Alas...our prayers have not been answered!! Letter to my friend(A general lambaste)
Dear Friend
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine floated a poser on Facebook. He was canvassing for a State Police in Nigeria, just like in the USA. My take on his poser went beyond the idea, but the fact that Naija is a peculiar creation, where things that seem innocuous at conception becomes a behemoth in creation and administration! Why, I cannot fathom. I lay it bear in my thoughts, and I come to the conclusion that it is a leadership/followership problem that has become endemic within our psyche and it would take more than mere simplistic poser to cure.
I have lived in the UK for going to 22yrs now and I have met all sort of people from all sort of nations ...our people(Nigerians-both leaders and followers(if there is any)either by some force of generational curse, extra-terrestial factors, self inflicted, wicked, selfish and corrupt leadership or for whatever reasons, have shown a surprise resistance to change. Its a case of 'wont change,cant change syndrome' I cannot see change for now, or for another 'not-in-my-life-time' generation.
I lay the fault 'majorly' at the doorsteps of the unfortunate leaders that have occupied the very zenith of our Nation!
Take a cursory sample of the various 'rulers'...dead and 'undead' (allow me to use this word, cause the ones that are alive, are not really alive to the people's needs and aspirations, so I call them the undead), their mentees, their children, and those who are being set in motion to be in the corridors of power. You will see how unfortunate we have been. It is as if fate has conspired against our Nation State. However, in some other nations of this world, you will see an evolvement of potential leaders who even by stealth are coming up slowly and nearing and or certain of taking over the mantle of power. You would see leaders coming up at defining periods of the nation state or re-building of the nation, leaders who somehow are probably 'fate-born', rising up to affect and effect the emancipation of their people. The Churchill in war, the Abraham Lincoln in the abolition of slavery, in the efforcement of human rights and dignity of man, even if by war, the Charles 'de Gaulle in dogged fighting Nazism, Nelson Mandela in standing against Apathied, Mahatma Ghandi in freeing India, Martin Luther King Jnr in setting the prophetic pace of black 'de-segregation' with his 'I have a dream' classic. Somehow, those people in those nations, by blood and sweat. have taken by the scruff of the neck their destinies in their own hands.
However, finding such a figure in our country, especially at this time in our history, where a strong, benevolent, insightful, leader with integrity, compassionate and confident character has become frustratingly evasive. Alas, I can say here with great sadness 'with regards to leadership, our prayers have not been answered in Nigeria...simple'
Even though, I have been living in the UK for this long, I have been travelling to Nigeria every year and in the last 3 years, I have been travelling on a rate of twice a month. My friend, I won't lie to you, for now, and with the kind of 'leaders' we have, I make bold to declare that this ship is still at the port, and it has been so for 52 years At times it seems she is sailing but somehow a God-forsaken character from somewhere nowhere will just pop up by one unexplainable arrangement and take the wheel of the ship and 'sail-reverse' us back to the port. Nowadays, I feel the ship has been abandoned at the port and the Captain is taking a holiday in Acapulco, sipping a glass of margaritas of amnesia!. Our leaders have refused to lead and the followers have refused to follow. We simply have no captain and the passengers have jumped out of the ship for dear life, and those who cannot jump are listening with stoic grim Sir Arthur Sullivan's Propior Deo 'Nearer to thee my God...! Our leaders just need to take time to look back, and they will be amazed that no one is actually following them.
