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Who Will Bring Us Together? By Victor E. Dike
Sometime soon, Nigeria will have another election, and a new person (hopefully) will be at Aso Rock. Perhaps, out of desperation General Obasanjo has been campaigning around the nation as if he is running for an elective office, slugging political jabs on his political opponents, who have the courage to say that he personifies the evil politician because of the adverse impact of his caustic, reckless and unguarded utterances on the polity. He has been telling those who care to listen that he has transformed Nigeria into a peaceful, corruption-free, and economically vibrant nation. The General does not seem to realize that he is talking to the same people who are pauperized and tormented by his “dictatorial democratic” administration. He is scheming to again impose the “People’s Destruction Party” on the nation. Tufiakwa! Nigeria does not need another mean spirited and divisive president. We need a pragmatic problem-solver, someone who will truly restructure the economy, and bring us together as a nation.
When General Obasanjo became the civilian ruler after the people’s victory over military dictatorship Nigeria seemed poised for economic and political rejuvenation. The people expected to enjoy greater freedom, social cohesion, unity, better living standards, and improved national security. But he quickly destroyed the people’s dreams and plunged the society into chaos with his stubbornness, greed, selfishness and corrupt deals. Now, he is now a caricature because his “public image has become tattered and devalued” as the Naira and his persona have eroded from heroic statesman to “bibulous buffoon”. The people’s trust and confidence in public institutions has eroded because the Police, SSS, EFCC, INEC, etc that were supposed to protect the people have been employed to harass and tormented them. Now, the vision of peaceful transition to next administration is being hacked apart by the machetes and bullets of the political thugs employed by the ruling party that wants to remain in power through hooks and crooks. His actions have not only worsened Nigeria’s “bad image” abroad, but has further divided the nation.
Crass politics is destroying Nigeria! Who will bring us together? Will Nigeria, which has been struggling recover from decades of corrupt military authoritarian rule, transit from its present democracy-experiment into a true democracy or relapse into political turmoil? No sane Nigerian would like the society to return to the era of military dictatorship but General Obasanjo’s dubious reforms using the EFCC and INEC for his selfish political purpose is not bringing the nation together! Any person who criticizes them and their god is branded corrupt and banished into political oblivion while the corrupt individuals-“certificate racketeers”, “tax evaders”, and “money launderers” -are innocent! Thus it is becoming clearer by the day that asking the INEC to conduct a free and fair election, or entrusting the EFCC to tame corruption in Nigeria is like “hiring a bank robber to drive a Brinks truck”. Now, terror rules in Nigeria in the name of politics! As Uche Nworah would ask, when will The Long Harmattan Season be over?
The political reform effort is not working because those in charge of it lack the moral purpose to make it effective. And a review of the economic restructuring shows that the exercise is not producing economic prosperity either. The gap between the elites (the vocal, but powerless, minority) and ordinary people (the down-trodden majority that could only give quiet disapproval) has widened as Nigeria is plagued by a weak economy, rising unemployment, inflation, and crime. With all her resources Nigeria has become a society where university graduates are perpetually unemployed. And a few who are lucky to be employed are frayed and tattered because they are just working poor. The bogus privatization has only succeeded in creating big government and a few big businesses owned by the president and his cronies.
Recently, the World Bank put to rest General Obasanjo’s exaggerated record of economic achievements as Nigeria was placed among the top 10 poorest countries in its 2005 world's development index. His cronies who have amassed wealth through crooks and hooks would attempt to explain away the reasons for this damning report! But those who are feeling the pinch of the bad economy and the draconian administration knows that Nigeria's economic problems, as the World Bank report shows, are caused by poor leadership. Nobody can explain away why the roads in Nigeria are still are still potholed after nearly eight years of “democracy”, why electricity supply remains erratic, or why national security has worsened.
Sadly, General Obasanjo is leaving Nigeria in a worse state than he found it. He will be remembered as one who made a mockery of democracy and undermined the Nigerian political system; and as one who conducted the most rancorous and tumultuous elections in Nigeria’s political history. But how did Nigerians allow this fellow to destroy the nation?
As Nigerians get into the polling boot they should vote for one (if the powers to be have not already declared the winners) who will always “tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth” and bring the nation together. They should vote for genuine democrats who will obey the rulings of the court; and pragmatic problem solvers who will take national issues to the people and resolve them through democratic means. The people should vote for mainstream politicians who will guide the nation with focus, vision, intelligence and passion. They should vote for those who will re-focus Nigeria into issues-based politics and good governance. Nigerians should reject those who will read all national political issues only through the prism of their political needs and those who will impose their religious and ethnic ideology on other groups and divide the nation. The most obvious consequences of allowing an Obasanjo-like to rule the nation is Nigeria facing long odds in joining the world’s economic and social mainstream and the final disintegration of the nation. As it were “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.
It is the duty and responsibility of every politician in Nigeria to abide by the rules of the game of politics, respect the constitution and do what is beneficial to the general public. Many unusual and strange things have happened in the society lately in the name of politics. People have been killed in the run-up to the elections and Vice President Atiku has been haunted by the EFCC and INEC like a cat in apparent order from “above”! A review of the political history of the United States (the political system Nigeria apes shows) that “No sitting vice president since 1952 who has sought his party’s nomination has been denied it”. It’s extremely important that the winners in the elections should not tow the path of General Obasanjo and add to the miasma of corruption enveloping the society. They should transform Nigeria into a truly democratic society and work to bring us back together!
Victor E. Dike, CEO, Center for Social Justice and Human Development (CSJHD), Sacramento, California |