What Am I Thinking?
This is yet another version of What Am I thinking? As we grapple with the insecurity currently plaguing the Southeast and Nigeria in general, I thought I put together another segment of what I am thinking, as we all watch with keen interest how these security challenges unfold.
What am I thinking? I am thinking that Nigeria is under a lot of stress and pressure, a pressure that may end up consuming all of us if not managed correctly. In the midst of all the security challenges, our inept president just made some public comments regarding reclaiming grazing routes as enshrined in the constitution. This is truly telling! The fact that the president even made this statement in the context of the reputation of the herdsmen tells you a lot about this individual. We are all talking about moving Nigeria forward and the best our president could do is to issue a directive that will drag us backwards. Rather than focus on better ways to raise cattle in the 21st century, our leader is speaking of continuing this archaic, outdated, ancient, and polluting practice of cattle grazing. I was so dumbfounded because our president does not care about the cries of Nigerian citizens especially as it relates to the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers. He would care less about the impact of grazing on traffic movement, not to speak of the pollution effects. This presidents’ nonchalance has reached epic proportions and you wonder if this is who he is; or maybe there is another issue at work here that we may not be aware? I cannot believe that neither the president nor his henchmen actually think Nigeria should be regressing instead of moving forward. This is truly troublesome. I have come to believe there may be something more sinister at work here than just gross incompetence.
What am I thinking? I am thinking that after listening to Buhari interviews, I have concluded that our president has checked out. Watching those television broadcasts was not only embarrassing, but clearly shows his disdain for the people he is elected to rule. I do not know if it is arrogance or ignorance that is on display here, but whatever it is, should give us all cause for concern. To think that no one in the president’s cabinet was bold enough to point out to the president that issuing a treat directed at the Igbos or anyone for that matter is not acceptable at this time, especially given the agitation regarding Igbo marginalization. This is akin to pouring gasoline onto fire. No responsible leader would speak or behave like this to the citizens of their own country. I was further demoralized when the presidency feigned surprise that his twitter post was removed. One thing is clear, this president has surrounded himself with buffoons and persons who do not even understand rules of engagement at any level. Or could it be that they are so afraid of losing their jobs or the person; that they would rather let him parade himself around naked than tell him that the emperor has no clothes? It was sad watching our president struggle to even read from his prepared speech during these interviews and to think the whole world is watching? It was disheartening to watch him struggling to articulate his thought – which for the most part is incoherent. This is the same president that has been quiet for so long that we could collectively hear his silence from anywhere in the world. Why suddenly he cannot stay away from the press and cameras is beyond me. I understand that Nigerian politics is finicky, but I believe APC as a political party should begin to distance itself from this president who have done nothing but show disdain for Nigeria and her citizens. This is not good for the party.
Following his press briefings, I think it will serve us well if he crawls back into his cocoon. I say this for the fear that his utterances might ignite the polity and plunge us into crises which may lead to the next election being cancelled. With the country facing multiple and overwhelming challenges, what we do not need is for the president and his unproductive cabinet to derail our ability to move forward. Rather than attempting to calm the tensions all over the country, this administration is content at issuing treats and counter treats. Mr. President himself earlier admitted that ruling in a democracy is not easy, and I guess we all made that error in judgement thinking that a soldier is capable of adjusting in a democratic government. However, it is pretty evident that transition never happened.
What am I thinking? I am thinking that amid all these confusion and chaos, there may be a silver lining. Be aware that all the soldier politicians have taken their turn ruling this country and President Buhari is representative the last of these buffoons. It is now incumbent upon us to take back our country by electing a new crop of leaders who are knowledgeable about nation building. Like former president Barak Obama said “the experiment in democracy is not self-executing” meaning that each and every Nigerian have a responsibility to make democracy work. It is our acquiescence and lack of interest in politics after elections, that has enabled our political leaders to take advantage of us. They understand that the average Nigerian will go about their business after elections, and that we lack the collective will to protect or defend ourselves from political abusers.
What am I thinking? I am thinking that it is clear that destiny has given Nigeria a new lease on life! Therefore, we need to prepare ourselves so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past. We must stop looking at our political parties to give us the right candidates because they cannot. They will field that person that is willing to execute the will of the party and not the will of the people. Nigerian electorate must begin to look at the “person” running for office and make sure that the individual understands democracy and has a plan to move our nation/state forward. Good governance, like Obama said, is not self-executing, it will take our collective will and effort to execute the kind of democracy that we all aspire. For the Igbos, rather than continue with this farfetched quest to secede from Nigeria, our path to the presidency has never been this clear. We must work to harvest this low hanging fruit and begin to pivot and steer Nigeria in the right direction. We owe it to ourselves!