What I cannot understand is, why is it that we Nigerians, at least a majority, cannot just mange power and authority? For example, try and put ordinary people in uniforms, you would be amazed the un-manageable transformational mess. A classic example is LASTMA. I used to be one of the supporters of a state police(even though I know that even in the US there are short comings). However, for now I am having a re-think. My view is that in Naija...it would bring doomsday closer to an apocalypse! Its a world's end scenario without the 'rapture' We would all be in a place called 'purgatory' without either being in hell or heaven! Take the closest example to a state police- in Lagos, they call them Lastma(Check them out on Youtube). Some of them are the most corrupt, unruly, uncouth, thieving, wicked thugs I have ever seen that would parade the streets of Lagos. These people are just miscreants in uniform. You need to see them fully 'manifest' . They will take bribe, force okada/motorists off the road for the most trivial of all excuses and their actions and inactions have contributed to many undeserved injury and premature death. This is despite the fact that the legislation setting them up was in good faith, they are more or less a pain in the bums of the citizenry. They are simply asses! You would have taught that if everyone is calling you an ass, you would take time to check your bum! I pity the Governor, who is really doing his best against all the odds. That is just one minuscule example of abuse of authority.
It now seems weird that anyone who dares to think, that he can think(pardon my tautology) about this 'Nigeria' experiment/project to a logical conclusion will develop a state of social, political and economic migraine. Today, that project/experiment can only work if we go back to the table...some call it National Conference, Round Table etc, 'I don't give a damn', (a la wink wink) we must go back and talk and redraw and rethink the basis of our leadership. There must be a re-negotiation with our leaders, and the essence of leadership must be looked at again. I do not see any thing wrong with our laws, constitution, and the system of government. My take is that we need to look at ourselves, everyone. We must consider the leader and the led, the Government and the governed. We must teach the philosophy of change and the antecedent factors that led us to where we are, and embark on training on human sensibilities.The training of the mind set.
I desire a strong Nigeria with a leader who is capable, not ceremonial (not one that only takes joy in reading budget speeches that were written for him(and he just reads out), who goes around cutting tapes, strolling down a parade of guards, grinning from teeth to teeth, junketing the world with baseless pomposity and engaging in sycophantic samba with no music.
I desire a Nigeria where everyone has an equal right, where everyone can speak up, where everyone has basic human rights and everyone is confident that his hard work will be rewarded. I am sorry to paint a picture of doom, but in a state where you cannot predict what would happen in your neighbourhood in the next second, I am right to say that we must quickly jaw jaw or else we will war war. We are on a quick sand and no one is throwing the rope. The critics have shouted and their voices are shouted down. We are in a hole, we must stop digging. If the foundations be wrong, what can the righteous do! Our prayers, with regards to leadership in this Nation State is not being answered.(to be cont'd)
I have lived in the UK for going to 22yrs now and I have met all sort of people from all sort of nations ...our people(Nigerians-both leaders and followers(if there is any)either by some force of generational curse, extra-terrestial factors, self inflicted, wicked, selfish and corrupt leadership or for whatever reasons, have shown a surprise resistance to change. Its a case of 'wont change,cant change syndrome' I cannot see change for now, or for another 'not-in-my-life-time' generation.
I lay the fault 'majorly' at the doorsteps of the unfortunate leaders that have occupied the very zenith of our Nation!
Take a cursory sample of the various 'rulers'...dead and 'undead' (allow me to use this word, cause the ones that are alive, are not really alive to the people's needs and aspirations, so I call them the undead), their mentees, their children, and those who are being set in motion to be in the corridors of power. You will see how unfortunate we have been. It is as if fate has conspired against our Nation State. However, in some other nations of this world, you will see an evolvement of potential leaders who even by stealth are coming up slowly and nearing and or certain of taking over the mantle of power. You would see leaders coming up at defining periods of the nation state or re-building of the nation, leaders who somehow are probably 'fate-born', rising up to affect and effect the emancipation of their people. The Churchill in war, the Abraham Lincoln in the abolition of slavery, in the efforcement of human rights and dignity of man, even if by war, the Charles 'de Gaulle in dogged fighting Nazism, Nelson Mandela in standing against Apathied, Mahatma Ghandi in freeing India, Martin Luther King Jnr in setting the prophetic pace of black 'de-segregation' with his 'I have a dream' classic. Somehow, those people in those nations, by blood and sweat. have taken by the scruff of the neck their destinies in their own hands.
