By;
Abdul-Rahman Baban Saibo
Prologue (Blunder);
On December 2nd
2013, Nigerians awoke to experience one of the most shocking confessions they’d
never anticipated. Former head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote a letter of
appeal to president Goodluck Jonathan, a letter I can best describe as, “regrets
to a Blunder”, which he titled, “Before it is too late”.
In my honest opinion I
must say it is “too late”, when a former president like Olusegun Obasanjo would
submit what was considered by many, ‘fearful out-cries’ to a Government well
known to be his own edifice. Sincerely, when I say “too late” I mean not for
the incumbent president neither for the former. I mean it is just “too late”
for the country.
This year Nigeria
celebrated its 54th anniversary since its independence in 1960. Queer
to ask, ‘how could a country be regarded independent by its citizens when the
past leaders whom built the path ways to its grave and created even the
elements to its decay, do also disapprove as to the contemporary station which
they deliberately put the train to a halt?’ I quote from the letter former
president Olusegun sent to president Goodluck, “PS; I crave your indulgence to
share the contents of this letter at first instance, with General Ibrahim
Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who on a number of occasions in
recent times have shared with me their agonizing thoughts, concerns and
expressions on most of the issues I raised in this letter, concerning the
situation and future of our country.” That sounded to me like these past leaders
are regrettably asking themselves ‘what have we done?’ Well, I wouldn’t
hesitate to say our past leaders have sent us to suffer the cataclysmic present
of which they architected.
A former minister of
the federation Mallam Nasir El Rufai, during the Olusegun democratic regime
also caught on the social media passing messages of anti-incumbency of the
Goodluck Jonathan administration. On the 19th of July, Mallam Nasir
wrote on his facebook page “JONATHANIAN NATION?: ‘Once a government is
committed to the principles of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only
one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures,
until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and create a country
where everyone lives in fear.- Harry Truman, 3rd president of the
USA.” I couldn’t agree less, these are yes President Jonathan’s horrible
practices, but I am a little puzzled as to why it’s coming from a man whom
helped effetely to secure the incumbency of the president during the days of
late president Yar’adua ill challenges. I remember reading in Olusegun
Adeniyi’s Book, “Power, Politics and Death”, the former minister admitting
being amongst the propagandists of the “Cabals” that were hoaxed to be said
were running the affairs of the presidency during the late presidents’ sick
days.
Today, Mallam Nasir
El-Rufai, is one of the most prominent opposition politicians in Nigeria, I
would presume he’d regretted to have never reasoned with the British writer, H.
G. Wells’s assertions when he said “we were making a future and hardly any of
us troubled to think what future we were making. And here it is!” here it is
indeed. The former minister once said, “Even my corpse would reject PDP.” When
he was asked when he will be decamping back to his former party? Sure the same
will go for the former head of state for he confessed in his letter, “I will
want to see anyone in the office of the presidency of Nigeria as a man or woman
who can be trusted, a person of honor in his words and his character.” But of
course!
A
lost leadership;
In my previous article
(a failed leadership and a grieving populace) I argued that the failure of
leadership in this country was as a result of greed, corruption and dishonesty
of the leaders, albeit I was able to evince only the grieving countenance posed
as a facade of the nation, I didn’t actually explain why the leadership failed.
Hence, Nigeria’s failure of leadership is firmly supported by the failed
followership of its people. Sometimes one couldn’t fathom whether the failure
is a result of deliberate actions or inadvertent doings of the followership.
“A leader is someone
whom his people must trust, someone whom protects his people with the best of
his power and ability, someone who would set aside all interests for that of
his people… history will always remember when Goodluck Jonathan came and
destroyed this country.” 23 year old Aisha Zubair Aliyu said in a youth
conference held in June this year in Bauchi state. I’d actually come to align
my opinions to those of this young lady’s.
