Yar

Yar’ Adua, and the Need for New National Reorientation

Abdullah Musa

We do not have to go back deep into history to understand the need for a proper orientation on life, whether as individuals or as a nation. Those with knowledge tell us that your attitude determines your altitude; in short your achievements in life.

President Yar’Adua became the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria via an election which many consider as flawed. Thankfully, his character which will impact heavily on the way and manner he leads seems to confirm that he can be relied upon.

Leadership, contrasted to rulership, seems to imply that the leader is supposed to show the best way life is to be run. This is the norm whether we are to strive as individuals or groups towards the attainment of set goals. Nigeria had its share of rulers; men who had the opportunity to lead but instead chose to rule. This action created the present mind-set of the average Nigerian which comes to see the ruler as someone despicable, to be shunned, loathed; and never loved or obeyed.

Rulers are always tempted to believe that they are leaders. They thus exhort their subjects to follow or imbibe values which they had been incapable of absorbing in their own personal and official capacity. In short, there comes to be a “gulf impassable” between the leader and the led.

We use beasts of burden in primitive societies for our economic and leisure activities. The proper use of such beasts are only seamless where the beasts are accustomed to whatever routine we may be able to acclimatize them with. Pending that, the service rendered by them is not satisfactory. Even with us humans, the learning curve must be followed before perfection sets in.

We face challenges as societies which may need the collective effort of the members of the society to overcome. We are unable to act in a meaningful unison unless we can be inspired by the leader to give our best, to sacrifice our comforts where necessary. The fact that we must earn our living is not enough to galvanize us towards meaningful direction.

Modern societies are run using technology. To develop technology, you need massive capital to invest in education and research. To build capital, you need the discipline to forego immediate consumption. The needs of individual may not necessitate the creation of capital where for instance that individual is educated enough to be employed, earning enough salary to keep body and soul together, but not necessarily saving for the rainy day or in order to help in building the nation from the surpluses so created by control of immediate consumption.

We have dwelled on the economic aspect of reorientation for that may be of more pressing relevance to the people who are eager to catch up with the rest of the world. We have however not forgotten the colossal wastes which we incurred as a nation, as a result of internal strife the causes of which are many. Today, Niger Delta is unsafe and in turmoil because a vulnerable group feels that they don’t belong to this nation called Nigeria, and are thus ready to inflict heavy economic losses on the rest of us if they are not allowed to have their way.

The Nigerian Press; the fleecing elites; have never lost an opportunity to demonize Nigeria, to call for its disintegration, whenever things do not go in accord with their wishes. We are not able so to speak, to accept the fact that building a nation is not a fifty-year affair. We may not successfully build a nation of our desire in a thousand years. What is of utmost importance is the insistence that the building process continues. It is not a building process where daily some are insisting we must always uproot the foundation and start anew.

We seem, or so it looks to me, to have overcome the contentious issue of power sharing or power shift: the North has accepted it and now the South seems to accept it. We however do not want to celebrate this feat. Just because the likes of Adedibus exist, we believe that we have to keep on conducting one election endlessly till the results accord with our desire.

We are not oblivious of the need for fairness and justice in human conduct. What we emphasize is that we cannot afford a sense of justice that seeks to play with the continuity of this nation as a sovereign state. We believe we may be prone to sink into a quagmire much more deadly than the slight irritation we seem to suffer on account of our bruised ego.

The desire to control economic resources that are considered common heritage seems to drive most of our actions, where for instance we see our success in that direction slipping out of our hands. Our fear being that the opponents would get stronger if allowed to consolidate their victory. The recent economic reforms by the last government was meant to instill into the minds of Nigerians that if one wants wealth, he or she should look for it in the private sector not the government.

Barons, who acquired their wealth in questionable if not criminal circumstances, have often been tempted to consolidate their gains by seeking power. Considering the divided and apathetic nature of the people, the barons easily purchase media attention and become able to dictate the pace and content of the political discourse.

We are hoping, by the election of Yar’ Adua, that we are opening a new chapter in the political life of the nation. We seem not to fully comprehend the possible gain of not having for President one who may fit the description of the baron cited above, or one who achieved prominence by the aberration of a successful coup. We may henceforth bask in the glory of a real civil government, one that may not frown upon the foray of ex-generals into the political arena; having retired from their national service without the stigma of a coup.

We should not fail to appreciate the import of the lesson that once those who are either tainted by corruption or coups are estopped from acquiring power; we are well on our way towards enthroning a level playing field for future democrats, whose needed qualification henceforth would only be a commitment and the vision necessary to serve.

I may not be well informed, but to my perception, two categories of people are the ones most desirous of reorientation: the Press and the politicians. The Press may not be much of a problem once good governance prevails. But where the politician flaunts ill-gotten wealth or unjustified privileges, the common man would feel short-changed. His wish would then be for a violent change of government that would inflict outrageous penalties on those who made life comfortable for themselves and miserable for his likes.

We cannot however entirely rely on an individual to change from a situation that brings him ease though illegal, to one that may modestly benefit him and others. The effectiveness of watchdog institutions is our best safeguard towards the sustenance of our democracy. The Press, in order to earn the right to operate, must treat the inviolability of Nigeria as sacrosanct; avoid worshipping ill-gotten wealth; and be given an opportunity to earn a decent living.

You are, Mister President, expected to set the example of what is desirable in the conduct of the political office holders. If you do not hobnob with the likes of Adedibus; the robber-barons; the society would take their cue from you. Anything other than exemplary conduct cannot be off-set by years of sloganeering via the media.

We wish you luck.