Today and
always, we refuse, reject any view, suggestion or preachment that seeks to
excuse Nigeria's political leadership for the avoidable socio economic,
political quagmire the country is enmeshed in the preceding 52 years
Most of
today, comments and recurring narratives around our not too impressive journey
as a country seems to place the blame for our baby- steps on the long suffering
people of Nigeria.
History of
our country is replete with a long, tiring, unrelenting struggle of the people
, first, to shake off the rapacious and exploitative stranglehold of the
colonialist, many suffered incarceration and some even paid with their lives,
from the Sokoto revolt of 1908, Aba women protest 1929,Imoudu's COLA strikes,
Iva valley massacre of the coal miners 1945 to Anglo Defence pact struggle of
Yaba and Ibadan students of 1961 and many more, Today we salute the courage and
untrammelled resilience of those patriots.
It is in
fact the determination of this martyrs and heroes that threw up those we now
celebrate as 'fathers of Nigeria's independence '
The people
basked in the euphoria of their freedom from the colonial predators, unknown to
them that majority of the new ruling elite were businessmen and fronts for the
departing exploiters.no sooner they took over through a combination of greed,
abuse of office and rascality than another set of rascals in uniform found
excuse to take over the reins of power thus plunging the country into a near
three year debilitating civil war.
The people
endured their wasteful regime and jackboot, from then under one guise or the
other successful coup plotters will run the country for a stretch and by some
hideous arrangement will hand over to their civilian collaborators and friends
largely sustained by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
All these
got to a head by the middle 80's to the beginning years of the 90's when the
people felt they had enough , rejecting military dictatorship and tyranny,
recall the anti-sap protests of '88 and '89, many again paid with their lives,
many student leaders were detained under the obnoxious decree 2 , many
victimized, rusticated, suspended and expelled, many labour and civil society
leaders lost their livelihood, suffered long detention occasioning health
complications that many never recovered from. Again today, we salute the heroes
and Martyrs of the struggle of this era
The people
in their bid for freedom continued to resist the antics of political guinea
pigging by the military and their collaborators voting across ethnic, religious
lines even when they understood clearly the hopelessness of 'Hope93' yet, it
was anything, but the despots.
Then came
the struggle to revalidate the mandate freely given by Nigerians on June12,
1993 to the late chief MKO Abiola. Over 200 citizens paid with their lives,
many were ‘raptured’, student leaders chucked out of school, trade union and
civil society Activists hunted, many were forced into exile, the battle and
contention raged, something had to give, local and international conspiracy
helped to resolve the political logjam.
The people
heaved a sigh of relief, in the closing year of the 90's the resolution of the
conspiracy threw up someone the collaborationists favoured, many felt he will
commit ‘class suicide’ having been a casualty and victim of the ruthlessness of
the maximum ruler, his gap toothed friend foisted on the country in the wake of
the June 12 debacle.
It turned
out the reverse was the case, this new band of beneficiaries of the struggle of
the people had as their sworn agenda to steal the country dry.
The people
were rudely shocked by this turn of events, but largely restrained by 'nascent
democracy' 'don't heat up the polity' first 'civilian to civilian transition'
and such other bunkum.
Not content with
the perseverance of the people, they sort to tinker with the constitution for a
weird third term, the people had enough.
In
retaliation and anger for the people’s rejection of the third term plot, they
foisted a terminally ill leader on an extremely energetic people.
The people
bore the lack of movement and proxy stealing of that period with 'he means well
for the country' let's give the 7point agenda a chance' and such bunkum that
was bandied at the time.
When the
worst happened, the people again came to rescue, to pave way for the man who
today punishes us for protesting that our constitutional order must be
respected, he ushered in the mantra of transformation agenda under the bogey of
transformation, our 2.6 trillion naira was stolen and nobody is in jail,
people's compulsory savings running in billions can't be accounted for and as
we speak nobody is in jail.
In January
all over the country the people rose and said they had enough.
Today we
salute the resilience of the Nigerian people and urge them to ignore the
puppets and puppeteers who seek to hold them responsible for where we are,
even, when many had given their toes, limbs, livelihood, lives and careers to
see a better country.
Everything
considered; it is obvious that Dr Goodluck Jonathan is overwhelmed by the
deluge of challenges that confronts him as the leader of Nigeria at this time.
Critical moment of time, we hear arguments like 'no government has been saddled
with the level of security challenge this government has faced ' and we ask the
question, if the president is demonstrably I'll prepared for contemporary
challenges of his time should he not honourably give way? Should those whose
expectations that with a PHD, chance Governor of a state, chance Vice president
and now President that he possesses the competence to truly transform the
country wait endlessly for an elusive kingdom of transformation, productivity,
performance and fulfilled promises.
Why is it so
difficult to appreciate that peace is elusive when he continues to honour
serial loan defaulters, known oil thieves, appoint persons who have pending
corruption charges into positions of responsibility ,retain in government
persons who have been openly accused by corporate entities of abuse of office
on issues bordering on conflict of interest.
Is it rocket
science to understand the link of corruption to social dislocation,
unemployment and insecurity, the link between a corrupt police, policing
system, complicit, corrupt customs and immigration i.e. porous borders to the
festering of terrorism?
The trouble
with Nigeria indeed is LEADERSHIP, many thanks to Chinua Achebe.
Ezenwa Nwagwu
Executive Director
Operation Nigeria
Operation
Nigeria is a civil society Organisation based in Abuja Nigeria
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