24 May 2009 |
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| Until Nigerians demand unadulterated representation from their Senators, House of Representative members, the Judiciary and the executive, they will be held in purgatory for a long time. Prayer or not, the suffering of Nigerians is not an act of God but self inflicting wound. Instead of encouraging some of these terrible leaders in creating dynasty from failures and for children who do not know their rights from their lefts, we need to stand up now and be counted by demanding development for all not for a few powerful. Nigerian problem is everyone’s problem, very rich, very poor, and the indifferent. This, to me, is how we have narrowly defined DEMOCRACY in Nigeria and ended up sealing our growth and developmental fate. If we continue to encourage these “No Future Association,” NFA, the political interlocutors to run our nation, we’ll continue to enjoy hell on earth. We have no credible opposition. Fortunately, there are still many capable and patriotic citizens who can move the nation forward, why not begin today? Our present Democracy encourages looting, acquires power which is often used to intimidate the very people politics is mean to serve. Democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people. Politics is meant to protect human dignity. Effective politics is mean to be advocates for serving those unable to help themselves, “we the people,” the weak, and the poor. So far, our politics in Nigeria encourages looting, makes capable people who can move the nation forward to retreat, and accentuate all our negatives such as 419, armed robbery, human sacrifices, human slavery, and prostitution, selling of fake drugs that kill citizens just for the almighty dollar. We have embarked on different wrong policy permutations in our politics and we have precipitously fallen in our human factor political experience since independence. Since independence our politicians have been making conscious but selfish efforts to make other people, other nations richer at our expense. Our yawning for self actualization is as true today as it was in early 60s when our heroes fought for liberation and independence from the colonial masters. Our journey to repair Nigeria must begin not by staking all the blames on the past and the leaders but accepting responsibilities of what we have all contributed to the failure of Nigeria. Afterall, leaders are not operating in a vacuum. The contribution of the governed has, in no small ways, lead to the state of our nation, even staying on the fence contributes to failure of a nation. Most of us have never asked our representatives to give account of their stewardship, instead, we praise failures and encourage evil ways. Only few Nigerians are ready to give up their lives to safe our nation. There might even be fewer men in the military ready to give their lives for the next generation if there is no possibility of looting? Isn’t the military supposed to protect the sovereignty of a nation? Instead, our military was encouraged to destroy our shared values. Now that the deed is done, we need to begin to rebuild, re-brand a military that is responsive to the needs of our nation, one that is far away from politics and reclaim the men high professionalism. The rebuilding of military should not be such as to reduce coup but for military must serve the people and responsive to the real commander-in-chief of the armed forces not to the commanders-in-thief. Our police, the “wetin you carry men and women in uniform” is a reflection of what we have become as a nation. If our constitution is followed, obeyed by the politicians, by the military and acknowledged by the citizens, the police would tow the line. For now, salaries of these supposed to be brave men and women are not paid on time and for such dastard acts, the police men and women become hungry men that will dance to any tune by the looting money bags. We can rebuild the police with jobless graduate as long as their job description is well defined, salaries commensurate with their pay grades are paid on time, citizens know their rights, the police will be rebuilt. Not every police man is corrupt and those incorruptible ones can be asked to lead but citizens must be ready to help the nation weed out corrupt ones without prejudice. The uniform of our police men must be changed because the present uniform is depressing to say the least. What we have now in Nigeria are mercenaries, men and women who are willing to be used but who are willing to share the spoils of corruption. We have no men of ideology, no men of ideas, no credible opposition and no men of vision. These are men and women who commit crimes and demand that because of their age and cultural imperatives they should remain untouchables and free from persecution. If these old goats make conscious effort to commit crimes, they must, because of their age, accept punishment commensurate with the crimes. We have been too weak and too willing to accept any garbage as reason to commit crimes on the nation. Although, our political rates are so high, our standards are too low and getting lower each passing day. We have allowed the new political establishment created from looting to re-brand us as worthless. The label is sticking because we are all cowards that want to become million–Nairas but lack what it takes to be real millionaires. In our presently narrowly defined Democracy, we have created demi-gods who are not responsive to anyone but the few that put them in office. These politicians are not morally upright because power has been given to them by those that are worth nothing without the benevolence of the Nigerian people, those who are not Christians or Muslims but devil’s incarnate. Even if such people are glued together through cultism, even in cultism, there are standards and morality to be followed. In this our present Democracy, the people are powerless because their power has been sold out for pittances. In this our narrowly defined Democracy, it is easy to convict a son or daughter of a so-called big man, substitute him or her with son or daughter of a poor Nigeria