“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled
by evil men.”- Plato
Every morning when I wake up from my
bed and every night as I lay down to sleep, Nigeria remains the first and the
last thing respectively that comes up on my mind.
It bugs me and leaves me with so much
trauma and dissatisfaction to see my country being ruled with same men that
have plunged our country to continuous shame and reproach out of their greed,
gross selfishness and wickedness.
This leaves me to wonder and forces
me to ask: Is Our Nation Short of Good Men? If we`re are not short of good men,
Why then is Our Nation Continually Governed by Heartless Men?
It is no longer news that what the
nation suffers from is leadership failure. Such which accounts for all other
challenges that befall our country in this time and season. Such leadership
failure that left about 200 girls in the hands of Boko Haram their abductor.
Such leadership failure that accounts for the continuous humiliation of our
country by Abubaka Shekau the Boko Haram warlord. Such leadership failure that
has made the country lost its leadership status as the giant of Africa to
country that should normally look up to us for leadership role.
This administration might not totally agree with me on this;
that most of the challenges we face as a nation today is as a result of
leadership failure. However, every right thinking Nigeria will agree with me
and acknowledge that, this fact abounds with so many proofs.
Every right thinking Nigeria will also agree with me that one
major thing that is peculiar to this administration aside from its act of
cluelessness and carelessness is its respect and admiration for corruption and
corrupt leaders. Little wonder, the President called corruption mere stealing
during the seventh Presidential Media Chat held on Sunday 4th May, 2014. This
means that President does not see corruption in Nigeria but mere stealing and
to him is not worthy to be worried about.
However, the world agrees with me that in Nigeria, corruption
is visible to the blind, loud to the deaf and spoken by the dumb.
During the regime of Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, he created the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), an anti-graft
agency which is the designated Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in Nigeria. Charged
with the responsibility of co-ordinating the various institutions involved in
the fight against money laundering and enforcement of all laws dealing with
economic and financial crimes in Nigeria. He also constituted The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission
(ICPC), (in full the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission) an agency inaugurated on the 29th of September 2000 with the
mandate to receive and investigate reports of corruption and in appropriate
cases prosecute the offender[s]. To examine, review and enforce the correction
of corruption prone systems and procedures of public bodies, with a view to
eliminating corruption in public life, and to educate and enlighten the public
on and against corruption and related offences.
When former President Olusegun
Obasanjo established these two agencies EFCC and ICPC, everyone including the
international community applauded him for taking the fight against corruption
in Nigeria seriously. But soon he was alleged to have established the two
anti-graft agencies to punish his political opponents.
Many top government officials including Chief Alamieyeseigha and Tafa Balogun were arraigned by the EFCC and ICPC during the Obasanjo administration. Most of these ex-officials were arraigned, arrested found guilty and detained.
Many top government officials including Chief Alamieyeseigha and Tafa Balogun were arraigned by the EFCC and ICPC during the Obasanjo administration. Most of these ex-officials were arraigned, arrested found guilty and detained.
However, the fact remains that, the
people prosecuted under this administration were actually found guilty of the
offences leveled against them whether they are his opponent or rival or not is
another issue to be discussed another.
After the administration of Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo, the fight against corruption has received a sluggish touch
and has really been less active. (Not saying that his administration was
totally free from corruption but he showed the willingness to tackle the bane).
In a sane society, one will recognize
that the men that were indicted or convicted in one form or the other by any of
the two anti graft agencies should remain out of active Political leadership
either directly or indirectly especially for a nascent democratic set up like ours.
It however saddens me to see most of
these men that were in one way or the other indicted or convicted for one
corrupt practice or the other by the aforementioned agencies fully back in
government and doing that same thing they know how to do best as if there are
no good men left in the country that could do a better job.
Governor Diepreye
Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, the former governor of Bayelsa State on July 26, 2007, pleaded guilty
before a Nigerian court to six charges and was sentenced to two years in prison
on each charge. On 12 March 2013, he was pardoned by President Goodluck
Jonathan. But don’t be shocked that in one way or the other, He`s back in
government.
Olabode Ibiyinka
George ("Bode
George"), the former Military Governor of Ondo State, and later Chairman of the Nigerian Ports
Authority, then
national vice-chairman in the southwest zone of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP).
In October 2009 he was sentenced to a 30 month jail term for charges that
included contracts splitting and inflation. But don’t be shocked that in one way
or the other, He`s back in government.
We all know
the activities and the accounts of the former governor of Oyo state Christopher
Adebayo Alao-Akala. But the truth is, He`s on his way back to government.
On the 27th of February, 2012, James
Onanefe Ibori the former Governor of Delta State, pleaded guilty to ten counts charge
of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud at Southwark Crown
Court, London . The truth is after completing is jail terms; He
might be back in government. Just to mention a few.
When
you begin to consider the never ending roles and dominance of corrupt and
wicked leaders in Nigeria politics and their leadership style, one begins to
wonder if there are no good men left in the country. And if there are; Are we
short of them? If we`re not short of them, why are they not in leadership
positions?
For
a country to succeed and to live to her dreams, it would be of grave damage
leaving the destiny of the country to a set of heartless leaders, which all
they do and stand for is their own selfish desires and interests.
Like
Plato said: “The price good men pay for
indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men”.
This
is the more reason why more good men should be allowed to take leadership
positions and be allowed to take responsibilities which they so much deserve
because that’s the only way out of the present mess we`re in as a nation.
If
we succeeded in solving the challenge of leadership failure, all other
challenges will be addressed with ease.
God
Bless Nigeria!
Ogundana Michael Rotimi
Follow Me On Twitter @MickeySunny
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