However, finding such a figure in our country, especially at this time in our history, where a strong, benevolent, insightful, leader with integrity, compassionate and confident character has become frustratingly evasive. Alas, I can say here with great sadness 'with regards to leadership, our prayers have not been answered in Nigeria...simple'
Even though, I have been living in the UK for this long, I have been travelling to Nigeria every year and in the last 3 years, I have been travelling on a rate of twice a month. My friend, I won't lie to you, for now, and with the kind of 'leaders' we have, I make bold to declare that this ship is still at the port, and it has been so for 52 years At times it seems she is sailing but somehow a God-forsaken character from somewhere nowhere will just pop up by one unexplainable arrangement and take the wheel of the ship and 'sail-reverse' us back to the port. Nowadays, I feel the ship has been abandoned at the port and the Captain is taking a holiday in Acapulco, sipping a glass of margaritas of amnesia!. Our leaders have refused to lead and the followers have refused to follow. We simply have no captain and the passengers have jumped out of the ship for dear life, and those who cannot jump are listening with stoic grim Sir Arthur Sullivan's Propior Deo 'Nearer to thee my God...! Our leaders just need to take time to look back, and they will be amazed that no one is actually following them.
What I cannot understand is, why is it that we Nigerians, at least a majority, cannot just mange power and authority? For example, try and put ordinary people in uniforms, you would be amazed the un-manageable transformational mess. A classic example is LASTMA. I used to be one of the supporters of a state police(even though I know that even in the US there are short comings). However, for now I am having a re-think. My view is that in Naija...it would bring doomsday closer to an apocalypse! Its a world's end scenario without the 'rapture' We would all be in a place called 'purgatory' without either being in hell or heaven! Take the closest example to a state police- in Lagos, they call them Lastma(Check them out on Youtube). Some of them are the most corrupt, unruly, uncouth, thieving, wicked thugs I have ever seen that would parade the streets of Lagos. These people are just miscreants in uniform. You need to see them fully 'manifest' . They will take bribe, force okada/motorists off the road for the most trivial of all excuses and their actions and inactions have contributed to many undeserved injury and premature death. This is despite the fact that the legislation setting them up was in good faith, they are more or less a pain in the bums of the citizenry. They are simply asses! You would have taught that if everyone is calling you an ass, you would take time to check your bum! I pity the Governor, who is really doing his best against all the odds. That is just one minuscule example of abuse of authority.
It now seems weird that anyone who dares to think, that he can think(pardon my tautology) about this 'Nigeria' experiment/project to a logical conclusion will develop a state of social, political and economic migraine. Today, that project/experiment can only work if we go back to the table...some call it National Conference, Round Table etc, 'I don't give a damn', (a la wink wink) we must go back and talk and redraw and rethink the basis of our leadership. There must be a re-negotiation with our leaders, and the essence of leadership must be looked at again. I do not see any thing wrong with our laws, constitution, and the system of government. My take is that we need to look at ourselves, everyone. We must consider the leader and the led, the Government and the governed. We must teach the philosophy of change and the antecedent factors that led us to where we are, and embark on training on human sensibilities.The training of the mind set.
I desire a strong Nigeria with a leader who is capable, not ceremonial (not one that only takes joy in reading budget speeches that were written for him(and he just reads out), who goes around cutting tapes, strolling down a parade of guards, grinning from teeth to teeth, junketing the world with baseless pomposity and engaging in sycophantic samba with no music.
I desire a Nigeria where everyone has an equal right, where everyone can speak up, where everyone has basic human rights and everyone is confident that his hard work will be rewarded. I am sorry to paint a picture of doom, but in a state where you cannot predict what would happen in your neighbourhood in the next second, I am right to say that we must quickly jaw jaw or else we will war war. We are on a quick sand and no one is throwing the rope. The critics have shouted and their voices are shouted down. We are in a hole, we must stop digging. If the foundations be wrong, what can the righteous do! Our prayers, with regards to leadership in this Nation State is not being answered.(to be cont'd)
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