By Oluwole Ogundele
It is profitable to reflect from time to time on the meanings of politics and governance. Nigerians are humans as opposed to lower animals without the capacity to engage in critical thinking. Indeed, politics is the pursuit of the common good. It is at variance with power grabbing with all its authoritarian/despotic tendencies and unfettered suppression of dissent. Politics not enshrined in sophisticated social engineering including empathy and compassion, is a disaster to society. Healthy politics reduces suspicions, security challenges and material poverty to the barest minimum.
But many people assume, rather wrongly, that politics is not of considerable antiquity in this part of the global village. The broad geographical area later christened Nigeria by the British colonial overlords in 1914, had a lot of indigenous political systems to manage the diverse ethnicities and sub-ethnicities as well as communities before the coming of Europe. This human phenomenon can be traced to the late Stone Age period, when homogenisation of populations in the region began to change to heterogenisation following the emergence of farming ways of life. In other words, this phase witnessed the beginnings of agricultural productions and subsequent division of labour.
There were human migrations at least on an intra-regional scale in Nigeria, contrary to the narrative during the pre-farming period. Different craft men and traders started to settle outside their homeland. Gradually, almost every human settlement/community became a kaleidoscope of cultural traits such as dietary patterns, spatial behaviour, and peace/conflict resolution strategies
Consequently, this intra-regional dynamics and sensitivities brought about the evolution of new political arrangements across the country. Not surprisingly, every community began to craft a new understanding of relationship management aimed at engendering peace and progress. In actuality, managing diverse socio-economic and cultural identities was/is a much more difficult exercise than what prevailed during the pre-farming phase when (in most cases) only extended families lived together.
The emergence of the “parakoyi” system in a Yoruba market was/is a good illustration of a pragmatic structure to manage cultural nuances and/or sensitivities. Members of the “parakoyi” were/are in charge of the day-to-day management of the market. They also worked hand-in -hand with the king and/or chiefs. Priests and priestesses of such indigenous divinities as Ogun and Sango were involved with the issues of politics and governance. Erring leaders and members of the followership class faced the wrath of the divinities. No room for legal jargon or bigotry.
But painfully, we have abandoned most of our age-old, fine-grained values and value systems as a result of colonial encounters. Any country that fails to link up critically with its past, is doomed to failure. Most Nigerians today, are busy playing politics of desperation. Indeed, the leaders are untouchable. These leaders and their associates defecate anywhere on the Nigerian landscape with reckless abandon. We have sent the gods and goddesses away from the country as a result of poor cultural education.
The upsurge in insecurity recently is a good example of politics of desperation. The on-going aggravated kidnappings and banditry are politically motivated. All these are an attempt to de-market and embarrass the current federal administration, so as to pave the way for a new set of political leaders in 2027. In the process, numerous human lives are being wasted. Many Nigerian politicians have lost a substantial part of their humanity due to ugly power struggles. No empathy! No compassion!
Only a moron would assume that these desperados have better agendas for the Nigerian people. Their mission is to rape mother Nigeria harder than hitherto. After six and a half decades of independence from Britain, Nigerian politicians have failed to grow up. They run up and down for selfish reasons while the ordinary people continue to wallow in material poverty.
Corruption and a gross lack of patriotism on the part of the political class make it difficult to turn the over 40 types of solid minerals in Nigeria into wealth. Local processing of these minerals is yet to occupy centre stage in the scheme of things. Therefore, no value is being added to these natural resources. No serious research collaborations with the universities and polytechnics. Not unexpectedly, Nigerianisation cannot be broadened and deepened. We are just a bunch of consumers of what foreign nations produce.
What a shame!
Nigeria’s lithium reserves are huge. The estimate is more than $34 billion. Political leaders (past and present) have not learnt to work together for the common good of Nigeria. Unbridled egotism and myopia make them not see the country as a collective project. Every one of them is a “saint”! No good conscience! They wrongly assume that every Nigerian has a memory like a sieve.
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Nigerians need a good leadership that has no space for all forms of bigotry. Security and welfare are of the essence. It is a big shame that some politicians are defending crimes and criminality in this country, as if they have surrendered their souls to Satan. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should kindly stop the nauseating exercise called “de-radicalisation” of terrorists. It is at variance with logic. The exercise is a huge insult to those whose relations and/or friends have been killed by the monsters among us.
In today’s Nigeria, human lives and those of chickens are on a par. PBAT should deal decisively with those glorified animals called terrorists. Their sponsors must not be allowed to sleep. They have done enough havoc to the heart and soul of Nigeria. Normalisation of absurdities in Nigeria has to stop now.
Only those who are politically biased against President Tinubu would not see some positive aspects of his administration. The ways and manners he has been managing the ASUU-government issues are highly commendable. Nigeria needs a stable university environment for meaningful research and world-class teaching to be done. Similarly, federal retirees are now smiling to the banks due to prompt payments of their gratuities and/or pensions. The era of waiting for years to get retirees’ entitlements is gone, as a result of President Tinubu’s robust interventions. There is nothing wrong with commending our leaders whenever they work for fairness, justice and equity. This is light years away from sycophancy. Indeed, it is about authenticity and/or mutuality of respect.
Nigerians would like to see the beginning of an era whereby politics dances creatively with honesty, unity and maturity. That is a pre-condition for sustainable peace and progress. It is the duty of the present generation of political leaders to show good examples to our youths. The youth are the leaders of tomorrow. Today’s leaders should stop polluting them. No basis for supporting evil people as a result of pettiness and spiritless-ness/godlessness.
Let us see terrorism as a highly condemnable behavioural trait alien to Nigeria. Politics should not be a do-or-die affair. Contemporary Nigerians need to learn from the past, enshrined in leadership with a human face. The political leadership class members before Europeanisation were serious-minded humans, relying heavily on the powers of some local divinities as social control mechanisms.
These values and value systems enabled the ancient Nigerian communities to bring erring leaders and the led to book. Politics of desperation was very unpopular.
