• Main News
  • About Us
  • Contact
Premium Times Opinion
Friday, August 12, 2022
  • Home
  • Democracy and Governance
    • Bámidélé Upfront
    • Jibrin Ibrahim
    • Okey Ndibe
  • Economy
    • Ifeanyi Uddin
  • Issues of the Day
    • Adeolu Ademoyo
    • Aribisala on Tuesday
    • Dele Agekameh
    • Pius Adesanmi
  • Politics
    • Ebeneezer Obadare
    • Femi Fani-Kayode
    • Garba Shehu
    • Hannatu Musawa
    • Zainab Suleiman Okino
  • Guest Columns
  • Faith
    • Article of Faith
    • Sunday Ogidigbo
    • Friday Sermon
    • Elevated Sight
  • Home
  • Democracy and Governance
    • Bámidélé Upfront
    • Jibrin Ibrahim
    • Okey Ndibe
  • Economy
    • Ifeanyi Uddin
  • Issues of the Day
    • Adeolu Ademoyo
    • Aribisala on Tuesday
    • Dele Agekameh
    • Pius Adesanmi
  • Politics
    • Ebeneezer Obadare
    • Femi Fani-Kayode
    • Garba Shehu
    • Hannatu Musawa
    • Zainab Suleiman Okino
  • Guest Columns
  • Faith
    • Article of Faith
    • Sunday Ogidigbo
    • Friday Sermon
    • Elevated Sight
No Result
View All Result
Premium Times Opinion
Home Opinion

McCain: A Profile In Courage and Uncommon Patriotism, By Omoniyi Ibietan

by Premium Times
September 6, 2018
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

Were Kennedy to be alive today and wished to rewrite the book, he would certainly list McCain among the very best souls that ever stepped into the American Senate… I am particularly excited about McCain’s demonstration of love for fellow men and country.


“We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe”. – The New York Times

Early this morning as I combed the ‘net in search of knowledge, I stumbled on the lovely words above in the latest edition of The New York Times. It was a frontal statement in honour of John McCain, the American senator who passed on Saturday at 81. A true American hero.

The newspaper itself quoted a family statement put out to capture the totalising idea of the life and times of Senator McCain and what he represented. Even children who are not yet teens were led by their parents and older siblings to that mortuary in Phoenix where the remains of McCain laid, to lay wreaths in honour of a man who actually came from a family of heroes.

McCain’s father and grandfather were admirals. He himself a war veteran who almost died in Vietnam – at a point his entire body weight came down to 100lbs from 160, following the devastation of his body in the War. He survived and continued to raise his voice to uphold the banner of the true meaning of service and the American spirit – rekindling by every pronouncement the true meaning of service and patriotism, jettisoning partisanship for love of country to take rational decision when it mattered most. A man who wished Obama delivers a speech in his honour at his memorial but who didn’t wish that Trump attends his funeral certainly exemplified a different specie of the politician. Since 2014 when I began to understudy McCain, I have always wished he came from my part of the world. When McCain voted in favour of Obamacare, the battle line between him and Trump was set for an irreconcilable phase. He voted for America rather than his political party. I had wished this patriotism resonate here among the legislators in my country and I had serially even encouraged those in the National Assembly to emulate American legislators and be united, not by filthy lucre but by genuine love of country and its people, irrespective of circumstances of birth, religion or regional ancestry.

Indeed, between 2008 and 2015, while I served as the frontline liaison officer with the National Assembly (NASS) for a federal government agency, I gave copies of Profiles In Courage written by President J.F. Kennedy to some members of the National Assembly in Nigeria. I needed them to read and study the book so their works, contributions and attitudes could be shaped; so their names will be etched in gold when they are gone. I particularly referred them to a section of the book where Kennedy recalled a debate in the American Senate in the 1850s and 1860s between Senators Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clay of Kentucky, and how those men saved the American Union from disintegrating at the height of the war between the American North and the South. The senators, like John McCain did several times, jettisoned their party differences and spoke in defence of the Union and what was good for America. But for their position, and that of Senator Thomas H. Benton of Missouri, America would have been divided long ago. I remember I gave out Kennedy’s book to at least four legislators and I encouraged them to circulate it among themselves so that as many people as possible will read and reflect upon the lessons Kennedy pa,ssed to the readers in that book. I don’t know whether the legislators who got the book did what I advised but I never got any of the copies back.

Were Kennedy to be alive today and wished to rewrite the book, he would certainly list McCain among the very best souls that ever stepped into the American Senate. McCain was a man honest enough to admit his mistakes. And we can illustrate this with his outing with Sarah Paulin. When Paulin partly bungled their joint presidential bid, McCain in retrospect wished he had picked Joe Liebermann instead of the curious lady. But despite failing in his presidential bid, McCain never overheated the American political landscape as our people are fond of doing here. McCain never tore America apart. I am particularly excited about McCain’s demonstration of love for fellow men and country.

This is precisely why I feel an angst that the ‘strongman’ in Washington had to order the lowering of the American flag in honour of McCain only after a public outcry. How can a man continue a war with an ‘adversary’ even after the supposed enemy is dead. This will be a sacrilege in Africa, even as it is monstrous in America, and I am gratified that the monstrosity of President Trump’s attitude to McCain, even in death, found very eloquent expression in the way Trump was pilloried over his conduct towards the deceased.

