Written by:
Paul thomas
Ireland


Governance By Proxy

The major plague of the Nigerian state right from inception has been the failure of leadership which has inevitably led to massive governance failure in every facet of societal existence. Perpetual foisting of unqualified and unprepared scallywags to handle the reins of leadership is perhaps one of the most unsettling realities of modern day Nigeria.

Emerging from the clutches of colonialism and immediately thrust into the hands of inexperienced Northern cabal; by the Brutish, sorry British colonialist, whose immediate gain and perpetual aggrandizement was their main concern rather than the ensuring of the birth of an authentic nation. The folly of the British guaranteed that Nigeria will be ungovernable right from independence. Their machination from the outset was to create a society of inequality, disenchantment and socially incompatible. In the bid for the British to remain relevant to the space called Nigeria they chose to create an ungovernable system where a tribe, in this case the North is propped to think that their continued importance to the space called Nigeria can only be guaranteed if their hold to power is unflinching. This the British achieved but as all can see the consequences have been dire.

Nigeria therefore emerged as a nation with serious infantile infliction that has refused to abate despite the many panaceas prescribed and administered. This is simply so because the root cause of the problem has not been addressed. The foundational cataclysm created by the British through the imposition of leaders, right from independence remains the most profound institutional and systemic destruction of the Nigerian state.

The British departed without actually leaving, Nigeria was governed by the ‘hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob’. Nigeria became a country governed by proxy; a practice that has been judiciously and religiously passed on to every single succeeding government that has mounted the rostrum of leadership within the Nigerian space. Every dying government resurrects itself in the emerging one. They quit but they maintain their voices through those they choose to act for them and because ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune’ these so called king makers maintain their relevance long after they supposedly vacate the leadership space.

This unwritten code of destruction is what has brought Nigeria into the lachrymose state she now finds herself. The by proxy propensity to which Mr Obasanjo so loyally abides by, is the reason Nigeria today has no leader to govern her. A country with so much resource lies prostrate because of the perfidy and insensibility of a cabal who are determined to either rule or destroy. The orchestration to maintain status-quo in leadership despite the succinct evidence of incompetence due to many malaises does not only stagger belief but creates a shutter to any glimmer of faith in the political existence of Nigeria.

The flagrant abuse of the constitution and the brazen utterances of the so called law officer of the entity called Nigeria leave one in a very strange dilemma and absence of hope for the rejuvenation of this country. Governance by proxy means a whole nation must be on ‘pause mode’ simply because one man cannot function; governance by proxy has incapacitated 150 million able-bodied men and women to remain static because the wisest ruler that ever lived lies prostrate in a foreign land.

Nigeria at this stage reminds me of the 137th chapter of the book of Psalms, where the Israelites bemoan their situation because of their captivity. The feelings of utter helplessness in the midst of oppression, creates depression, repression and hopelessness the very kind of feeling that most Nigerians are under, with the prevalent stagnation that looms very heavily over the entire nation.

Politics of mediocrity is at its highest in Nigeria, the members of the legislative arm of government have all chosen to look the other way rather stand and be counted. The constitution states clearly the functions of the VP while the president remains indisposed. The entire political process is nothing but a big stratagem, a complete waste of time. How can any country function when credibility is lacking? Why is Nigeria the way it is? How can we all sell our consciences without any remorse? How can we call good evil and evil good? The relevance of this nation is gradually ebbing away and yet we act as though all is well. The very fibre of society has broken apart; the fundaments of nationhood are dissipating at an alarming rate and we continue with business as usual.

The ship of Nigeria is being steered in all directions, the truth is right now nobody knows who is in charge whether it is the president’s mother, sister or madam president, is the one calling the shots from abroad. Nigeria must remain static simply because the anointed proxy is indisposed. How do Nigerians sympathise with the first family when this whole episode is shrouded in mystery? All information available to the general public is released with the intention of further confounding the people. The Eerie nature of all of these further stupefies and flabbergasts the citizenry.

While the whole nation sits in limbo, utterly uncertain about the next thing to do; the international community is aghast at the downward spiral of a nation that once had the prospect of being a major world player. The by proxy syndrome of governance has crippled the nation. Everywhere in government you have courtiers holding sensitive positions, positions to which they neither have the competence nor the sagacity to lead. The once glorious nation has become a den of robbers. Any vice imaginable exist in the country called Nigeria. People disappear without a trace and nobody bothers to know what happened to them. How can we live like this and pretend everything is alright? How can we live like this and expect tourist to visit? How can investors invest in a society at the verge of gradual annihilation?

The poignant reality is that we as a nation have failed to realise that there is serious problem and until we accept that this problem exists, we are not anywhere near the solution. For the first step to solving a problem is the realisation that it exists. The major problem that confronts us is that of leadership. Visionary leadership is urgently needed if Nigeria is ever to recover from the lugubrious state she currently wallows in. every governor, legislator, minister, commissioner etc are put in place by one godfather or one sponsor and to these godfathers or sponsors lie their loyalty and commitments. Governance is vital to development; no meaningful progress takes place if all we have at the helms are proxies to former leaders. Right now we are all awaiting the cabals to decide on the next illogical thing to do; whether to install another candidate by proxy or to keep the kin already in place and maintain status-quo. While they decide Nigeria suffers, lives are truncate
d, destinies purloined and mutilated. While they decide those left with the treasury, milk it dry; while we wait the world progresses. The chasm between the worlds widens and we are gradually becoming alien to the advancement and civilisation of other climes. While they perpetuate corruption our borders remain porous to smugglers and bandits. Bunkering has become the order of the day, exacerbated by the anarchy in the Niger Delta which in turn is fuelled by the dreariness of leadership.

The same clouds of deception that emerge during the last days of Abacha are rearing again. All of the Abacha conundrums are playing out again; the whole nation did not know when Abacha kicked the bucket, his death was not announced until his lackeys and family have had enough time to mercilessly plunder the treasury. While Nigerians await news from abroad on the health of Mr President, the sycophants are clandestinely siphoning our commonwealth.

Indefatigable have we become in watching our collective wealth dissipate by these mindless hoodlums. The inactivity of the populace is the single most disheartening stigma plaguing the Nigerian state. How we stood by this long to allow such nefarious concoctions to persist beggars-belief. The International Community is appalled by our ennui. While we explain away our economic stagnation and political strangulation; our so called leaders accentuate themselves with murderous networking of proxies.

While Jonathan sits as a lame duck waiting for the next order from abroad, I cannot but wonder what is thoughts are at this point in time or those of his wife and family. Would they not by chance be suggesting to themselves albeit inaudibly how nice to smell this victory as destiny as once bestowed on him. Time will definitely tell if history will repeat itself.



Shalom

Paul Thomas
Ireland

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