rasclity and destabilisation.
©️ Uche Diala
