IT is time” ended officially last Monday. But this post-script has to fly in now. You may wonder why. A man called IBB, a General (or do we say ex-General?) of the Nigerian Army called Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda, an ex-dictator and ex-military president of Nigeria called “Nigeria the beautiful” by poet Odia Ofiemun, is one reason why this enterprise of an epilogue to a dazzling done deal is being dwelt on now. The other two reasons relate to inquiries of some readers who itch to know (1) the identity of Jehu, who must appear in this horizon and clime, whether the current political leadership likes it or not, and (2) the geographical terrain or geopolitical region the immensely mighty one is riding from.

First of all, In and Out craves readers’ permission to make IBB its first subject and guest of focus relating to the coherence of thought being established in the first three series. Roughly three weeks now IBB said at an occasion, a military one where he was a guest orator, that the military would not again disturb our democratic operation. In other words, to put IBB’s thoughts down simply in this column, the Nigerian military would not do again a coup or coups that do harm to or that shall disarm our democratic dispensation. If wishes were horses, beggars would mount them. This old story, a simple but not truly fathomable one, is too well known among our people. Yet it is those who usually are members of the tiny population of the gifted and the discreet who can discern and dissect its import and essence.

IBB is not a beggar, but he shall get no horse of his wish to mount. For reasons, it is not my wish to state here and now, IBB possesses some qualitative sensibilities and virtues which win my admiration of him. But that maybe is by the way. All I wish to alert him of is that it is time for him to be afraid of his past political, economic and other sins that surely shall be part of the retributive burden that he must bear—any time from now. Of course, when he and his co-conspirators aborted President Shagari’s presidency things were far from this horrible in Nigeria. Again, when he and his fellow conspirators disarmed General Buhari’s military Head-of-State-ship things did not wear the colour and uniform of horrible horrors that Nigeria now wears. Oh Jesus! I am entering the portal of my banana reverie once again. What a banana trance in which the immortal and ever living words of the ancient Chinese military thinker and philosopher, the great Sun Tzu are rolled and streamed into my consciousness: “A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear incompetent.

Though effective, appear ineffective.” Furthermore, “One with great skill appears inept.” My dear IBB, you certainly know and understand better than many a soldier and a General the art of coup-plotting and coup-planning, but I am aware as you and all great and not-so-great soldiers and Generals are aware, that “the element of surprise” is so important for a successful and a victorious coup, and that it also “depends on knowing others while being unknown to others, so secrecy and misdirection are considered essential arts” of coup-plotting and coup-planning. But I must allay our fears. What we see coming is more beautiful and worse than a coup. What a paradox! In my banana trance, I see IBB and company wishing for a coup instead of the REVOBLIVION of the banana people whose time is here, the banana people and banana masses who are being pushed beyond the end of things!

IBB and company (who lived lavishly and still live lavishly on the act and art of coup-plotting and who now do not want other soldiers to benefit from the same act and art) do not believe and will never believe us. We are happy that this is so. May they cherish and relish their great non-belief and confidence as long as they last and as long as they make them happy and impregnable. Yet we say and underline it again and again and again: It is time. And intelligent, progressive, trust–worthy, humane, courageous, fair, just and stern Jehu descends.

He descends—Jehu who knows when and how to reap and sow, unstoppable and unchallengeable Jehu given to us by Heaven and approved by Dore Numa, Murtala Mohammed, Gani Fawehimi, Obafemi Awolowo, Adamu Ciroma, Oba Erediauwa, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Ooni of Ife, the Obong of Calabar, the Olu of Warri and blessed by the Primate of primates. What a picture! How real! How clear! How glaring! How harmonious!

I remember how IBB stepped aside, or was forced to step aside… He can never, never understand the forces behind his quitting Aso Rock when he did and when he did not want to quit. Those same forces and those even greater are hovering and hovering and hovering virtuously and fostering harmony within their ranks, harmony that they need for safe-flight and safe-landing… And Nigeria is lifted high and high and high beyond measure and beyond our widest and wildest dreams and reveries… in the comity of nations. It is time.

And where is Jehu descending from? Of course, he is descending from the womb of Heaven and from the illusion of water and sand. What does this mean! The interpretation is hidden from the day-dreamer. And when is the time of the descent? It is the time that has sprouted.

And O dear, dear ones, dear, dear leaders, please, please, please do In and Out the favour of perusing Napoleon’s Book of Fate, if you can find it, before the cup runs over. It is time. Jehu has an intimate knowledge of the actual here and now and of the actual here and there. He is not one of combat, but he or she who wants combat shall get combat; and he or she who wants harmony shall get harmony from him—the supremely mighty one. He is Heaven-made and Jesus-blessed as he is Allah-accepted. It is his and our time to defeat evil without battling it. How do we gain victory over evil without fighting it? Jehu knows. It is time to show us how…. O my banana reverie! How you engage me in harmonious combat! O my banana noon-dream! How you give me revelations of banana and mango on behalf of our land! And O Primate Olabayo, when is the release and the descent? It must be now and it must be now. I urge, conjure and command you, in the name of the mighty name of Jesus. And Jehu appears. Now! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, we pray. Amen.

Comments (0)

Show/hide comments

Show/hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment