I had thought that our lawmakers in Abuja cared only for big cars, big bucks and big boobs. I never knew they also have deep love for alcohol – dry gin – and would do anything to protect it from the ravages of restrictive laws. And, because the standards of public and private morality have fallen terribly low, I feel we had better talk now before our democracy becomes synonymous with kaikai, with shekpe, ogogoro and ogwofy.
“No man’s life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session...
” is one very popular quote found in an 1866 New York court decision. The judge was Gideon Tucker. Given what we see daily here, I wonder how many Nigerians will say today that the judge lied.
There is this agency called NAFDAC which first barged in on our consciousness when adorable Dora Akunyili was its boss. That woman fought many wars – the one we knew she lost publicly was her long battle with cancer. May God continue to rest her beautiful soul.
The agency she nurtured is never short of wars. It was created to be constantly in the trenches. Some destinies are that wired.
And, it has forever been that for NAFDAC. Because of ogogoro, the agency, this moment, faces a low-intensity battle from one of the chambers that make laws for our country. Whether gin or jenever, spirit drink was at a time here famously called ‘fire-water.
’ And, as that name predicts, uncontrolled liquor is fire, it burns the body and chars the soul. So, on 21 May 2010, at the 63rd World.
