NIGERIA: In Search Of A True LEADER

Nigeria  is  a country  God Almighty has blessed   with  abundant  material  resources: including  crude oil. She is also endowed with human resources; including  professionals in    diaspora, who are making great contributions   to   the   development   of   the countries  of  their  abode.  The  bane  of  our problem   is  bad leadership; like in many other African countries.

So  far,  God  has  not   allowed  natural disasters,    like:    earthquakes,    tornadoes, and   landslides,  to   ravage  the  country. We  have been  praying and searching for   a   true   leader,  to   steer   the ship of this country to   the  “promised   land”:  to  salvage   the  country  from: poverty,  hunger, disease, and  their  attendant  rising  wave of crimes. The  nation has been able to produce rulers  and  masters; both civilian and military who     held     sway,     since    our    political independence from  British Colonial Masters, in 1960 –  about fifty-three years ago.

From  available  reports,  over  five  hundred  billion  dollars, have been siphoned from the   country’s treasuries, since  we  started  ruling   ourselves. As  a  result   of  massive stealing, over  seventy  percent   of   the   citizens  are impoverished.

Until   recently,  the  country   has  been bedeviled, by mostly selfish and tribal  rulers, who  use  ethnicity and religion, to divide and rule   the   helpless   masses;   while   paying  lip-service to nationhood. Most of  our  rulers are  religious  hypocrites.  They  occupy front rows  in  churches and   mosques;   and  make donations here and there; and play politics with    religion.    As     well,     they     acquire  countless   number   of    honourary    awards   and   titles,   from    their   sycophants   and  hangers-on,  to  boost  their  ego, whom  they in turn pay back with stolen money.

They  love  propaganda. These power hungry persons; carry out propaganda on the electronic  and  printed  media, in  attempt to redeem their battered image, with the help of their  stooges.  The  more  they  oppress  the people,  and  loot the treasury, the more they make  noise  all  over  the  place, in  effort  to counter  growing  oppositions to their misrule. They  are   empty   vessels,  that   make   the greatest noise.

Military  rule  is  one of the worst things to  happen  to   this   country.   Soldiers who imposed themselves on us, were the worst human   right    abusers.   They    ruled    with  impunity:    arresting    real    and     imagined opponents of their ruling junta, and clamping them into detention. The judiciary was  highly restricted,    following    suspension    of   the Nigerian   constitution,  by   military  dictators.

There were lots of political assassinations; mysterious killings of outspoken critics of   military   government.  Sometimes,  their deaths   were   blamed   on armed bandits. Puppet military tribunals were set up to try suspected enemies, (sorry coup plotters). Before  you know it, they had killed them in an underground shooting range. We  also  experienced  mysterious  plane  crashes. One could  hear of    planes exploding    in   the   mid-air; suggesting conspiracy somewhere. It  was  easy to setup probe  panels , to  ascertain  the causes of the crashes. After that, nothing  could  be  heard  of  them again. At times, passenger planes would  be  affected. At other times, military  officers  would   suddenly loose their lives on missions.

Some of our past military dictators shed much blood in this country. called Nigeria. After surviving coup plots on each occasion, they  would  line up “convicted” principal  actors,  and  get  them  shot   dead, despite the pleas from within the country and  international committee. They  tried and killed people  for    coup-plotting: same offense they  themselves  committed  in  climbing  to  power. They are murderers!

When  the righteous  is in  power the people rejoice. But when the wicked is ruling, the  people mourn. Many of our past rulers belonged to secret  societies; and  patronize shrines, juju priests, and other evil men.

Evangelist Joseph U. Afurobi

Yet, they  put  on  religious garb. They reactivate their so-called powers    of invincibility, they acquired from those devilish places. Devils used them to  unleash  all manner  of   atrocities  on  the  people.  Their conscience  was  so  seared, that they  killed people  and   won’t  be  moved.  They   setup puppet  military  tribunals, to try cases which outcome in most cases were predetermined. They looted the country blind, especially during the period of oil boom; and banked the money in foreign banks. They had their countless number of mistresses, whom they bought exotic cars and  houses  for.  As well, they  sponsored their jamborees abroad.   Of   course, they  lavish  cash  on them. They had countless number of collaborators, including  civilians including  civilians. Today, vast majority of the youths are unemployed or under-employed,  including  graduates. The  figure runs into millions. Our people are impoverished  by  selfish  and  wicked  rulers;  who don’t care about the down-trodden.

