The Pitfalls Of Covering Up Pits In The Courtyard With Leaves And Grass
The Oasis Reporters
June 8, 2018
It appears an accepted cliche that history repeats itself first as a tragedy and the next time as a farce. I argue to the contrary believing instead that it is humanity that is repeating those same lessons of history whether good or bad. Fundamentally, I have had cause to disagree and I anchored my position on the fact that man is a rational human being capable of taking informed decisions therefore to keep believing that history repeats itself to me is erroneous.
The Kenyan writer, Ngugi Wa Thiong’O had this to say in the very first chapter of that epic novel, DEVIL ON THE CROSS and I thought a portion of it will be relevant to this post on the state of affairs in my country Nigeria.
He wrote thus ” Certain people in Ilmorog, our Ilmorog, told me that this story was too disgraceful , too shameful, that it should be concealed in the depth of everlasting darkness. There were others who claimed that it was a matter for tears and sorrow, that it should be suppressed so that we should not shed tears a second time.
I asked them; How can we cover up pits in our courtyard with leaves or grass, saying to ourselves that because our eyes cannot now see the holes, our children can prance about in the yard as they like? Happy is the man who is able to discern the pitfall in his path for he can avoid them. Happy is the traveler who is able to see the tree stumps in his way for he can pull then up or walk around them so that they do not make him stumble. The devil, who would lead us into the darkness of the heart and into the deafness of the mind, should be crucified, and care should be taken that his acolytes do not lift him down from the Cross to pursue the task of building Hell for the people on Earth.”
In contemporary Nigerian history, we have had events repeating themselves almost back to back and sadly it appears as normal occurrences without us as a people subjecting such events to serious analysis which would have led us to asking the vital question, ‘WHY’ ?. Informing this post is the obvious fact that this country’s leadership is always getting it wrong to the extent that the country is not making any progress. The lack of progress is not traceable to the dearth of qualified personnel but by the singular treachery of not putting the nation first but ether self, ethnicity or faith. It is so sad that we have not been able to grow Nigeria beyond the 3 evils earlier mentioned. It is appearing evident that the interest of a particular faith as well as an ethnic group is placed well and above that of this nation. Adherents of other faiths can shout to the high heavens yet nothing changes
A close scrutiny of appointments in virtually every aspect of our national life easily convinces even the worst sceptic of their lopsided nature. It is yet unclear on what basis the appointments are made. Any honest Nigerian will attest to the fact that both promotions and subsequent appointments are based on other considerations but not on merit. Even at that, one should expect that other parts of this diverse nation ought to be carried along. If such appointees were performing optimally there would have been no cause for alarm.
Could it be mere coincidence that there is a preponderance of appointees in charge of the national security architecture from a particular part of this country? One cannot help thinking that there is really nobody in charge at the highest level of governance thus providing the opportunity for some ethnic bigots to act with impunity.
Consider the case of the beleaguered IGP, this man is long overdue for replacement because his tenure as IGP has been punctuated by one scandal too many. He is currently embroiled in a running battle with the leadership of the Senate and trying desperately to rope in the Senate President and a State Governor in the Offa armed robbery incident of some months back. It is only in Nigeria that this kind of very embarrassing situation is allowed to fester. On the whole, the President appears so lethargic about calling people to order as some of his ministers are simply, you may say loose cannons. There was the case of a minister who came out public with the threat not to support the President if he was to seek re-election. At that point, the most rational thing would have been for such a minister to resign her appointment but she is still sitting firm in her position. An impression is created to look like the current crop of ministers are cast in granite or that they have become so strong that nobody can dare them.
There is also the much talked about cabal deeply entrenched in Aso Rock. These guys have been so menacing that you can say that they are in control of the entire machinery of government.
Except for the resignation of Dr Fayemi as Minister for Solid Minerals for the reason of contesting a governorship seat, the Federal Cabinet has remained the same. The requirement to rejig the Cabinet is long overdue and it looks like, the tenure of this administration is most likely to end up with the same set of ministers. Are all the ministers in the Federal Cabinet still remaining in their positions on account of their performance?
Certainly not.
Surely other considerations are playing into the calculations.
As earlier mentioned because we are totally blind to those vital ingredients required to grow this potentially great nation, decisions are driven largely by political expediency.
While I join in celebrating the decision to honour late Chief Moshood Abiola by restoring what was taken away from him in that historic June 12 heist, it is equally regrettable that this injustice took so long to redress. Essentially, the decision raises more questions than the answers it appears to be providing.
One such question is, could this decision to. honour Chief MKO Abiola driven purely by altruistic considerations or designed to achieve in one way or another some political capital given the state of affairs and mood of the nation?
An attempt to explore the other angle could end up opening a huge drum (not a can) of worms. Something inside of me tells me that had some of the current players in the political space come forward to condemn or challenge the decision to annul the June 12 elections when it happened, we would have been saved this traumatic experience and it is possible that Chief Abiola would still have been with us today.
Our recent history is replete with instances whereby we were told that certain decisions were taken in the NATIONAL INTEREST even when narrow self interest was the overriding consideration. The annulment of the June 12 elections is such a typical example.
Another very recent example is the issue of creating cattle reserves in every State of this nation even when it serves only the interest if the Fulani herders. It is in this same light that I am tempted to read this decision with regard to late Abiola and June 12. As the turbulence of politics draws nearer, I can distill yet another motive for the decision by the President . The personage called Olusegun Obasanjo
has been in the news recently involved in a near diatribe between him and the President over the $ 16 billion US dollars allegedly spent on the power sector reform programme.
Baba Iyabo threatened to expose some secrets which have laid buried deep in his mind and also threatened yet another in his series of letters to the President. For all I learnt in the Strategic Studies class, a threat technically does not amount to anything if it is not credible or if the will to actualize it is not there. We know too that Baba Iyabo may not have been in the good books of his Yoruba kinsmen since the Obafemi Awolowo years.
Could not the President’s decision be interpreted as a master stroke to pull the carpet from under the feet of Baba Iyabo ?
The political skies are currently too cloudy and windy for a thorough weather forecast. What I am saying is that the overriding consideration in the decision making processes in this nation ought to be such that Nigeria’s national interest is protected.
Written by Col. Gora Dauda (rtd).
