[M-Lord]

Sabella's write up is fairly similar to Uche Nworah's on Andy Ubah last week. We need to avoid calling an incongruous caricature an oil painting.

Let me be express some uncharacteristic verbal uncouthness here. If it looks like it, smells like it, feels like it (for those brave enough to touch it), no matter how much disinfectant or air freshner you douse on it, I assure you the chemical components will not change........it is still s-h-one-t!
Now that we've cleared the air the erstwhile retired General (in this case not a mark of respect) IBB was a very corrupt head of state. Agreed he was not as brutal as Abacha but in many respects he was just as bad. He was just cleverer and better at covering his tracks..thats all.
He has proved himself to be 100% corruptible and he soils all he comes in contact with in corrupt dust. Look at the crop of Nigerians who gathered themselves at the Sheraton Hotel about 3 months ago making morally bankrupt statements pontificating and eulogising about Babangida's non existing qualities.
Sadly amongst them was Abiola's widow and a respected Newswatch Editor.
Babangida corrupted the Nigerian intelligentsia during his regime. He raided the Universities and rooted out Professors making them uncomfortable with their fairly adequate salaries. He dragged them into the world of Politics and made them political appointees, overcoming them with large sums of money to abandon the ivory towers. Not being the product of University education he then proceeded to shut them down serially and began a period of disinvestment in Universities both in terms of money, research and resources. Becoming a University teacher became less attractive to Nigerian graduates and was seen as a stepping stone by some to political posts.
He started the tragic wave of political assasinations with the premature and brutal demise of Dele Giwa.
He even reportedly corrupted Arch Bishop Olubunmi Okogie by luring him into an uncompromising position and then blackmailed him into silence thus neutralising him as a critic. He adopted the loathsome principle that everyone had a price and he capitalised on this by pushing the boundaries until the object of his pseudo affection succumbed.

No institution in Nigeria was sacred. He played one tribe against the other. He wasn't brilliant but he was very cunning. He arrogated the title "evil genius" to himself because he was and still is evil. He brutally and systematically raped Nigeria and now shows an intention to sodomise her all over again. Yet some individuals have the effontery to say positive things about him.

I of course respect everyone's freedom of expression. But with freedom to express comes great responsibility.

Nigeria has such a great pool of talent yet to show what they can do. The best is yet to come. Away with the old guard and in with the new please. 2007 is a great opportunity and all writers and contributors with attendant commentaries have a great task and opportunity to inform, influence persuade and encourage integrity and service for all who have their eye on diverse seats come 2007.
I don't think I'm being unduly idealistic. Some visitors to the square will find themselves in political office. Many villagers have links one way or another to those in political office. The pen or in this case the keyboard is mightier than the sword.
The current regime has produced some sad players like Fayose, Alamayeseigha, Ubah x2, Dariye Oyinlola and Adedibu (though the latter is more of a notorious kingmaker than a political office holder).
More mediocre ones are josting for positions vying to be Chief Executives of their states come 2007. Its quite obvious that their performance will be low with their treasury emptying activities high. As a country we deserve better. We need better. We want better. We desperately crave better. We have the right calibre of Politicians and personnel. We need to identify them and push them forward. People in the calibre of the Head of NAFDAC and the recently removed Minister for Finance Okonjo Iweala are not in the minority. It is just that in the history of Nigeria they are hardly ever given a chance.

The time to be decisive is now. Please move modify and motivate people's thinking with your expressions. The time to move is now.