Tag: begins

Feelers from the political scene in recent times, indicate that the ‘battle’ for 2015 has begun in earnest. I use the military term usually associated with warfare because as many in this country would attest to, politics here is like war. And like most battlefields, it’s not a place for the weak and lily-livered.

Anyway, the politicians have stirred from the self-imposed short break they took after the last general elections in 2011 and are gearing up for the next one. The scheming, underground deals and the other things associated with politicking in Nigeria have started. Already, some casualties in this political battlefield have begun to emerge. Last week, the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola was removed by a Federal High Court in Abuja, a move that some political observers see as a fall-out of the alleged cold war brewing between President Goodluck Jonathan and his erstwhile godfather, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

As for the ex-military leader and two time Head of State, its obvious that the old warhorse is up to his old tricks and shenanigans again. When he left office in 2007, I cannot remember Nigerians holding a referendum to pick him as the undisputed kingmaker in the country. But Obasanjo as everyone knows, is like a man with a drum beating in his head- he picks his own tune and he dances to it energetically, unmindful of whether others around him like the music or not. In other words, he does not care about others opinions and does whatever he wants to do, at any cost. He has assumed that role with his usual abraggadocio and domineering ways.

Now, his body language and reports from various quarters show that he’s shopping for a new ‘prince’ to crown in the next political dispensation, having allegedly fallen out with his beloved godson, Jonathan. In this quest, the feelings and desires of the majority of the citizens for good governance that will usher in progress and prosperity in the country, do not count. What Obasanjo wants, Aremu gets.

And there lies the tragedy of this country. For far too long, the political leaders have been grossly unfair to Nigerians. All the scheming and deals struck at those clandestine meetings they usually hold during ‘vampire hours’ (that is at midnight or early hours) are all geared towards one thing: self. It’s all about self-interest, self-aggrandizement, self-preservation and other pecuniary reasons. To this lot, the word ‘people’ which democracy is all about, does not exist.

In fact, the ancient Greeks who invented this form of governance would shake their heads in wonder at the manner in which our politicians have re-invented democracy. Here, it’s more like, ‘government of the ruling class, for the ruling class and by the ruling class.’ But for how long can this state of affairs be sustained? Not too long because the dire consequences of such mis-governance, which is an abnormality in the first place, are becoming too glaring to ignore.

The rate of poverty, unemployment, hunger and other unfortunate fall-outs of bad governance and misuse of resources have reached crisis level. The only way to turn the tide is to put the people back in democracy.

This has been harped on for years by activists, civil society groups, the media and other concerned Nigerians alarmed at the way the country is being run. But most of our politicians, drunk on the power, money and other perks of their high offices have grown blind and deaf to the cries of the long-suffering citizens which have reached the heavens itself. Like Nero, who played music on his fiddle while ancient Rome burnt, the politicians are too busy enjoying these perks to care about the common man.

As some say, it will take a miracle for these people to listen or change. But listen they must because the alternative is too harrowing to contemplate.