TuesdayRapAround: Nigeria And Deadly Politicking

TuesdayRapAround: Nigeria And Deadly Politicking

There are no such phrases like “jolly-good-fellow”, “gentleman-like person” as far as politics in Nigeria is concerned.

From Lagos to Rivers, Kaduna to Kwara, Borno to Ekiti, Ogun to Jos, Kogi to Zamfara, the story is identical, if not entire the same.

In fact, it has gotten to the level that the sanest person in town has to be thoroughly checked to ascertain if truly he or she is gentle, and sane indeed. This is not unconnected to the fact that some public figures who people look up to, lately, have turned out to be sponsors of deadly killer gang, thugs and or squad, depending on one’s choice of word.

This unfortunate development is not a matter of today. In fact, it has been from time immemorial – leaders have at one time or the other secretly send hired assassins, killers after perceived opponents. Through this, an uncountable number of souls have been lost, innocent lives fell in their prime; families left in tatters; seriously embolden the culture of hatred, distrust in our society – all because of politics.

Those who do not engage or get involved in these killing spree take solace in stealing our collective resources. Yet another group that doesn’t subscribe to the ideas of stealing and killing, find refuge in abuse of office – to give undue advantage to their tribesmen or region at the expense of other tribe and or regions.

Those who are best of friends today, can within minutes become sworn enemies, no thanks to the highly volatile and unpredictable politicking in the country.

Conflict of interest, and our inability to distinguish between public good, common interest and self-aggrandizement, from all indications, have been identified as part of our greatest undoing in this part of the divide. Not only that, the unbridled search for ill-gotten wealth, coupled with insatiable appetite on the part of most accidental leaders in the country, people whose stupendous wealth today is tied to their being part or having access to the corridor of power, is also another major factor.

90 per cent of those who parade themselves as leaders today, that is, the money-bag politicians, with stupendous wealth which they CANNOT justifiably declare openly, where were they before 1999 – the postal year when democracy was restored in Nigeria, after long years of military incursion. Nigeria democracy has thus succeeded in churning out several hundreds of accidental millionaires, that is, the elite. This is also with sharp declining poverty rate. Sadly, there’s no corresponding increase in the number of ‘common man on the streets’ that were lifted out of the woods. Or does sharing of 5 yards of Ankara fabrics, 2 Congo of Rice, with a meagre 5000 lift anyone out of poverty level? Or still, is the distribution of shoe-shinning materials, basket of mangoes that make one rich?

This is one grave sin against humanity by leaders in Nigeria – They know and appreciate the poverty level in Nigeria but have repeatedly used it to their advantage. As such, they don’t want everyone to grow out of the poverty line. This is inhuman; it is evil and should be roundly condemned.

The damage this unpalatable scenarios have caused and the untold carnage following them, are still clearly evident in our national life.

What our so-called leaders fight for or interested in is what accrues to them and their cronies at the end of the day. Whatever they claim to be doing, is never in support of the general public. That’s why you see them, having completed four or eight years in office, are always eager to continue. With this, some have ended up spending more than fifth term in office, particularly the lawmakers. The list is inexhaustible – Femi Gbajabiamila, Mudashiru Obasa, David Mark, Leo Ogor, Kabiru Marafa Achida, Ibrahim Lawan, Nichola Ebomo Mutu, Ike Ekweremadu, Ali Ndume, James Manager, Yakubu Barde etc. Questions on their contribution to national cohesion and development is a subject for another day.

Issue-based politicking which is the hallmark of advanced democracies the world over is unarguably lacking in Nigeria. Here the reverse is the case. Mediocrity is celebrated. Tribalism, ethnicity, thuggery, politically-motivated killings, unbridled craze for imported concepts and ideas have eaten deep into our societal fabrics. Public officers no longer exercise restraint. They, too, have gravely been enmeshed in dirty politicking.

The allegation of sponsoring deadly gang levelled against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the subsequent summon by the police authority for questioning is a matter that won’t go away in hurry.

Recalled that the Senate passed a resolution summoning the Inspector-General of Police to appear before it to answer questions bothering on insecurity in the country, but the IGP opted to ignore the repeated summons. Saraki, on his part, was reported to have offered to honour the invitation. This no doubt, is a case of two sides of a coin.

This simply means an officer, a public officer who is being maintained with tax payers’ money cannot and should not elect to be above law. Arrogant disobedience to constituted authority and flagrant abuse of office amount to laying bad precedence for a volatile nation like Nigeria. Like every other person, Saraki could have chosen to go to court to challenge the police summon, like every other person in this government have been doing.

Even Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who was accused of leading thugs to snatch maze during plenary at the Red Chamber went to court to ‘pre-empt’ any attempt to arrest him or try him for unlawful invasion of the National Assembly, and his prayers were ANSWERED expressly by the court – what an interesting political hara-kiri! Interestingly, few weeks after, newspapers were awash with stories of another maze theft in Gombe State – a foundation has already been laid. Others can now build on it. Don’t forget during the 7^thassembly, we were also confronted with documentary of fully-grown individuals, family men climbing the gate at the national assembly during one of the upheavals that characterised the last regime.

The recent shooting at a reception to herald the campaign of former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, in Ekiti State is, to say the least, most unfortunate. In whose interest was that open assault executed? This, surely, is coming on the heels of confusion and controversies trailing the recently held congresses nationwide by the All Progressive Congress, APC.

The activities, no doubt, were marred by violence, with results from most of the states eventually cancelled. All these are pointer to earlier assertion that conflict of interest and self-aggrandizement are responsible for our woes in the country.

There is no internal democracy, no values, no ideology, the people who are the mainstay of democracy have been relegated to the background.

Deadly politicking is certainly an evil wind that blows no one any good.