Written by:
Paul thomas
Ireland


Leadership: The Woe of a Nation (Part 3)

With the current political and economic happenings in Nigeria one cannot help but feel resentment and opprobrium for the Nigerian political elite for their mindlessness, high-handedness, deceit and complete insensitivity to the plights and sufferings of Nigerians. As the new millennium ventures into the end of its first decade Nigeria is still grappling with the fundamentals of nationhood, due largely to the infantile mentality of our political class and the unbridled corruption that has percolated into the blood stream of our national life. Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world; a fact attested to severally by many international organisations, especially Transparent International.

In a few days the government of Nigeria will roll out the drums to commemorate 10 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, most politicians and political booth lickers will gladly refer to the past 10 years as a big plus for Nigerians. They will eulogise the benefits of democracy. Most will hammer on the prevalence of the rule of law and the freedom of expression that has permeated the Nigerian political space since the Fourth Republic. But in all honesty can we truly and unequivocally say that Nigeria has witnessed democracy in the past 10 years? What democratic landmarks have we experienced in the last 10 years? What major developments have we recorded in the past 10 years that we can pin-point to as the dividend of democracy?

What we have witnessed in the last 10 years is nothing but hypocrisy of democracy, most of our so called democrats were either military men metamorphosed into civilians for the convenience of maintaining their presence in governance or those who were not military men were military apologist whose long term romance has eventually paid off. The parody we call democracy is nothing but a big hypocrisy. Majority of the crowd at the executive and legislative arms of government in the current political dispensation are the same recycled politicians who perpetuated the military in power. Most of our so called democrats are nothing but lackeys whose only ideals and loyalty is to their bellies. It matter not who occupies the centre stage as long as they are part of the action. 10 years of democracy Nigeria is still highly militarised both physically and psychologically. The methodology and mannerism of the Nigerian ruler is not different from a dictatorship. Democracy, yet rule of forc
e prevails the rule of law. Democracy, yet governors ride in convoys at break neck speed with heavily fortified, fiery looking, highly dosed, control crazed policemen. Are these politicians any better than the military? If we accused the military of undemocratic rule then these politicians must be accused of merciless rule, for if in a supposed democracy the people are still tortured, then this democracy is nothing but hypocrisy. Democracy in the lexicon of these gangsters is nothing more than a nomenclature, an appellation to sooth the nerves of democratic jingoists.

A decade of democracy and the people are still impoverished, mal-nourished, mal- treated and mal-informed. The political nobodies who came into government a few years ago are all now multi-millionaires. Orji Kalu an inconsequential and irrelevant scallywag 10 years ago is now one of the riches and most influential political embarrassment to the Nigerian political class. In a true democracy the likes of Orji Kalu will never smell any political position talk less of being a governor. After plundering and looting his constituency dry and passing whatever is left to the incumbent who I believe is his brother, Kalu has the right to ask Nigerians ‘what went wrong with Nigeria’? In eight years as governor, he floated an airline and numerous other businesses. What could Kalu possibly be selling in government to give him access to such enormous funds, to be able to set up an airline? His likes are replete in our so called democracy. The average Nigerian is worse off now than 10 year
s ago. Most of the factories and businesses in existence 10 years ago are now in complete extinction and those still surviving are at the brink. We have more jobless people in Nigeria today than 10 years ago, more illiterates, more crimes, more armed robbers, more decadence, more melancholy, more despair, more killings, more maiming, more unrest, more victimisation, more oppression, more depression, more harassment, more corruption, the list is endless.

Our Houses of assembly and senate are nothing but the houses of salacious satire, where fraudsters and criminal kingpins operate with the full backing of the law. Houses where massive resources are allocated for every trivial thing imaginable Our legislators are given all sort of allowances, very soon they will allocate to themselves speaking allowance; at least talking takes effort ‘especially when speaking for your constituency’. These mindless democrats despite their huge salaries and allowances still have the audacity to allot to themselves brand new cars without any feeling of remorse or modicum of concern for the countless multitudes in agony and in dire need. Everyday children die from minor sicknesses and diseases that can easily be treated if they had leaders and not killers in government. Countless children are abused everyday on the streets of Nigeria, because at a very tender age they are forced to eke-out a living for their families. Many homes where both parents
are jobless, that home is thrown into pandemonium; the parents either take to soliciting help from families who after a while are tired of helping if they themselves are not casualties of leadership ineptitude or compel their children to become bread winners by taking to the street to ask for alms or sell ‘pure water’ (water packaged in a sachet for drinking). While in other climes children enjoy the beauty of childhood, the Nigerian child is forced into slavery by a blighted system.

