Replication of DNA Corruption in Nigeria Politics

By

Kunle I Sowunmi
Kshoid@yahoo.com


As a student in the seventies I did not liked Biology at all. I could not even stand the site of laboratory work of torching the dead rats and other experiment besides my then teacher was a smoker and was always smoking in the class while teaching. Along with few of my colleagues we were busy looking at the rounding and disappearing smoke of his cigarette, his mannerism of puffing out the cigarette smoke and shape of his two fingers holding the cigarettes sticks, it was very fascinating. I guess we were more interested in the shape of his mouth than listening to his lecture. He was the son of the Proprietor of the school and the Principal was probably too scared to his pants to call him to order. Smoking was a bad habit it can destroy the cilia of the airways of any smoker which may lead to cancer in future. Ironically it was a bad habit I picked up myself and it took me 20 years to drop the bad habit.

In the later years of my life in the search for knowledge, I developed interest in Cell theory and in the cause of studying, Mitosis of DNA is the most interesting area of Human Anatomy one of the breakthrough of Dr. Watson whom I later met in Texas in November 2005 and how this can interplay with Nigerian problem will be theme of this article.

Definition of DNA and DNA Replication


DNA (deoxyribonucleic –acid) is defined as a nucleic acid found in all living cells; it carries the organism‘s hereditary information. DNA replication is also the process that occurs before cell division. It ensures all daughter cells have the same genes. Mitosis is the process at which each cell goes through in human body. All human anatomy can be replaced definitely not the DNA. It will always be a perfect replication of itself, which explains the reason for having the same mannerism with your parents, your children will look and act like you and the genes will be there to identify your family linage no matter how long. DNA has been used to solve crimes in USA and other part s of the world. DNA is very scientific and objective it remains one of the unquestionable breakthroughs in science. I was happy to shake the hand of Dr. Watson when I met with him in Texas last year. An achievement he said was just an academic exercise in 1956 which later became the standard the whole world now rely upon.

Nigeria and Her Culture

Culture was defined by General Olusegun Obasanjo (then Military Head of State) in his speech at the time he declared open FESTAC in Lagos in 1977 as ” the language, the dress, and attitude and behavior of the people within an areas or society. It is your culture that separates you from others, in other words it is your identity.” Some definitions we can attribute to our culture are as follows, “Isekekere Owolanla” meaning little work with abundant returns the (Hispanics says Pokito Trawako Mucho Dinero), Esun Lehin Apo, “ There must be something for any job” Je kin Je “Chop I chop”, this is where I work I must earn more than my fair share. Nothing explains the culture of the people more than the behavior of the society. In Nigeria the above literary meaning of societal values represents the pillar of the behavior of the African most populous society. It is the same in most African countries and other third world countries including Latin America.  

Our system allow us to even bribe on behalf of children to secure amenities and favors, we bribe to put our children in schools of our choice, teachers receives bribes from student to pass examinations, official of NEPA takes bribes, the police collects bribes with confidence as if it is a right. Most of Nigeria Police Vehicles on the Highway Patrol from Lagos to Abeokuta had it written on their vehicles “Operation Fire for Fire” a very scaring message not only to robbers but also to the drivers and psychological trauma for passengers. In fact, everybody believes it okay to perpetrate fraud as long as the government is pretending it is okay. The government is even reluctant to deal with fraud cases when the press exposes it unless it threatens the third term ambition of the sitting President. One is bound to ask the following questions.  Is this our culture? Is this our ways of life? Is this what it takes to be a Nigerian or could this be the best we can offer the black race?

General Colin Powel the former Secretary of State in the United States of America (we call it External Affairs Minister) wrote about Nigeria how happy he was to be in Nigeria as a black man at a time he was the Joint chief of US Army. He felt Nigeria was home after his bitter experience he wrote “Nigerians have tendency to cheat”.  Some prominent Nigerians including Prof. Wole Soyinka disagreed with him and he was forced to apologize but he had said it the question is ‘Do we have tendency to cheat?” Is our government cheating us of good and deserved egalitarian society? Are we just not cutting it to see that all these are wrong?  Is this the best Nigeria can offer to human race and its people in particular?

