Over the last few days, the giant of Africa as we all refer to it has been rocked by words put in black and white and placed in the public domain by someone people might like to call an icon in Nigerian politics. Yes, after the whole country had continually complained on the issues that affect this nation, the Former president General Olusegun Obasanjo has finally made his stands known.
The controversial letter with heavy allegations has thrown the country into debates as to the moral right of the former President to write such a letter. Therefore, people have questioned his intentions saying that such a letter shouldn't have been made open and should not be in the public domain.
While we take sides and debate these issues, I will like us to agree on somethings. First, irrespective of the messenger, the message is mostly true. Secondly, the struggle for good governance is beginning to shift from the Nigerian Labor Unions and Students to politicians and this may be good for us. Thirdly, looking at the letter you could see that there is some sort of frustration in its tone and this one was made public because two different letters before this have yielded no results. I guess this one is just to let the world know that he said something about the problems before it got out of hands. Finally, we might love to fold our hands and watch the politicians go at each others throats until they implode but common Nigerians will start taking sides and therefore there will be a further divide among us.
It is important to state clearly that we have past the stage of warnings and based on my personal opinion, it is already too late. Never in the history of Nigeria have we been so divided on issues based on ethnic and religions bias. There is so much distrust and hate being fueled by various government officials so as to get elected or re-elected. Take for example, the last gubernatorial elections conducted in Anambra. During the various political rallies, you could hear things that promotes disunity, mistrust and tribalism being used as election campaign points. Such statements in serious countries will be highly criticized but my dear country men went the way of the politicians and got them into office but kept this ideology of a divided nation.
When you plant this seeds of ethnicity, religious bias and mistrust when trying to grab power, you will have a divided nation to run. I am only speaking to the politicians with a little dignity left to protect because I am aware that some of you are just there to get richer. This takes me to my next point and this has to do with corruption.
Corruption is a word that has been used in Nigeria for as far back as I remember and various people have promised to eradicate this variable that is stunting the growth of this country but the beloved word seems to be gaining grounds and changing tactics.
Growing up I was opportune to hear tales of great men that established notable institutions and made their mark in the African space. I was told that education was free and most people I knew went abroad on government scholarships and many more great tales like that and they all end the story by saying it was due to corruption that much more could not be achieved by these great men. Note that back then, there was nothing like oil wealth, there was some corruption in high places but they were still able to establish great institutions that still stand till today. These days, corruption has metastasized from top to bottom with lots of people getting away with fraud, kidnapping and the new phenomenon that is rocking the present administration, Boko Haram.
Back in the university, there was a joke I enjoyed so much and that was the fact that Nigerians could never be suicide bombers because of the love of life and the hope that it will be better tomorrow. The common phenomenon that made Baba Fela talk of suffering and smiling in his reference to the Nigerian attitude. I was shocked when the first bombs rocked the nation and we could swear that these acts were external acts. We are now experiencing month after month of attacks by these terrorists and it has become a normal headline in the papers.
I am a medical practitioner and the best illness to encounter are those in the early stage were the outcome after treatment will be favorable. But in a chronic and near miserable case we take a more radical approach which gives a 50 - 50 chance due to the poor prognosis.
The way the government has been operating has been more of a symptomatic approach and not attacking the root of the problem.
Giving cough syrup to someone with a lung cancer will not kill the cancer cells. The Nigerian illness is at its 3rd stage almost approaching terminal and deceiving the people with smooth talking ministers that give out numbers that do not translate to what is happening on the ground will not help matters. We have to tell ourselves the truth, halt, go back to where we started noticing the problems and begin from there.
There is corruption everywhere in the world but serious nations put institutions in place to make its citizens very comfortable because that is the only way they as politicians can sleep with both eyes closed after being corrupt.
Bad governance comes with none performance which translates to, weak institutions, unemployment, increased crime rate, desperation, poverty, frustration, terrorism and eventual revolution.
It is important to say that gunning down some group of people is a symptomatic approach and will not get us anywhere. Guns kill people, they don't kill ideas. But superior arguments, performance and good Leadership is the prescription for stopping an idea.
In closing, I will like to leave you with a message from a song writer in the world beyond who said when speaking about President Shagari, " Shagari in himself is not as dynamic a leader but he is surrounded with bad advisers, very dangerous setup". Stop, think hard and make your decision.