to serve instead without any habeas corpus and any consequence. If we remain cowards to challenge, with respect, the status quo, we must agree to the rudderlessness and hollow lives we are enjoying. Reasonable, educated, bold, and patriotic Nigerians cannot continue to allow looting of their treasury, causation of capital flight, encourage visionless leaders that do not see anything wrong when 90% of citizens in poverty, have no drinkable water, lacks constant electricity, travel on roads with potholes, have no reliable healthcare delivery. The present leadership the nation created is stoic but unfailingly impolite as they cart away billions of stolen dollars out of the country. All these people have failed us big time and they’ll continue to fail us as long as we remain immobile to new ideas. When will Nigerians wake from their slumbers for some revolution and stop listening to the sycophants who will follow Lucifer if he can only give them dollars? You know we are capable of making Naira strong through industry which Nigerians are ready for. What has become of the Nigerian war against corruption? It has simply given looters power to lead and not be responsible for their actions. It has also destroyed any modicum of morality that our fathers deposited in us, and the piety that came with it. Let us look at where we’ve gone wrong as a nation so as to seek lasting solution. Aristotle’s view of the nature of completeness is pertinent here. Aristotle opined that virtue is complete when it pertains not only to the "relation" of a person to himself but also, necessarily, to the relation of a person towards his neighbor. The Lord Jesus Christ talked passionately about how we should treat our neighbors from a man’s point of view but the concept of a neighbor is perhaps not applicable to God. The idea of completeness requiring an inclusion of both the inner and the outer is essential to a wholesome politics. Our politics missed the road on this salient point and this is why we are unable to develop, progress, and move forward in this democracy thing. Our democracy is devoid of human feeling and is presently anchored on selfishness, a “me only” syndrome. May be we need to try parliamentary system I order to be able to compare, contrast and decide which suits our nation. The impact of looting has been unbelievably costly to the Nigeria that over 90% of her citizens are living life of poverty. Corruption drains nation’s currency reserves; it reduces the tax base; and waters down our educational system. But then, the looters are able to send their children overseas, live in Ghana or in more stable African nations. Looting has also harmed competition among Nigerians and with our foreign competitors while undermining free trade and increasing poverty levels among majority of citizens. Out of our temerity, we have not learnt from our past mistakes in demented governance, and massive corruption. We seem to be laying building blocks on top of our comedy of errors. For example, it is inconceivable that a leader of substance will not know that education is necessary for sustainable development and yet Nigeria has been lead. Why do-well-meaning Nigerians go into politics with good intentions but come out devil incarnates. There is something fundamentally wrong here. Yar ‘Adua was sold to the nation as educated, performed well in his state but now, but he is sleeping at the steering wheel. Why? If care is not taking, he may come out worse than the rest. May Allah give him the spine necessary to move the nation forward and to fight corruption for posterity sake. I am of the opinion that there is something good about IBB beyond being a Kleptomaniac but the Nigerian syndrome brought his worse side out. Why wasn’t IBB able to show his good side? Why did OBJ who claimed to be a born again Christian, went go into office to rescue the nation and came out of office a born again vampire? Inquiring minds want to know? OBJ said his eight years in office was to stabilize Nigeria but not to construct a stable electric energy, yet he wasted a colossal amount on energy and spent far less on building the nation. Even with his many years of experience in governance, OBJ saw election as a do-or-die exercise. Mr. OBJ, you must be educated that politics is good and politics must be such that even when a candidate has no chance of honestly winning, he has an opportunity become a hero to the people and to the polity. Fortunately, there are still far more self-respecting, ethically sound minds, and hardworking Nigerians who are ready to answer the call of our nation when and if the situation presents itself. Governor Fashola’s performance in Lagos state is a story to behold and there are many Fasholas to be discovered. The fact that the Plateau Governor, Jonah Jang, recognized Governor Fashola’s performance is a step in the right direction but let other Governors follow the good example while the lead demand more accountability. But first, most of the “YES MEN AND WOMEN” within and outside of Nigeria must be pushed aside for their own good and advantage. Nigerians of all professions and political leaning must come together to form strategic partnership in rebuilding a new Nigeria of repute and development. Our culture should not be a negative influence to our development. Afterall, cultures are nostalgic, not static but always metamorphosizing to make a nation better. So far, the NFA has used our culture and age as albatross to neck of our development. It is time to call them on their underdevelopment leaning. Our energy, our healthcare, our education, our morality, our culture and the Nigerian people are collateral damages of corruption.
We can cry all we want, write as elaborately as we wish, and blame as hard as we can, without putting our first foot forward towards rebuilding, and truly re-branding Nigeria, all will be wishful thinking of hollow noise full of sound and fury signifying absolutely nothing. He who comes into equity must come with clean hands. All we want is a nation that is ideal to all citizens but an ideal nation will only come if we allow it.
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