In one of my articles as published before the last presidential election titled “Recycled Government “ I mentioned “ It is the fervent prayers of these writer that Nigeria will be strong and reasonable enough to elect men of good will and sincere approach to governance men like Gani Fawehimi, Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana. And men with the fear of God” But Nigerians in their wisdom or otherwise turned opposite and elected those that will keep on punishing them. I did mention the parable of Jesus and rich man who had a vine yard sacked his managers for poor performance, reorganized his business and advertised for new managers, the same set of sacked managers applied the conclusion then was that they should not be hired. Nigeria keeps on hiring the same set of failed managers and politicians to manage its activities and expecting miracles without re-training or re-orientation using the same method for governance.

 

One can see how our system wasted men of goodwill in any election. In Abeokuta in Ogun State a Barber defeated a Professor in a local government election the same goes for Oyo state a school dropped out is now paraded as the Deputy Governor and a stack illiterate called Orisa Molete presides over the whole lives of everybody in the state including the President that prostrated six times for the Orisa Molete. It is very pathetic to watch millions of Nigerians being deprived of the best they can get. It is even sad for those of us who live abroad to watch our fellow countrymen and women going through the hardship without knowing it.  It is very pathetic and insulting watching Nigeria leadership running away from the truth. Truth about social security system of Administration, truth about city, state and federal police decentralizations, truth about transparency in justice and equity, truth about fairness.


Nigeria elected heartless leadership, who did not see leadership as service but away to inflate hardship on its people made me to ask what happened to all the billions Governor Olusegun Osoba spent in his 4 years as Governor of Ogun state because I did not see anything to show for it. The third  bridge that was to come out of through Obada Oko and Ogun Polytechnic Road which he was working on during Babangida regime was not done in his second coming as governor when a sum of N100 millions was paid in 1992-1993. The man Osoba is free from EFCC which claimed to be going after corrupt politian  Osoba and other governors that were defeated in the last election are no longer having any immunities from prosecution which makes EFCC guilty of political hunting against those against third term ambition of Baba who could not keep his long throat from Abuja pounded yam.


It is also in Nigeria the President can  deep his fat hand into National Coffer and donate money to Ghana or any  others or associations of his choice without approval from National Assembly. Can anyone tell this writer the deference between Obasanjo and  illiterate Barkin Zuwo then Governor of Kano State found with five million naira government money in his official residence Zuwo said “ Government money in government house no problem”. Same goes for President Aremu Okikiola  Obasanjo the Balogun of Owu. “Government money is Obasanjo to donate to anybody of his choice period”     

Conclusion

DNA which is a replication of genes in us must have dealt a big blow on Nigeria future which explains why we have not been able to elect good leaders, why we keep on recycling the same leadership and why new leaders keeps on ending up like the old ones. The issue is beyond tribes it is about DNA it is about what we cannot change which is why Nigeria may never change. The fault is in our stars. This writer has written about social security administration to all the government agencies and authority in Nigeria including an open letter to the president Olusegun Obasanjo none had acknowledged it the reason, they are not in government to serve but to continue to force their ego on Nigeria populace.

Democracy will work in Nigeria if the paraphernalia that surrounds its performance is adopted two of them are decentralization of Police up to city, state and Federal including Social Security Administration without these we can forget about the light at the end of the tunnel and just accept the DNA Cross which is not the best option.

The real corruptions in Nigeria will be exposed in 2007 when men of goodwill and those with good intention will be disfranchised totally from government. It will be free for all grab and grab until there will be nothing to grab. The real demon in Nigerians will be exposed with Obasanjo himself presiding over the whole events. This will be the actual manifestation of mitosis of DNA of Nigeria corruption. For those who have the opportunity to read this please keep this article, remember this little advice in the year 2007 the part 3 of the article will be published. 

Kunle I Sowunmi
Kshoid@yahoo.com