'It may sound naïve and impractical, but a radical idealism pursued with ruthless vigour is needed to pull this country up the hill of progress. The idea that it is the turn of either the North or the South or wherever else to wield power at the centre must be thrown out without a thought. The South has had the presidency these past few years, but to what great good? The North has held power for the greater portion of this country's independent life, but what do the majority of Northerners, not to mention other Nigerians, have to show for it? The idea that power at the centre is the birthright or 'turn' of any group must always be resisted by all well-meaning Nigerians."

2005 has come to an end. As we pray and hope for peace, progress and happiness in 2006, let us begin the task of nation-building once again. 

The past year saw many wrongs in our nation, including outrageous tragedies. There were also deeds that were memorable. Yet a glaring factor in the nation's life was the near-monopoly of the public space by a recurring crop of individuals. This perpetual dominance of a small group-in relation to the total population-in almost every sphere of life in a country such as ours, is a transgression against our collective patrimony.

The challenge of 2006 is therefore clear. Nigerians owe it to themselves to recapture their nation from this milito-political/business class that seeks to continue postponing the country's progress, preferring to plunder her wealth with unrepentant conceit. Evidence of this group's smugness abound. In the middle of widespread poverty, they live in revolution-provoking opulence. As more able-bodied persons take to violent crime in an inexcusable attempt to ape these flaunters of largely ill-gotten wealth, the freeloading class resort to armoured vehicles and prison-like homes. When they have a falling-out of dishonourable folk-which is what they are-they carp about infuriating power-sharing/power-rotating agreements that they entered into among themselves as if these were done at the behest or with the consent of the mass of the people. It is time for Nigerians to dump these usurpers and be spared their narrow-minded haughtiness.

Let it be clear from the onset of this struggle that this class will not go away quietly. They have had decades to convert and stash away at home and abroad-mostly abroad-a good portion of the nation's wealth. The current posturing, counter-posturing and sour sabre-rattling between their elements in both the southern and northern parts of the country is a preamble to the next round of what they hope will be the usual 'come and chop' orgy of public treasury-looting, while their selected team perform a comic script of governance in an incompetent and criminally-negligent form come 2007. There is no greater patriotic duty than to resist the re-enactment of this tragicomedy that Nigerians have seen in the past, especially as the usual suspects are now prepping for a rerun.

It may sound naïve and impractical, but a radical idealism pursued with ruthless vigour is needed to pull this country up the hill of progress. The first point of assault is to hold the current holders of public office to greater accountability. While this may seem near-impossible in the face of the ability of those in power to either compromise or in effect neutralise any worthwhile form of opposition that seeks to monitor their actions, Nigerians need to recognise that it is not the person who fails at a task that is the ultimate failure; that dubious honour belongs to the person who, after failing at the task, gives up and refuses to try again. There would be moments of weakness when personal contingencies will override the general emergency that demands a determined opposition against these usurpers from all parts of the country who trade in ethnic jingoism and religious/regional manipulation. However, nothing should be allowed to hamper a concerted effort to make public office holders fully accountable to the people by questioning their receipts and expenditures.  

It is also essential that Nigerians resist the inane 'regionalising' of the country into irritating components such as the misnamed 'South-South'. The people should not close their eyes and ears to the exploitative opportunism inherent in these so-called geo-political groupings. 

Moreover, the idea that it is the turn of either the North or the South or wherever else to wield power at the centre must be thrown out without a thought. The South has had the presidency these past few years, but to what great good? The North has held power for the greater portion of this country's independent life, but what do the majority of northerners, not to mention other Nigerians, have to show for it? The idea that power at the centre is the birthright or 'turn' of any group must always be resisted by all well-meaning Nigerians. 

In 2006, while the battle to free the nation from the shackles of the unpatriotic milito-political/business class is being waged, Nigerians, taking into cognisance the general elections of 2007, should be searching for persons with track records of honourable service, and the best ideas for bringing meaningful progress to this country. As your correspondent has outlined in an earlier article, the village, state, ethnic group, region or religion of these persons should not form part of the criteria for this search.

Robot  # 1 | 17.02.2008 14:24

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