What am I thinking? Is it me or has this talk of the Ebube Agu Security Outfit been an apparition? Since the Southeastern governors banned open grazing in their various states and formed the Ebube Agu Security outfit, I have never seen any images of this security outfit or its officers. The northern governors have Shege-Ka-Fasa, and the Hisba Corps to augment the undertrained and overwhelmed Nigerian security apparatus. The Yoruba, responding to growing herdsmen/farmer clashes and crime, launched their own Amotekun. All over the news, you could see images of these security personnel doing their jobs. However, I am confused about the Ebube Agu Security network that was launched recently by all the Southeastern governors. Since they announced the formation of Ebube Agu, I am yet to see any images of this new security outfit at work. They seem to be a ghost group operating out of sight or maybe, having been fortified with local charms, cannot be seen with naked eyes. If Ebube Agu members are under training, I think our governors should tell us that. This will prevent the average citizen to grapple with how best to interpret their lack of presence. When you leave a communications vacuum, people will fill that void with their own assumptions. We need some proof governors, proof!
What am I thinking? I am wondering when, we Nigerians will decide to get away from this cash and carry politics? In most democracies, the people contribute to the political campaign of their candidates of choice, but not in Nigeria. The reverse is the case since we are content accepting gifts and handout from our politicians and thereby selling our souls to the devil. The fact remains that once we accept whatever paltry gift being offered by our politicians, we have just given away our right to manage the politician. After all, with that gift, we have been bought and invariably paid for and the elected official now has the right to pillage whatever little wealth we possess. No wonder politicians ignore us when we cry foul about their mismanagement of public funds. They know that we have sold our souls for nothing but a bowl of rice and regardless of what we think, they own the state purse now. If you purchased a car, it is yours to do whatever and however you wish. It does not matter how much you paid for it, once the transaction is complete, you own it. We cannot continue to try to reap where we did not sow – we cannot eat our cake and have it meaning, once we have sold our mandate to the highest bidder, we no longer have any participatory rights to the governing of our affairs.
What am I thinking? I think that conducting election should not be the end of our political participation but the beginning. Once we elect our chosen candidate(s), it is our responsibility to continue to monitor and hold them accountable for executing their campaign promises. This does not happen in a vacuum. We have to stop this love affair with “strongmen and women” who we know have incredibly low self-esteem. Their choice of bullying is simply a way to affirm themselves and mask their inadequacies. As has been evident over and over, these individuals cannot effectively articulate their thoughts on camera, but will strongarm their constituents using whatever security apparatus available to them. My people, it does not pay to collect money from politicians and then turn around and complain that they are pillaging your country’s wealth. It never works in true democracies and will not work in Nigeria. So, for the next election, resist that temptation to take that little money being distributed by the politicians and vote your conscience. Do not look at the political party but look at the “person” running for office, consider their antecedents, their morality, and what they are promising. If they promise a pie in the sky, believe that is what you will get. If they promise achievable goals then at a minimum, we will take one step forward. Do not believe anyone who tells you they will turn Nigeria into Dubai, London, or France. Embrace politicians who will work at providing our country with basic amenities such as good roads, running water, electricity, good storm drainage and manage our garbage (dustbins). That is where Nigeria is at this time. We cannot become a Dubai, London, or France without solving these fundamental basic challenges. Please, let us approach this next election with our eyes wide open if we intend hope for progress.
I have this idea. It was an idea born in the early 2000 which started as a local idea and grew in popularity. It was called VOTE THE BUMS OUT! The goal at the time was to vote out any politician that has held office in any other sector and usher in new blood to help move America forward. We could move Nigeria forward by adopting the same mantra. Yes, VOTE THE BUMS OUT! The military henchmen have taken their turn at the helm, and Buhari represents the last of this useless crop of leaders. To move forward, we as a nation need to make a clean break from our political past. So, for elections going forward, I will suggest we cause a paradigm shift and change the narrative. We are purportedly the giant of Africa; we need to begin to live up to those expectations. We are the most populous black nation in the world and can boast of grooming some of the smartest people in the world. We should not be content exporting our natural and human resources to the outside world while our own country suffers in penury. This phenomenon has gotten so bad that Nigeria is now one of largest exporters of priests and evangelist all over the world. Yes, we must VOTE THE BUMS OUT! We must take our own destiny into our hands because only us can treat us the best.
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