In our democracy, committees were set up by the House of assembly to investigate the fraud in the power sector during the Obasanjo administration and to come up with proposals to revamp that sector. The same committee charged with that responsibility is currently under investigation for embezzlement and contract fraud (I wonder what my learned friend in the house, the man with big, big grammar will have to say, now that a microscopic few of his own committee members are found to be fraudsters).

The cataclysm that we call democracy has brought no dividend. These mindless ‘demoncrats’ who steal with impunity and reckless abandon treat Nigerians with disdain. When our leaders are on trial for wrong doings, rather than be remorseful and sober they hire crowds to come and hail them in court. They smile, hug and wave as though their folly qualifies them for recognition and praise. EFCC better known as the Effective Force in Crime Continuation is as ineffective as the other bodies put in place to fight corruption. All the past and present thieves that the EFCC has brought to public glare in recent times, not one has been put in jail or made to confess to any wrong doing. Most of the former governors that were indicted for corruption and embezzlement are still walking as free men today, so much for democracy. To see how laughable our beloved EFCC has become, most of the files of these indicted miscreants are missing. What logical explanation can be tabled for the sudden di
sappearance of vital documents necessary to prosecute these culprits? Obviously without these files there can be no prosecution not to talk of imprisonment or asset forfeiture. Our democracy is simply ludicrous. Our democracy is simply ‘a government of a few by a few and for a few’ the same accused persons are seen lurking around the corridors of power romancing with this administration.

Democracy in Nigeria is nothing but hypocrisy, people are anointed into offices rather than by elections and afterward claim to be democrats, they are more like demoncrats. Our democracy is the only democracy in the world where elections do not take place. The ruling class foist on us their candidates. Elections are mere formalities, it provides avenue for some government lackeys or courtiers to make a quick buck by supplying ballot materials; the main purpose of these materials is to fleece the masses. Sham democracy is what we practice in Nigeria. These gangsters have threatened the genuine politician out of the political race; they have now become mere spectators. Nigerians look on while these megalomaniacs suck the life out of this nation.

Life is ebbing out of the Nigerian economy because it is haemorrhaging uncontrollable. The Economy is gradually being asphyxiated by those who should resuscitate it. the white man, in Chinua Achebe’s book, No Longer at Ease, Mr Green, Obi’s boss, exasperated, said these words ‘face it the African is corrupt through and through’ but the reality is a Nigerian is 10 times more corrupt than the average African, the Nigerian leader is a testament to this truism.

I would like to end this piece with a letter written to the Guardian newspaper and also a picture on the front page of the same newspaper on the 6th and 7th of May respectively. The letter eloquently speaks to the heart of leadership failure that has plagued this nation for many years. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

The audacity of hopelessness
SIR: When I finished my WASC examination in 1984 and was still waiting my JAMB results, my parents decided to teach me how to drive. I was barely 15 years old and I learnt very fast! Many of my peers were already driving their parents' cars around, so I was eager to keep up with the Joneses.
I later gained admission into the university in September 1984. I remembered when I went home for holidays soon after, there was fuel scarcity everywhere. I had to go queue for fuel for my parents. I would wake up at about 3.00 a.m. to go join the queue. I would meet several of my friends at the station, also with their parents' cars, waiting in line to buy fuel.
We were all young boys without any cares in the world. We usually brought along Chess and Scrabble games to while away the time. We would eventually buy fuel about 12 to 14 hours after. That was 25 years ago.
Now, I am 40 years old, married with two kids, an architect with all the cares in the world - and I still queue for fuel... In 25 years, we are still at the same junction. I guess I should start giving my children fuel queue training skills, just as my parents did. They just could need such skills in 25 years' time!
Haruna Daniyan,
Abuja, FCT
Shalom

To be continued

Shalom

Paul Thomas
Ireland

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