By Samuel Oluwole Ogundele
Nigerians ought to be much more acknowledging of the fact that this country, our homeland, needs preservation at all costs. It is staggering, and frankly, discouraging to observe how our political leaders (with a few exceptions) pretend that all is well, even as this edifice crashes down. It is a truism, that sustainable development is anchored to such factors as robust socio-political engineering, sound economic policies, capital accumulation and strong institutions. These factors are intricately interwoven with charismatic/messianic leadership which is inseparable in a neat way, from the apron strings of active, courageous followership.
Nigeria is fast descending into anarchy largely because the morphology and content of the grammar of our brand of politics including economics, are not firmly embedded in positive vision, equity, justice, steadfastness and above all, unbridled patriotism. Consequently, the country remains on the losing side of regional and global politics. Insecurity has become a dreadful monster walking on all fours on the Nigerian landscape. Dangerous humans across West Africa are freely moving into Nigeria, a country that is fast becoming unliveable for non-criminals.
These criminals parading themselves as cattle rearers and/or motor-bike riders are mere agents of ethnic, hegemonic control of Nigeria especially the southern parts. The agenda of their masters is ethnic/cultural colonisation. General T.Y. Danjuma, a highly respected elder statesman recently advised southerners to be vigilant. Senior Nigerian statesmen particularly those who had served as political leaders at different points in time, need to convene a national dialogue devoid of partisan politics. They must try to halt the drift towards disintegration. Security issues are too serious to be reduced to the level of partisanship. Nobody including these very senior Nigerians, is safe as bandits (usually foreigners) continue to wreak havoc on innocent citizens.
The Obasanjos, Danjumas and Babangidas have been trying recently to promote peace and understanding using a wide range of methods. They, and other senior citizens need to do much more as the captainless ship drifts away from national cohesion. A rescue operation is urgently needed. President Muhammadu Buhari said the following on January 29: “We have to be harder on them (Boko Haram insurgents). One of the responsibilities of government is to provide security. If we don’t secure the country, we will not be able to manage the economy properly”. Senator Abdullahi, a member of the Niger State Eminent Citizens told President Buhari recently that the security architecture of Nigeria had totally collapsed and that there was need for restructuring the country.
It is pertinent to note here, that the Boko Haram insurgents are becoming deadlier than hitherto. The federal lawmakers and those in the presidency cocooned in their luxury mansions in Abuja should remember that they too, are not safe. Therefore, they should forget about partisan politics and join senators like Elisha Abbo and Enyinnaya Abaribe in calling a spade, a space. High ideals are the essence of robust humanity.
It is a great pity, that while many Nigerians are wailing and weeping as a result of the mowing down of their innocent loved ones by bandits and/or Boko Haram demons, a lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was recently showcasing his invaluable assets inside the hallowed Lower Chamber. Strangely enough, he did so to the admiration of the house leadership. This was one comedy too many. In my own opinion, such a scenario demonstrated a good sense of the absurd. This was the same National Assembly, where Senator Abaribe was booed and ruled out of order for saying the minds of most Nigerians. Abaribe’s offence was that he asked President Buhari to resign given the current high level of insecurity in the country.
Many men and women of high calibre are scared of Nigerian politics and this situation negatively affects our national progress. Not unexpectedly, this country is ranked the third geo-polity with the highest number of desperately poor people in the world. According to Development Finance International (DFI) and Oxfam, Nigeria’s social spending is extremely low. The government spends little on education, health and social protection. Therefore, it is not a surprise that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally.
It is most worrying that the citizens are so poor in the midst of plenty. The Nigerian political class has made a mess of everything. However, this mess did not start with the Buhari administration. It has a long history, even though the situation today is much messier than before. The change promised by President Buhari is gradually becoming an illusion. However, this is not irreversible in the face of a new operational model.
Transparency International placed Nigeria 146th position on the ranking of its 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) out of 180 countries that were surveyed. In Nigeria, leadership failings over the years have held back the country’s growth and development. These failings include nepotism/cronyism, authoritarianism and a gross lack of inclusiveness. This is a tragedy of monumental proportions! Mr. President needs to wrestle corruption to the ground because it is Nigeria’s number one enemy. It is no longer secret that the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) is now being manipulated by its operators, thereby making the project a sham. Nigeria is a homeland of real and evil geniuses.
The Nigerian population is approximately 200 million now. By 2050, this country is most probably going to be the third largest geo-polity in the world with a figure of about 402 million people. This projection was made by the US Census Bureau in April 2019. Currently, household and to a limited extent, industrial wastes are everywhere in Nigeria. Most roadsides have been turned into refuse mounds. Most local water bodies have been polluted with toxic waste. Similarly, the exhaust fumes from generators are increasing the levels of environmental pollution. Our cities including marketplaces are an eye sore in the face of an ever-increasing human population without proactive strategies for waste management. This situation threatens Nigeria’s public health and by extension, national development on a sustainable scale.
The government has to start mitigating this huge problem before it snowballs into a monstrous crisis. As a matter of fact, there is no big deal in being a political leader. The only big deal is the capacity coupled with readiness to creditably serve humanity and by the same token, Providence. Generally speaking, the Nigerian politician is much more interested in Arithmetic of power or personal aggrandisement than selfless service to the country. Our political leaders do not care a hoot about the agonies of Nigerians. This is the reason why some mindless senators are busy trying to force a poisonous pill christened “Hate Speech Bill” down the throat of every Nigerian. This is a senate that cannot mount an assault on dire material poverty and insecurity that have robbed many Nigerians of their joys and robust humanity. Given the above scenarios, President Buhari must adopt much more inclusive strategies and a wider, messianic vision so as to reclaim at least some of the lost glories of Nigeria.
- Prof Ogundele is of Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan.
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