The failures, wrecks
and ruins of Nigeria are not ordinary disasters for the country, but as much as
detrimental as it has come to being in the last few years. Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan (Mr. clueless as the world knows him to be), took the liberty to
declare his interest to re-contest for his seat. Gruesomely unfortunate that
the president couldn’t exercise the humor to condole the death of about 50
secondary school students whom were lost in an attack by a suicide bomber in
Potiskum, Yobe State just a day before his declaration. My wonders, like any
sane Nigerians’ couldn’t do justice to my conscience, so, a president whose
intentions to run for his office just one more time can’t make even a
disdaining statement before declaring his selfish intentions which clearly benefits
only and only the microscopic few particularly the ruling class, and yet, on
the rush to doing so, still has no primary counterpart?
It has become crystal
clear a situation that the terror of Boko Haram is an uncontrollable
botheration to the Nigerian Government, as some may say the Governments’
gesticulations appears to be deliberate in not wanting to overcome the menace.
I for one would say, if the Boko Haram could take over localities like Mubi in
Yola State and Chibok in Borno state and a group of hunters, local vigilantes
and ordinary civilians can liberate these towns using ordinary hunting guns,
machetes and weapons never to be compared with the automatic lethal rifles,
machine guns and the 30, 40, 50 calibers reported to be operated by the
terrorists, then I and every other sane being should ask, why can’t a
well-trained army of soldiers?
Last week, the Nigerian
Vice President uttered in his statement during a press briefing in Kano state,
what was considered by many “a halfhearted confession”. My worries remain to
be, why would a Country’s Vice President make a statement that illustrates
guilt in the middle of such chaotic dilemma? The people he says are spreading
rumor of suspecting the Government to be behind the Boko Haram insurgency
“while in the real sense we are doing our best to tackle it.” I believe the
best Vice President Namadi Sambo refers to is one of which will lay the grounds
for them to stay beyond 2015 in office.
A day after over 200
school girls were abducted by the insurgents the president was seen in Kano
state dancing on the podium to a crowed. aAfter 7months and still counting, the
girls are still in captivity. Yet again, a day after over 50 students were
killed he declares his interest for reelection. Need I remind that early this
year just a day after some 40 secondary school students were slaughtered in
Buniyadi, Yobe state, the president celebrated with fireworks in Abuja calling
it, “centenary celebration”? As it appears, every loss of life in the country
is a thing to be celebrated the next day by the Jonathan’s administration. All
events had no records of a statement issued by the President for the country’s
shocking losses. Indeed Mr. Vice President you are doing your best and
Nigerians can attest. Nigerians have had enough lies, denials and disdains from
your boss to see how best your efforts are in tackling the situations.
True misuse of power
indeed is when the leadership and the leaders directly attack their oppositions
(or should I say ‘true fears of power’?). Series of events has evidences to
prove that the presidents’ despair to win the coming general elections has
grown medieval. Wole Soyinka (noble laureate) compared President Goodluck with
Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian king who intended annihilating the Jews).
Just the previous week
the Department of State Security DSS invaded and vandalized the All
Progressives Congress APC data bank in Ikeja, Lagos. Few days after the
security went back and arrested the workers there. After the claimed torture by
the security men on the captives, till this hour no statement has been made by
the DSS on why that happened. This in my opinion is just the beginning of the rigging
of the 2015 general election, for this is no ordinary power tussle but rather
pure tyranny.
When the likes of such
events develop in the society, then the settlers of that society must
understand that the leadership is lost, for indeed Harry Truman did speak the
truth.
A
lost Generation;
“The
question of choice in selecting a leader in Nigeria is often an academic
exercise, due to the election rigging, violence, and intimidation of the
general public, particularly by those in power, but also by those with the
means-the rich and influential.”- Chinua Achebe. It has yes, become a tradition
for the Nigerian politicians to use all available force to impose in power
someone that would sooth their ambitions (godfatherism). Were these imposed
calibers of people whose services for the society is a little bit prioritized
than that of their godfathers, it would have been (ethically and
democratically) considered. Earlier, I asserted that the failure of leadership
in this country was as a result of the failed followership, but do we (the
masses) seem to realize how?
