The giant of Africa versus the shadow of reality after 55 is, a nation cherished and nurtured by pride and aspiration. Many views, conclusions and controversies coming from our democratic cells and value to personalize public issues talking about politics, is a strange touch and punch we must battle to restore its value and stance. Politics is a general puzzle play, not too special, flamboyant, cumbersome or deep, to some extent; it is politics, not world war 3. The charade, however, has merely displaced the place of equality, harmony and selflessness. I was scared out of my wits to be starting all over discussing issues I believe we must start implementing now. It is very strange and pathetic when I observed how politics is used against the wish of many by the few; the powerful, influential and affluent. These pernicious, too harsh, and chauvinistic attitudes displayed using the name “politics” is part of the devilish scheme corrupt figures manipulate, and syndrome of self-deception and self-delusion about Nigerian historical exceptionality . I don’t like seeing how the rich, influential and high class mistreats the average, impoverished and weak, because of that obtuse thoughts developed to convince the unprivileged and gullible to believe politics is a personal game, hence the fight against bad leadership is selective. “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”, this special, scintillating and timeless quote by the great scientist and rationalist Plato, was a real eye –opener for me, and I believe we must embrace as part and parcel of our political goals and genuine interests to desire that change we asked, and clamored for. I am still very hot and knackered, still, as pride, ethnicity, social status, or other particularity, is riding over the boots of our political strength and themes, while there is no circumventing and karate play about the political and economic realities of the existing mode. We often face these tests of identifying who matters; by chance not merit.
Moreover, to effectively tackle the menace, that spirit of equality must be served with determination, sincerity, and diligence. The systematic killing of substantial numbers of people by few on the basis of ethnicity, religion, political opinion, and social status must be wiped off. The fact that corruption is rife is not strange, but our ignorance of what we must do to have dominion. Even as the chicken is never declared innocent in the court of hawks, it can hide to preserve its value and sense of worth. I consider the subject of identification and correction as solution and one of the mysteries behind any man’s distinction.
As I wrote in a recent column, “The problem we are facing is the problem we are seeing but can’t identify because of self-interest, indulgence, and indolence. When we hide our skull under dark mud of ignorance and rod of pride, we must expect the dangers we think we are not expecting. We don’t have to be a saint before we identify our deficiencies. Democracy without public interest and value for personal gains and national superiority, as far as I’m concerned, is easily conclusive that there is no well organized and intricately shielded outfit from virus of corruption. When we address issues pertaining politics, it must be general and neutral, not just for the powerful, influential and affluent called politicians, but for the citizens in general. When we personalize public issues, anti-corruption chapters will often wallow on paper while corruption persists on daily basis. I don’t envisage any major problem, but that is not to say if we refuse to grow, we will not groan. Politics must be part of public principles and expansion, so that our common thinking about politics will shake beyond personal issues or interest waiting for public trust and part of the new no-nonsense stance against corrupt waves in our country. Without mincing words, the difference between claims about political intrigues and political realities in Nigeria are responsible for the political discord, sporadic guerrilla war fares, public violence and inequality that have paralyzed our political skills and speed. When will Nigeria come to terms with relevant issues to solve intractable problems grinding our jaw without political or ethnic qualifications? Some called it usual business, but I don’t think so. The poor will fight to manage himself with fried chips and corn under tattered roofs covered with elephant grass because of the concentration of wealth in the hands of tiny minority, who, are called leaders. This, however, kicked our consumption pattern aimed at meeting the luxurious lifestyle of the urban elites. The average and weak, up to that point, will have nothing to clap for as their contributions because of how we programmed our political wheel to be handled by the few, who are the ones in power and cronies. Today, if we must trace the truth, our democratic world has turned into an invitation to incremental anarchy, politics is now self-interest, constitution is now family business, truth is now shadow, justice is now mirage, just as corruption is now fashion. “Until the rotten tooth is pulled out, the mouth must chew with caution”. This proverb is not just calling us to solve problems, but to avoid dancing with the cobra before it spread pure venom, just as we all know prevention is better than cure. No matter how effective the solution is, prevention is the best.
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