TheCable

A people who do not know the true purpose of leadership and political power will continue to move in a cycle. Unless we want to deceive ourselves, from the highest to the lowest, we do not know the true purpose of leadership and political power. In Nigeria, leadership and political power are only used for selfish reasons. As an effect of this, since 1960—when the Union Jack was lowered, we have been gyrating as a people. And until we seek to understand what leadership and political power are used for within the context of nation building, we would not be able to move beyond where we are today as a nation.

In Nigeria, we need to continue to drum it into the ears of our public servants that the leader isn’t more important than the led. It took about 10,000 security men to protect Mr. President in Lafia yesterday. If about 10,000 security men were drafted to protect one man, it shows that his life is highly valued, but the common man in Nigeria is being daily exposed to varied dangers probably because his life isn’t as valued as that of Mr. President. If the life of the common man was highly valued, PMB would have gone to Benue State to identify with them when seventy-three (73) loved souls were murdered.

Ours is a nation that has no tomorrow! How do I mean? A nation without a lucid national vision has no tomorrow. The question is: what is the national vision for all to see, so that both the leader and the led can run with it? Who are we becoming in the next 30years? What kind of a nation are we building? We have been wasting enormous resources because we are a nation without a vision. Show me one nation that is doing so well on earth today that has no workable vision? I cannot think of one. Nigeria needs a workable vision that we all can believe and own. We need one before it is too late.

Also, ours is a religious, but very ‘God-less’ nation. It is only in here that people believe that only prayers would make Nigeria a great and prosperous nation. The truth is; prayer alone does not make nations great and prosperous, not even the modern day Israel and Saudi Arabia. We need to build systems that work and we need to invest heavily in education. The time has come for us to stop shopping for a credible man and start building credible systems.

It was an executive slip-up and boo-boo for PMB to reinstate the NHIS man—who is currently being probed for misappropriating about 919million naira. He was suspended by the Federal Minister of health, not the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And if the man must be reinstated, it should have been done by the man who suspended him and not the President, who daily says he is fighting corruption. What Mr. President did was a dirty slap on the Minister’s face and I will not be surprised at all on the condition that he later tenders his resignation letter.

Late “Pen Atalata” penned on politicians using The Nigeria Police Force for political purposes and till now, the fad has not changed. When the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force was bold enough to call the Executive Governor of a State a drowning man, just know that the disgusting odor has left the room for the street. NPF is clearly no longer an impartial institution. And I orate and opine that the NPF spokesman should be quickly removed without any delay.

It is only in Nigeria that a spokesman is declared wanted while the man he speaks for remains untouchable. You see, when your child is being beaten violently, it is not your child alone that is being beaten; it is you they are trying to get at. The target is not the spokesman of IBB; the target is the “Maradona” himself. And my opinion is that it is pusillanimous and cowardly for IBB to be still as water when the man who speaks for him is being chased like a goat that is on the run.

This is where I am coming. While I was relishing some popcorn and soft drink, the rat of this information jumped out of the hole of the seat of power that His Excellency, chief Bola Tinubu has been appointed to reconcile aggrieved APC party members. BAT has been reduced to a mere conflict resolution consultant—who was (before this time) removed from—real governance and politics in the Aso Rock. I hope BAT is aware that what is on ground is beyond him and what their clueless political party can handle. BAT is free to take up the dirty-job if it protects his interests, but the question is: who will reconcile aggrieved millions of angry and betrayed Nigerians? BAT needs to be told that Nigerians are disappointed and angry with him and his principal.

There is no singular political party that can lead all of us as one again. We do not believe in political parties again! We have been let down one time, too many. Those who unrepresentatively promised to change Nigeria are obviously both sectional and clueless. It does not take rocket-science to change our promising country. It all begins with loving our people. It is clear as water that all our political leaders hate our people. And no systems of government would work in a thick atmosphere of hate.