Today, is a Nigeria
whose people care not of their tomorrow, a Nigeria whose people accept whatever
hardship their leaders choose to indite upon them today, for tomorrow they’d
come to compensate them with the ‘nothing out of the everything’ they looted.
While these people keep talking and ranting for change in the morning, but when
they come face-a-face with their leaders in the evening? They say to them “sai kayi, baka da makiyi dan amana. Allah
maka nasara.” They praise them as if they weren’t the ones cursing them in
the morning.
But one need ask why
such happens? Why are the people afraid of their leaders? Why can’t the people
tell those they elected with their sweat they want more? Well, the truth is
that there are those who know and there are those who don’t know. For those who
know, Chinuwa Achebe had this to say about them, “There is also the unpleasant
factor of the violence associated with partisan politics that is often designed
to keep balanced, well-educated, fair-minded Nigerians away.” And for, why the
people are afraid of their leaders? He (Chinuwa Achebe) meticulously explained,
“Well, once a people have been dispossessed and subjugated by dictatorship for
such a long time as in Nigeria’s case, the oppressive process also effectively strips
away from the minds of the people the knowledge that they have rights.” But of
course!
Indeed the elites of
this country have made it a habit to hide in their silence. That is one more
reason why the uneducated are found drowning in further doom. Today, the
ordinary Nigerian would come to appreciate the cheap bridge constructed in his
village by his Governor, Senator or Representative. Whilst the politician
(answerable to that project) would come the next day, seeking for re-election
boasting about the cheap things they did (as if it were a favor for the people).
Today Nigerians choose
to say “God sees all and shall judge all” whenever a high subject in the
society commits a mischief rather than stand out and fight for the interest of
the country’s national/international integrity. The result which brought about
(in them) a subliminal and arbitrary patience and perhaps, forgetfulness which
arrived with them a station where the worsts amongst the leaders anoint their
successors and the people would accept without animosity.
Its saddest when one is
made aware that the fat-part of these ill minded ordinary Nigerians are the
youth, most of whom have been transformed to being blind political thugs for
the rich politicians. Thus, the elites amongst the youth, instead of engaging
in the political activities and democratic practices, they choose to tell you,
“Politics is a dirty game, I despise it,” After, in their petty gist you hear
them saying, “if I were the Governor or if I were the president, I’d do this
and that.” Funny as it is a pity!
Nigerians as I argued
in my previous piece (A failed leadership and a Grieving populace) have allowed
the influence of ethnic, regional and religious sentiments, instead of,
integrity, competence, credibility, experience, educational qualifications,
plays the most vital role in determining who the leader becomes. However, I
must regrettably report that it has become a culture for Nigerians to consider
first these semi-relevant factors in selecting their leaders, thus, the
architecture of the future of their country, the fate of “A failed
Followership”.
Epilogue
(Aftermath);
Indeed Ayn Rand was
right when she asserted that “You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the
consequences of ignoring reality.” Just earlier this month, former President
Olusegun Obasanjo released a new book which he titled “My Watch”. The book is
said to contain mostly the atrocities, impunities and endless corruptions that
is being committed by Goodluck Jonathan and his administration.
Well, one may be
curious to ask, why Obasanjo is too frustrated with this administration whence
himself ensured its victory in 2011 when other better alternatives were
available for Nigeria? Simple, when Karma strikes, the disappointer gets
disappointed.
The anti Goodluck’s
administration of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, indeed caused him a whole lot of
snags. I remember him being arrested and detained severally by the police and
SSS for no known reasons. Today, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is the gubernatorial
flag bearer on the platform of All Progressives Congress APC in Kaduna state. I
hope he wins the general elections, for he very well deserves.
“How small the vastest
of human catastrophes may seem at a distance of a few million miles.”-Herbert
George Wells.
