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Nigeria and the Thabo Mbeki Example By Joshua Ocheja
The continent was disconcerted with the resignation of South African president, Thabo Mbeki recently. It was a case of integrity and sincerity of purpose.
This was a man that was duly elected on the platform of the ruling ANC party; he deputized for the world most celebrated leader Nelson Mandela for the period he ruled the country and certainly his credibility can not be questioned by all and sundry.
Thabo Mbeki’s sudden resignation from office is a testimony of a country where the voice of the people is the voice of God. It was premised on party line and not otherwise and that calls for wide spread celebration of the man called Thabo Mbeki.
His party felt him compromised in the handling of the corruption charges leveled against his rival Jacob Zuma and felt as a true leader, interference with the organs of government was unacceptable.
He had notable leaders on his side that could afford to lobby on his behalf, but he chooses to carry his cross and face responsibilities for his actions and inactions and he resigned. Whether yes or no, Mbeki is a true leader in all ramifications.
This brings us to Nigeria as a case study. In Nigeria it would be tantamount to suicide for a councilor to resign from office take more of a president. Political office holders do not know where to draw the line in the interest of peace and tranquility.
Take the senate for example, in the years gone, it’s been a scandalous affair and those involved would hold unto seats like it’s their birth right, until they are finally impeached out of office. This is wrong and throws more questions to answers.
In Nigeria today, a political office holder will do anything possible to remain in office despite evidence of wrong doings and guess what? Lobbying becomes the order of the day. As I put in my previous article about the imminent cabinet reshuffle, lobbying has begun in earnest and not just that, State governors who have scores to settle with political appointees from their state, seizes the opportunity to exert authority as the leader of the state not minding whose ox is gored.
This trend portrays great danger and set a precarious precursor for our growing democracy. Those in position of authority should realize this and get things straight for once.
Funny as it may sound, some political office holders in this dispensation know that they have under performed and would likely be shown the way out soon, but instead of realizing this fact, and tow the Mbeki example, they resort to lobbying to remain in power. That goes a long way to tell our kind of orientation, and could be likened to the love of my pocket before the love of their country.
Thabo Mbeki has shown the true African spirit, he has demonstrated his unflinching loyalty to his party, his people and the Nelson Mandela legacy.
Mandela would not have exploited his status as the hero of South Africa, to interfere in the current dispensation. He could have if he wanted to I believe, but the battle he fought was to ensure that South Africans live the good life, a life where the citizens have a say in the governance of their country because the country belong to all and not a select few.
This example should serve as a wake up call to us, to appeal to our sensibility that we should be responsible for our actions and inactions
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