By Eseoghene Emuke
Legendary comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba has called for the prosecution and subsequent imprisonment of officials the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the postponement of last Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country.
Ali Baba also lambasted Nigerian politicians for failing to plan for the future and development of the country.
The 53-year-old stand-up comedian in a video posted on his Instagram page on Saturday demanded for the jailing of the officials of the electoral commission.
The Warri-born comedian and actor added that Nigeria would have lost about a trillion to the postponement considering the fact that many Nigerians had travelled various homes to cast their votes and equally cancelled all their engagements for the exercise.
“To say that I am disappointed in INEC, disappointed in the government and in the Nigeria electoral process, is just beating the dead horse.
“They (INEC) have failed to provide election that everyone have waited for and encourage people that have spent time to travel out, cancel appointments, postponed weddings, denied people money that should have been earned.
“This country would have lost close to a trillion just today (Saturday) but they don’t care. INEC officials should be jailed for this kind of thing but we are in a country where people don’t get punished for the things they do. It is sad! INEC, it’s a shame.”
Ali Baba, in a support write-up to the video, accused the Nigerian politicians of only planning for themselves, and not for what will benefit generality of Nigerians.
In his words, “That’s how it takes everyone 4 years to prepare for World Cup… but we start planning 6 months before the tournament… but if it’s to prepare the quarters for elected officials… in less than 4 months, it can be sorted.
“Corpers will get to camp, their allowances will not be ready. Falcons will win a tournament, their allowances will be in voicemail. Olympics tournaments, we will arrive late. Our contingents will be the last to be airlifted back to Nigeria.
“It’s only in Nigeria that ‘an interlocked road will go bad.’ Interlocked roads are the easiest to maintain across the world. We are the only people who have schools built for 800 students, in 1979, still serving 18,000 students in 2019.
“No planning. No punishment for failing to plan. 40 bed Maternities meant for a population of 5000, no caters for a population of 150,000. Airport runways built, in 1970s for airplanes that used to weigh 1/4 the size of current aircrafts, are still in use.
Roads and bridges built to accommodate 1000 vehicular traffic, in a year, now has those 1000 vehicles on the bridge and roads in an hour stationary.
“Primary schools and Teacher training colleges are still the way they are, but our Governors’ lodges, presidential villas, National and State Assembly quarters, have been upgraded to the latest world standards.
“There is no elected officer with a 2000 model vehicle. But they drive the policies with a constitution of 1979. What is the fine for being caught as an intellectual property pirate? 10,000 Naira or less.
“Now tell me, do they, elected officials still collect what the Assembly and Executive used to earn in the 1980s? None. Every other sector must remain as it is, but the elected must be upgraded.
“See NTA, that is the flagship of our national broadcast, or should be the example of our progress, is anchoring on DSTV. Do they care? But go and see them, none of them lives in 1004… That’s old school. Radarada bunch of people. And this post is not only about APC that is in government for 4 years. It’s across board to all politicians. PDP, UPN, NPN… All of them.”
https://www.instagram.com/alibabagcfr/p/Bt8V50nFGNW/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=135xianlg641t
