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Dan Bello: leaving the message, mutilating the messenger?
You may love comedy, or you may not; you may use social media, or you may not, but you cannot ignore Dan Bello’s treat. It is short, crisp, impactful, sensible, enjoyable, and sometimes funny, especially when it involves other people. I encountered a prominent politician commenting on Dan Bello’s comedy, insinuating that the fear of Dan Bello is the beginning of wisdom. I take life too seriously to be a lover of comedy, but the politician’s comment made me shine a Klieg light on Dan Bello’s actions, which have gradually turned me into a comedy lover. Dan Bello is a one-person battalion armed with data, short video clips, pictures, a sharp tongue, a disfigured target character’s resemblance (you need to see how he cartoons your governor), and an articulated message packaged and presented for collateral impacts in less than one minute.
His messages are so powerful that one cannot help but appreciate his tremendous efforts in creating and conveying them to the target audience with clarity. We were highly amused when he discredited the elected and appointed politicians for failing to deliver the dividends of democracy. For instance, we were all saddened by the previous government’s failure to address the needs of the Mallamawa, Yar Lami, and Sentar Lema communities, located less than 30 km from Daura, the hometown of President Buhari. Dan Bello highlighted the dilapidated conditions of these villages and their lack of basic amenities despite being the kith and kin of those in power. In his contribution, Dan Bello drilled boreholes for the communities. His intervention set the ball rolling, prompting authorities to take action. Schools and health centers were reconstructed and rehabilitated within a few days of Dan Bello’s revelations. He has similarly exposed the deplorable conditions of several communities in Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, and other states, showcasing the failures of the authorities who were elected to serve the people but ended up lining their pockets and bank accounts, enjoying the office’s privileges while abdicating their responsibilities to the people. Perhaps the challenges were overwhelming.
We all applauded Dan Bello’s innovative journalism that kept the authorities on their toes. Our applause for his audacity prompted him to engage the clerics. Is it a joke taken too far? Do we disregard the message and mutilate the messenger? It was the crux of the matter when Dan Bello revealed the publication of Wikkitimes on the well-respected cleric Mallam Bala Lau and JIBWIS enjoying government patronage with mouth-watering contracts – executed or unexecuted. The hell was let loose; Mallam Bala Lau’s supporters called for Dan Bello’s head for pepper soup while failing to address the allegations and the message within. What are the allegations?
Dan Bello alleged that the clerics are among government contractors instead of being ombudspersons. He presented documents, including payment vouchers for companies associated with JIBWIS and Mallam Bala Lau, who received millions of Naira to rehabilitate schools in several states without executing some contracts. Dan Bello stated that he and Wikkitimes discovered that Lau has over thirty bank accounts and that JIBWIS works for multiple government agencies that disbursed over 270 million Naira between 2021 and 2023. Specifically, the video clip shows that N348,440.70 was disbursed in 2022, along with an additional payment of N7.1 million in 2023 to M & A Integrated Services Limited, a company partnering with JIBWIS for the construction of five classrooms each in four locations in the Izala-dominated areas of Kaduna, Jos, and Borno. Two years after the payments, the classrooms remain incomplete. Most striking is the case of Faldamno Investment International Limited, which received N25.8 million for school construction in Taraba state, whose address is No. 1, Kasuwa Lau, the house of Mallam Bala Lau. The questions are: can the clerics who should monitor government excesses do so while receiving payments from it? How can the clerics criticize the government for human rights violations, aggrandizement, and corruption when they are beneficiaries of government patronage? From when this video clip was released to when I am writing this piece, it has generated 158 thousand viewers as it continues to be viral. I have some concerns about the episode.
First, Dan Bello generalizes that all clerics collude with the government to secure a shoddy deal in contract awards and execution for financial gain. I can vouch for some clerics who could not be bought with money or worldly things to shortchange Nigerians; they may not be perfect, but they are above board. Dan Bello’s accusation of one person or a few people is not good enough to generalize and condemn the whole lot.
Second, despite their imperfections, clerics and other religious leaders are the primary regulators of societal moral decay. Through preaching, many individuals find spiritual cleansing and ethical guidance, which helps prevent immoral acts and criminal tendencies. Given the government’s weak regulatory and correctional structures, one can better envision the chaotic situation in society without the influence of clerics and religious leaders. It will be like an animal’s farm – courtesy of George Orwell. Therefore, Dan Bello’s allegation can undermine public confidence in spiritual teachings, which could worsen societal conditions.
Third, Dan Bello’s allegation is serious, and the best approach is to refute it with facts and figures while providing a compelling explanation for why Mallam Lau and JIBWIS are allegedly receiving government contracts. Mallam Lau is known to be both a businessman and a cleric in Nigeria. Government contracts are surrounded by dubious allegations of kickbacks, multiple awards for the same contract, and failed contracts. Should Mallam Lau be involved in this type of business? It is crucial to demonstrate that these contracts won by Lau were awarded through due process and were genuinely executed. Resorting to insults and name-calling only complicates the situation and creates a bad image for Mallam Lau.
Fourth, Dan Bello’s innovative journalism benefits our nation, as many leaders have unfortunately failed in governance and accountability. Nigeria’s rule of law score has declined by 1.6% in the 2024 Index, ranking 120th out of 142 countries worldwide according to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria is positioned 23rd out of 34 countries. The region’s top performer is Rwanda, ranked 40th out of 142 globally, followed by Namibia and Mauritius. The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are Cameroon, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Regarding good leadership, Nigeria has a considerable distance to cover; thus, we need more Dan Bellos to whip us to move forward; otherwise, Nigeria will further stagnate.
Lastly, Dan Bello must enhance his efforts in conducting thorough investigations, making comparisons, demonstrating diligence, and providing reliable evidence concerning political and religious matters. It will help ensure that our political and religious leaders understand the importance of the watchdog and its effective monitoring. I also hope that the security agencies responsible for apprehending offenders will take the necessary actions to make Nigeria great. While anticipating more revelations from Dan Bello, his supporters, and his opponents, I doff my cap to Dan Bello for stirring the hornet’s nest. Is Dan Bello sleeping soundly? Let us understand the message instead of killing the messenger.