Indeed, when I heard about the statement Mr. Trump made about my president and juxtaposed it with his conduct towards McCain, I decided to hold my peace. I decided not to be angry that he insulted my president because Ola Rotimi had put the matter to rest in The Gods Are Not To Blame when he noted that if crocodiles eat their own eggs, what can’t they do to the flesh of the frog?

May the great soul of Senator John McCain rest in peace. May God in His infinite mercy empower Nigeria to produce those like McCain.

Omoniyi Ibietan is a student at North-West University in South Africa.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Share on Tumblr

Related

Previous Post

The Shape of Governance In 2019, By Banji Ojewale

Next Post

A Candid Account of Nigeria’s Revving Political Tsunami, By ‘Tope Fasua

Related Posts

Zamfara Gold As Commonwealth, By Zailani Bappa
Opinion

Sheikh Gumi, Governor Matawalle and the Sands of Time, By Zailani Bappa

February 2, 2021
June 12 As Democracy Day Needs To Be Reconsidered, By Bashir Tofa
Opinion

The Need To Act Now To Stop the Ethnic Conflagration!, By Bashir Othman Tofa

February 2, 2021
Kofi Annan: In Service of the World, By Ejeviome Eloho Otobo & Oseloka H. Obaze
Opinion

Biden’s Likely Policy Orientation Toward Africa, By Ejeviome E. Otobo and Oseloka H. Obaze

February 2, 2021
Agenda for ‘Born Again’ JAMB and TETFUND, By Tunde Musibau Akanni
Opinion

Oyeweso, A Celebrated Historian, Ascends the Sixth Floor, By Tunde Akanni

February 2, 2021
Before Nigeria Burns, By Akin Fadeyi
Opinion

Is President Buhari Presiding Over the Last United Nigeria?, By Akin Fadeyi

February 2, 2021
On A Soyinka Prize In ‘Illiteracy’, By Biko Agozino
Opinion

Obasanjo: Only Those Who Did Not Do Well Went Into the Military, By Biko Agozino

February 1, 2021
Next Post
Federalism: The Decentralisation of Electricity Transmission In Nigeria, By Ugochukwu Amasike

A Candid Account of Nigeria's Revving Political Tsunami, By 'Tope Fasua

Azubuike Ishiekwene

Lawyers, Buhari And The Ruins Of Law, By Azu Ishiekwene

Editorial

  • EDITORIAL: The Urgency of Tackling Nigeria’s Second Wave of COVID-19

    EDITORIAL: The Urgency of Tackling Nigeria’s Second Wave of COVID-19

  • EDITORIAL: Unearthing the Cogent Lessons In the NESG-CBN Economic Policy Imbroglio

    EDITORIAL: Unearthing the Cogent Lessons In the NESG-CBN Economic Policy Imbroglio

  • EDITORIAL: COVID-19: Calling On Nigeria’s Billionaires and Religious Leaders To Step Up

    EDITORIAL: COVID-19: Calling On Nigeria’s Billionaires and Religious Leaders To Step Up

  • EDITORIAL: Bichi Must Go; Buhari Must Halt Slide Into Despotism

    EDITORIAL: Bichi Must Go; Buhari Must Halt Slide Into Despotism

  • EDITORIAL: The Flaws In Governor Emefiele’s Five-Year Plan For Central Bank of Nigeria

    EDITORIAL: The Flaws In Governor Emefiele’s Five-Year Plan For Central Bank of Nigeria

Subscribe to our Opinion articles via email

Enter your email address to get notifications of new opinion articles as they are published.

Join 526,543 other subscribers

Most Popular

  • The Bad Consequences and Dangers of Adultery and Fornication (Zina) In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    The Bad Consequences and Dangers of Adultery and Fornication (Zina) In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
  • The Importance Of Keeping Secrets In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    The Importance Of Keeping Secrets In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
  • Showing Gratitude To Allah For His Bounties, Blessings and Favours, By Murtadha Gusau
    Showing Gratitude To Allah For His Bounties, Blessings and Favours, By Murtadha Gusau
  • The Women Prohibited For Men To Marry In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    The Women Prohibited For Men To Marry In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
  • Islam and the Conditions For Marrying More Than One Wife, By Murtadha Gusau
    Islam and the Conditions For Marrying More Than One Wife, By Murtadha Gusau
  • The Qualities of a Good Leader In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    The Qualities of a Good Leader In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
  • You Will Be Held Responsible On What Happened To Your Children!, By Murtadha Gusau
    You Will Be Held Responsible On What Happened To Your Children!, By Murtadha Gusau

Like us on Facebook

Like us on Facebook

Podcasts

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

  • Main News
  • About Us
  • Contact

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Democracy and Governance
    • Bámidélé Upfront
    • Jibrin Ibrahim
    • Okey Ndibe
  • Economy
    • Ifeanyi Uddin
  • Issues of the Day
    • Adeolu Ademoyo
    • Aribisala on Tuesday
    • Dele Agekameh
    • Pius Adesanmi
  • Politics
    • Ebeneezer Obadare
    • Femi Fani-Kayode
    • Garba Shehu
    • Hannatu Musawa
    • Zainab Suleiman Okino
  • Guest Columns
  • Faith
    • Article of Faith
    • Sunday Ogidigbo
    • Friday Sermon
    • Elevated Sight

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
 

Loading Comments...