Thank you for making out time to read this write-up. It is my opinion and I might be wrong but it is all based on reports in the public domain.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
By Onuoha David. MD
The controversial letter with heavy allegations has thrown the country into debates as to the moral right of the former President to write such a letter. Therefore, people have questioned his intentions saying that such a letter shouldn't have been made open and should not be in the public domain.
While we take sides and debate these issues, I will like us to agree on somethings. First, irrespective of the messenger, the message is mostly true. Secondly, the struggle for good governance is beginning to shift from the Nigerian Labor Unions and Students to politicians and this may be good for us. Thirdly, looking at the letter you could see that there is some sort of frustration in its tone and this one was made public because two different letters before this have yielded no results. I guess this one is just to let the world know that he said something about the problems before it got out of hands. Finally, we might love to fold our hands and watch the politicians go at each others throats until they implode but common Nigerians will start taking sides and therefore there will be a further divide among us.
It is important to state clearly that we have past the stage of warnings and based on my personal opinion, it is already too late. Never in the history of Nigeria have we been so divided on issues based on ethnic and religions bias. There is so much distrust and hate being fueled by various government officials so as to get elected or re-elected. Take for example, the last gubernatorial elections conducted in Anambra. During the various political rallies, you could hear things that promotes disunity, mistrust and tribalism being used as election campaign points. Such statements in serious countries will be highly criticized but my dear country men went the way of the politicians and got them into office but kept this ideology of a divided nation.
When you plant this seeds of ethnicity, religious bias and mistrust when trying to grab power, you will have a divided nation to run. I am only speaking to the politicians with a little dignity left to protect because I am aware that some of you are just there to get richer. This takes me to my next point and this has to do with corruption.
Corruption is a word that has been used in Nigeria for as far back as I remember and various people have promised to eradicate this variable that is stunting the growth of this country but the beloved word seems to be gaining grounds and changing tactics.
Growing up I was opportune to hear tales of great men that established notable institutions and made their mark in the African space. I was told that education was free and most people I knew went abroad on government scholarships and many more great tales like that and they all end the story by saying it was due to corruption that much more could not be achieved by these great men. Note that back then, there was nothing like oil wealth, there was some corruption in high places but they were still able to establish great institutions that still stand till today. These days, corruption has metastasized from top to bottom with lots of people getting away with fraud, kidnapping and the new phenomenon that is rocking the present administration, Boko Haram.
Back in the university, there was a joke I enjoyed so much and that was the fact that Nigerians could never be suicide bombers because of the love of life and the hope that it will be better tomorrow. The common phenomenon that made Baba Fela talk of suffering and smiling in his reference to the Nigerian attitude. I was shocked when the first bombs rocked the nation and we could swear that these acts were external acts. We are now experiencing month after month of attacks by these terrorists and it has become a normal headline in the papers.
I am a medical practitioner and the best illness to encounter are those in the early stage were the outcome after treatment will be favorable. But in a chronic and near miserable case we take a more radical approach which gives a 50 - 50 chance due to the poor prognosis.
The way the government has been operating has been more of a symptomatic approach and not attacking the root of the problem.
Giving cough syrup to someone with a lung cancer will not kill the cancer cells. The Nigerian illness is at its 3rd stage almost approaching terminal and deceiving the people with smooth talking ministers that give out numbers that do not translate to what is happening on the ground will not help matters. We have to tell ourselves the truth, halt, go back to where we started noticing the problems and begin from there.
There is corruption everywhere in the world but serious nations put institutions in place to make its citizens very comfortable because that is the only way they as politicians can sleep with both eyes closed after being corrupt.
Bad governance comes with none performance which translates to, weak institutions, unemployment, increased crime rate, desperation, poverty, frustration, terrorism and eventual revolution.
It is important to say that gunning down some group of people is a symptomatic approach and will not get us anywhere. Guns kill people, they don't kill ideas. But superior arguments, performance and good Leadership is the prescription for stopping an idea.
In closing, I will like to leave you with a message from a song writer in the world beyond who said when speaking about President Shagari, " Shagari in himself is not as dynamic a leader but he is surrounded with bad advisers, very dangerous setup". Stop, think hard and make your decision.
Thank you for making out time to read this write-up. It is my opinion and I might be wrong but it is all based on reports in the public domain.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
By Onuoha David. MD
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