There are two main classes  of  citizens: the very  rich  and  the  very poor. The  rich is getting   richer;  while   the   poor   is   getting poorer. The middle   class  is  virtually  non-existent.  It  is  survival of the fittest. The    situation  is so pathetic, that multitude of people are  fleeing the country to other   countries,  in   search   of   means   of livelihood.  Nigerians  are  all  over  the world including   America,    Europe,    and    other African countries.

Many  of them do menial jobs to sustain themselves;  despite their high academic and professional  qualifications,  as  well as skills. It is no gainsaying, that  suffering  in  Nigeria  has   caused   upsurge  in  crime  waves like: kidnapping,   ‘419’    crimes,    robberies, and all worth not.

Majority don’t   have     access    to adequate    medical    care,    or   train   their children properly  in  school;  or care for them. This is  the main reason why you hear of  child   trafficking,  prostitution,  and  so on.

Our  political   independence,  has  not translated into the economic well being of the down  trodden. The wealth of  the country– bulk of    which   is   from    oil    money–   is concentrated   on   few  hands (the elites).  If  you  go  to Niger  Delta  area;  where  the   oil is being explored, you will be shocked by the      high   level    of    degradation,  and  poverty among the indigenes.  However, the   present   Federal   Government   is   up   and doing. I shall come to that later.

The simple  truth  is   that, had  it  been the   colonial  masters  are  still  in  charge  of affairs  in   Nigeria,   we   would   have   been  much  better   of  economically. Standard   of   living   of   common   man  would  have  been much improved. He  should have  been able   to   eat    three  square  meals   a   day;   live    in  a  comfortable house; be able to carter for  his children, and train them in  school. Had  it  been  half  the  annual  proceeds from our oil wealth is shared to  everybody equally,  each person  should  be   able  to  get  up   to  one  million  naira  every  year. Our people  have  been  enslaved by our own rulers– wolves in sheep clothing!

Anybody, that  steals money or  wealth meant  for  millions  of  people,  is    worse  than an armed robber! You can  call him  pen-robber or unarmed   robber!   By  so doing, he has deprived  millions of people of man amenities. By  siphoning the  money  into  foreign  bank  accounts, he  has deprived  multitude  of  people he is ruling, of more  job  opportunities  like: industries  and hospitals.  As  well,  he has caused some  ill-equipped  schools

The high level of corruption in Nigeria, is a reflection of  corrupt  leadership  at  the highest  level. When   the   head  is  sick,  the  rest  of the body will be affected.  At a  stage, Nigeria was rated the most corrupt  nation  in  the world by Transparency International. That year, she won ‘gold medal’ in corruption.  The  following   year,  she  was  rated   second  position –thereby  winning  ‘silver’  medal   in corruption. Later she won ‘bronze’ medal.

In   recent   years,  there    have   been significant improvement on the  fight   against corruption, and   financial  crimes.  Economic  and  Financial   Crime  Commission  (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission–    ICPC,    and    other    graft    agencies   were  established. The    fact    remains    that    the  number one citizen, who cannot be probed or   investigated  by   these   agencies,  while   in   office,   needs   to    resolve   by   himself   to  change;  so  that  others   below   him  will follow suite. Example is better than   precept.

Bad  rulers  have  a  sit-tight  mentality. They  see  their  positions  as  opportunity, to perpetuate  their   looting    of   the   treasury.  The more they remain  in  power,   the   more   they  see  their  positions  as  their   personal     property,  or  of  their   fathers’  property. They surround   themselves  with    their  tribesmen, stooges, concubines, name them.  They  are  in  turn partakers  or  accomplices,   in the ‘devouring’ of the national cake.

Bad rulers  seem to   forget   that   God reigns in  the kingdom of men. The Lord dealt with  King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the past. Because of his pride and arrogance, he was given the heart of animal. He lived in the forest   and  mingled  with  other  animals  for seven  years. Then, God restored him back to normal  human  life, and he sat on his throne. He  realized   God   Almighty   reigns   in   the kingdoms  of  men. He removes  whoever He wants from whatever  position,  and  replaces him with whoever He wants; even the basest of men.

