Inconsistent and flip flopper Fani Kayode ,One time Activist before , then NOT an activist with OBJ , then now an activist with Jonathan !
LIKE MINDS THINK AND ACT ALIKE
When Chinua Achebe was announced as one of the recipients of the CFR award in 2004 by the Obasanjo administration, he flatly rejected it, saying he did so as a protest and wanted it to serve as a “wake up call.”
Achebe expressed particular disgust with happenings in Anambra, his home state, where “a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom.”
In those days, Femi Fani-Kayode, was the Doyin Okupe of Aso Rock, occupying the position of Senior Special Assistant (Public Affairs) while Remi Oyo served as the Special Adviser (Media and Publicity).
It was Fani-Kayode who was dispatched to respond. While his statement was crafted in a way not to sound disagreeable, seeing as Achebe had a popularity rating higher that the government he served, the statement nonetheless tried to pit Nigerians against the revered writer.
At a point, FFK wrote: “It is not a slap in the face of the Nigerian government or Mr. President, but rather, it is a slap in the face of the Nigerian people,” and “… no matter how distinguished and resourceful a person you are and no matter how brilliant and gifted an individual you are, if you feel that your country does not deserve to honour you, then we believe that you certainly do not deserve your country.”
When news of Achebe’s death broke, FFK went on Twitter to wail and hail the icon. Some Nigerians, including journalist Tolu Ogunlesi called him out on it saying that he blasted him when he was in power, but FFK would have none of that. He called Ogunlesi, “petty and pitiful young man,” due to Ogunlesi’s claims that abusing people was his (FFK’s) pattern.
Anyway, here is the FFK 2004 press statement:
by Femi Fani-Kayode (October 20, 2004)
“Though I can confirm that we have not received Professor Chinua Achebe’s letter up until now, I discussed its contents with Mr. President yesterday (Tuesday) and our position is as follows:
“That since Professor Achebe has confirmed the content of the letter publicly by giving an interview to the BBC and other foreign media, we can fairly assume that the content of the said letter accurately portrays his position and we can, therefore, comment on and respond to it.
That being the case, our response is that his position as regards the state of affairs in his native land and his rejection of the great honour done to him by the Nigerian people is regrettable. It is not a slap in the face of the Nigerian government or Mr. President, but rather, it is a slap in the face of the Nigerian people.
The truth is that even though we continue to retain the highest degree of respect and admiration for Professor Chinua Achebe, it is painfully obvious that he is not fully conversant with the enormous strides and tangible achievements that this nation has made in the last few years and that the Federal Government has achieved since 1999 simply because he has not been here.
There is no doubt that things may be difficult in Nigeria today, but this is a sensitive and caring government that is led by an equally sensitive and caring president who has done and will continue to do everything in his power to better the lot of the Nigerian people and set this nation on the road to economic recovery.
Needless to say we completely disagree with and totally reject his analysis and understanding of the situation in Nigeria today and we urge him, together with all other distinguished sons of Nigeria and stakeholders that live abroad, to come home and join hands with us to move Nigeria forward.
Our doors are open to him and will continue to be open as we have nothing but the most profound respect and admiration for him. Yet despite this, it is also pertinent to note, as a general point, that no matter how distinguished and resourceful a person you are and no matter how brilliant and gifted an individual you are, if you feel that your country does not deserve to honour you, then we believe that you certainly do not deserve your country.
This is because the greatest honour that anyone can receive is that which is bestowed upon him not by a foreign land or foreign organisations, but by his own country. It is, therefore, unfortunate that up until today, some of our people are still of the view that the quest for foreign and international awards in places like Sweden and elsewhere are more important or are of more value than an award being given them by their own homeland.
Once again, we would like to confirm that it is firmly within Professor Achebe’s prerogative to accept or reject this award, but if he indeed chooses to reject it as he has said publicly, then we as a government will certainly not lose any sleep over it and neither will the Nigerian people whom we represent and serve.
Yet, in spite of all this, we once again wish to state clearly and categorically that we have tremendous respect for Professor Achebe and the tremendous prestige that he has brought to Nigeria over the years. Once again, we invite him to dialogue with us, come home and join hands with all Nigerians in making this country a greater place and a country that his children and grandchildren can call their very own.
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