Daily Independent Online.
*
Monday, August 09, 2004.
Nigeria and circuitous leadership
At the embryonic stage of Nigeria’s
literary metamorphosis (50s and 60s), we had the genre of Onitsha literature,
and one of the most
popular books then was, How to Write Love Letters by N.O. Njoku. In the love letter on page seven,
paragraph two, Njoku stated thus: “If a man buries himself alive, one of
his hands will appear on the surface of his grave.”
This graphic and vivid quotation lucidly exemplifies
the conduct, idiosyncrasies and mien of our leaders right from pre-independent
to post independent Nigeria. They
bury themselves alive in the ponderous thickets of behemoth corruption but
maintain a continuity of their moral depravity by putting their sons,
daughters, cronies, surrogates etc in leadership positions, that is, their
hands appearing on the surface of their graves.
With this political strategy of seizing and capturing
of power for family sharing, Nigeria will continue to steeplechase in the
labyrinths and albatross of circuitous leadership cloning. The military and the civilian gendarmes
masquerading as politicians in Nigeria have resolved with resolute firmness and
unshakeable unity to pursue handing over of power within their power
nexus. A kind of political
‘Aryan Race’ is being grown in Nigeria.
In their reckless determination to broaden the
horizon of their power cult they now intermarry, worship in the same churches,
build their houses close to each other, share common aristocratic hobbies,
their children being groomed to take over from them attend the same schools,
they all enjoy exclusive privileges and they are reserved for special
appointments in any cadre of leadership.
Right from independence till date, it has been the
same families or their surrogates that are still holding onto the reins of
power in Nigeria. They are spread
everywhere for strategic balancing.
The are in the Military, in Commerce-General and Political
Leadership. We therefore call for
a new revolution in leadership or a special kind of ‘power shift’
from these known families, friends and syndicates in Delta, Edo, Rivers, Cross
Rivers, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Benue, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna and
Nigeria States etc.
Finally, Nigeria as a nation will continue to
luxuriate in the cauldron of Paleolithic deprogressivity unless it is liberated
from the stranglehold of our homebred colonial masters. The heart-rending and blood-cuddling
poverty that still straddles the totality of our nation in the midst of plenty
now calls for POSITIVE ACTION (THE DIALECTICS OF NKRUMAHISM), a constructive
economic revolution, power sanctification, free medical healthcare delivery,
free education at primary and secondary school levels, educational emphasis on
vocational studies, lethal war against corruption and working towards breaking
the yoke of syndicated leadership - the “Jerry Rawlings Style”. God bless Nigeria.
Bobson Gbinije,
Bogep Oils Ltd,
Warri