God,  the  creator  of  the  universe has time   table  for  the  stay  of  anybody  in  this world.  When  the  time  He  allocated   to  an individual  to  live  on  earth  is completed, He will  take  him:  whether  in  young or old age. People of all age groups,  and all works of life die.

When  the time  for someone to depart from  this  world  is  come,  nothing  can  stop it. No amount of security, or medical care can stop  it.  Man  that  is  born of a woman is like the  beast  that  perish.  He  dies  and  leaves behind his belongings.

I  have  seen  dictators  in  power  both military and  civilian.  They  flourish  and  wax strong in their domains. Initially, it  would appear nobody could     challenge    their obnoxious  and  wicked  lifestyle.  But  after a while, you look for them, they are no more. In the  time of  God’s  visitation,  such  inhuman and wicked persons, will be swept away from this world.

In Nigeria, the past heads of state are never  arraigned  for  questioning, or  tried for their   corrupt   practices    when    in    office.  Their  surrogates   are  the   ones   subjected    to  detention  and  court   trials,  for   a  while.  As    long    as    they   remain    in  detention,   their   arraignment   in courts  attract much publicity  and   drama.  But   when  they   are granted   bail   with   sureties,   the   case  will fizzle  out  from  public glare. You  will  hardly hear  of  the  outcome  of  the  case. Instead, you see them move around  freely.

The   only  former   head   of   state   in Nigeria  that  was  probed, was  late  General Sanni Abacha. This is  because  he  is dead.  About I billion  dollars  was recovered. Had  it  been he  is  still  alive  today,  nobody would  have dared to try him, or any member of  his  family; not  to  talk  of  recovering  any money from them!

There  are  persons  who  ruled  much longer   than   him;  and   even  looted  more than him. But, nobody  has  ever  summoned them  for  questioning.  They  retired  or were forced out of power as billionaires, with bulk of  the  ill-gotten  wealth  in   foreign   banks. They    amassed   wealth   to  the   detriment  of  their ‘fellow’ country men.

That  is why there will always remain a very  wide  gap, between Nigeria and Ghana, as  far  as   democratic   process   and   good governance, are  concerned.  Few   decades ago,  a young man, Jerry Rawlings  started  a revolution  that  has  transformed Ghana, into it’s    enviable   position  in the continent — a pacesetter  in  democracy.  He  held  the past rulers  accountable  for  their  misdeeds. He   purged    Ghana    of    selfish   and   wicked rulers.  Up  to  this moment, anybody ruling is conscious  of  the  fact  that, he can be called upon to render account of his service  to  the people, long after leaving office.

Some   of  our  past rulers or overlords, still  have  the  affront  to stage  a  comeback after  all  the embezzlements, looting, and atrocities they    committed,    when    they  imposed themselves on the people. When in  authority, they will  do everything possible  to  remain  there, as long as  possible;  even  by   killing   people   with   opposing   views.  But, when    the    public    outcry   against    them  becomes   unbearable,   they   will  have   no choice than to step down.

As  time  goes  on,  they  will   discover decline  in  public  attention,  and   praises  of sycophants. They think  on  what  to  do  with the  billions  they stole. They then reason that the only way forward,  is for them to  stage  a comeback    to    power   (to    their    fathers’ empire).  They  now  withdraw   part  of   the “interest,” from  their  accounts  abroad,  and change  them  to    local    currencies.  Then, money  will  become “catholic”. They use it to organize  their  political  jamborees  in  every nook and corner,  with  their  well-fed  posters everywhere.  They  have  inordinate ambition to come back to  power,  not  that  they  have anything to offer the people they exploited.

Rather, they   want  to  perpetuate   the dominance  of  their tribe,  in  the governance of this country since  political independence.  They wipe up tribal and religious sentiments, in order to cause instability. Their hope is that by  so  doing,  the opportunity  for them to climb back to power “their birth right”  will be realized.

We  all  thank  God for the changes He is  bringing  into  the  body  politics of Nigeria. With the  coming  on  board  of  Dr. Goodluck Jonathan    as   President.   He  is   currently bringing in a lot  of changes  and  innovations into  governance.   He  is   breaking   through tribal   and  religious  politics;  and  shattering them!  Can  he  be  the  true  Nigeria   leader, the impoverished people of  this  country  are yearning for? Time shall tell.