What is going on in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja is very disturbing. Some call it the game of interests but to a psycho-social mind, it is nothing but a game of greed by a tiny cabal that claim to be the ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua’s kitchen cabinet members. No interest other than the national one should be constant and whenever this was not allowed to flourish, a scenario that could be best described as a battle of greed unfurls. Turai Yar’Adua, Abba Ruma, Yakubu Taminu and Michael Aoundoaka are the principal persons circumventing the sanctity of our constitution. Their pursuits are for everything but against national interest. These men and woman and other allies across the federation are working for the perpetuation of Yar’Adua when it is obvious that this president can not continue in power. They are only thinking of the perquisites of power being enjoyed at the moment even if these were to the detriment of millions of other Nigerians and the sovereign entity called Nigeria. Their avaricious action brings to fruition the words of a British　essayist and critic, William Hazlitt (1778　-　1830) where he said: ‘The least pain in our little finger gives us more concern and uneasiness than the destruction of millions of our fellow-beings.’ The greed of these men and woman of power has no border and this makes me believe that they are indeed blind in their immoral cause. 　 With the benefit of hindsight, one realised that men and women who at one time or the other in recent history of the country behaved the way these people are conducting themselves always ended up in the wrong side of history. The late despot, General Sani Abacha’s experience where nature intervened and later saw to some of the power schemers of that time still paying for their sins remain instructive for today’s gladiators in this whole Yar’Adua nonsense. It is still very difficult for one to fathom why in 74 days of being bed ridden due to health debilitation in King Faisal hospital, Saudi Arabia, Yar’Adua still finds it difficult to hand over power to his deputy or even resign honourably. Yet, the probability that the man will still be able to rule this country is less than ten per cent. The national assembly leadership is afraid of taking the bold step of liberating this country from the Yar’Adua bondage. The question is for how long will this unsavoury legislators conspiracy continue and at whose expense? The game of greed that is currently unfurling in the country might be too costly for those playing it and thinking erroneously that today will be forever. Just at the time that there is palpable apprehension in the country over the continued unjustifiable stay away of Mr. President from his duty post, attempts were made by his wife and other acolytes to ferry him back home when in actual fact the man according to reports cannot live without life support machine. Someone who could not survive a six-hour journey without a life support machine cannot apparently rule this country under whatever circumstances. The obvious truth is that the man should either through the infamous way he purportedly signed the 2009 supplementary budget or by proxy, sign the letter transferring power to Vice-President Jonathan Goodluck forthwith. The Abuja game of greed players are already exposing the country to international ridicule with the tactless ways in which the ailing Yar’Adua stay-put-in-power project is being prosecuted. There are serious contradictions in their approach. First, they belabour themselves so hard the other time just to convince us, the doubting Thomases, that it was the president that actually spoke to Nigerians through the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) the other time. Prior to that time, we were made to believe that he spoke with his deputy, the Senate-President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The veepee allegedly confirmed he spoke with him but the leaders of the federal legislature have not affirmed that. If anything, the Senate-President dodged a question regarding that on the floor of the Senate. How then can a man that has been allegedly speaking with these very important persons need a life support machine to aid his travel back to his country? What a contradiction by the Abuja game of greed players who act before they think? May be the BBC should go for a second interview with the man this weekend just to confirm to us that the man is still fit to rule and is not brain dead as alleged in a publication. Also by looking for an air ambulance to ferry the president back to the country, they (surrogates) have exposed the inadequacies in our system back home; and the failure of the president back home too to put the health sector in good shape. How can a country as rich as Nigeria not have an air-ambulance? What does it say of us to be borrowing such an aircraft from the Saudi Arabia monarch? Saudi Arabia is perhaps not richer than Nigeria but the difference is that its oil monies are well managed by its leaders. At the same time, it was reported that two brand new dialysis and life support machines were bought and installed in Aso-Rock ahead of the president’s return home. What all these tell us is that the president is not well enough to govern over his domestic affairs not to even talk of his continuing to rule the nation. No amount of kangaroo court rulings or judgements from Justice Dan Abutu or other unprincipled judges goaded by Aoundoaka can give him the needed verve that could sustain him in power. In virtually all the hospitals across the country, dialysis and life support machines are essential commodities. The absence of these important medical equipments in public hospitals has put the lives of thousands of Nigerians with allied ailments on the line and yet, because of one soul, they are being bought and installed for just a life that may not live long to use at all or optimise usage of these machines. Nigerians suffering from the same ailments and without money are seriously in pains and dying un-noticed everyday. The charade of not allowing Jonathan Goodluck act as president will soon end and those presently acting as impediment will gnash their teeth endlessly. This Abuja game of greed must stop.

By Mobolaji Sanusi