Nigeria Politics: Between The Administration And Administrators -By Alagunfon Luqman Olalekan

“In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. when we are ill…we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one.
-PLATO

Nigerians were happy on the 1st day of October, 1960 for gaining independence from their colonizer-Britain . Many neighbouring countries also joined them in the celebration. The celebration seemed worthy; it was a freedom from slavery they had experienced in the hands of their colonial masters many decades before. They celebrated the hope of having a self-ruled nation which would be a gateway to a more-developed Nigeria. However, the illussion of the Independence and mirage of the “more-developed Nigeria” were discovered within a short while of the Independence.

The independence brought about the second indigenous enslavement in which there is no freedom of speech. This began not until the inception of the latest democratic government of the fourth republic in 1999.A particular person emerged as the president from a political party and things started getting bad. Afterwards, people clamoured for change and another person from the strongest opposition party took over and things got worse. This has been the problem Nigerians have been facing for more than a decade.

It is so dumbfounding that the so-called “giant of Africa” is weak, despite having enviable resources that some developed countries lack.Some countries depend on Nigeria to sustain their economy but the question is : why is the giver lacking? Is it because of cultural and traditional differences in relation to the developed countries, or because of the differences in religious practices? Or particularly because of our bad leaders? Whichever it may be, I know that the reasons for Nigeria’a underdevelopment is so obvious that even a blind man can see them and their solutions are not far-fetched.

One of the reasons things are getting worse day by day is that we are being ruled by the same set of people in the name of different political parties. And instead of blaming the individuals for bad leadership, the blame is rather shifted on the parties. This is just as if the party is ruling us and not the well known decayed people of our country. It now seems like people are being brainwashed with the revolution broom of the ruling party or being blindfolded by the umbrella of the opposition party.

In relation to this is the issue of Godfatherism which has become the order of the day in Nigeria of today. These so-called retired set of politicians have become the cog in the wheel of the open-minded governors and presidents. This denies them the freedom of doing things that will benefit the masses. However bad this might be, it is to some extent inevitable because the godfathers were their sponsors during the course of their campaign programmes. And it is said that he who pays the piper dictates the tune.

Another tangible reason is the clamour for involvement of youths in today’s politics by Nigerians; whereas, the youths of today are totally different from the youths of the likes of Nnanmdi Azikwe, yakubu Gowon,Obafemi Awolowo and others who played important and unforgettable roles in Nigeria’s nationalism. Today’s youths are totally different in such a way that they are morally decayed when compared with these nationalists. Many of them involve in cyber fraud,drug addiction,gambling,rape, thuggery and what have you; at the same time they are trying to occupy leadership positions and political offices. What sort of leaders would they be?

In addition to this, the elites who are privileged to be educated in the society have left the political space for the mediocres. They are concentrated in the academics, private sectors,religious organisations in Nigeria and diaspora; whereas the vacuums created by their absence are being filled by those who lack leadership skill and also morally deficient.

One of the possible solutions I will suggest is scrapping of political parties and adoption of a zero party system where there would be individual candidates. Some might be doubting the possibility of this because we might be having as many candidates as possible vying for a particular post but the reality is if we can manage more than seventy political parties then this is possible and practicable.

Otherwise, there should an adoption of a two party political system in which one will either be in one of the the two political parties belong. The reason for this suggestion is because over the years we have only two strong political parties in Nigeria while others are just wasting the ballot papers due to their insignificance.

Also, the local governments should be granted more autonomy and power. Since the local government is the closest government to the people, it needs to be strengthened. Many states are yet to have effective local government in their states,and this has caused many problems resulting to bad local roads, inadequate health services, non payment of local government workers salary and a host of other problems.

To wrap it up,it is saddened that a 59-year old Nigeria is still facing the same problems since 1960. I believe by applying all the aforementioned possible solutions, we would achieve the Nigeria of our dream.

ALAGUNFON,Luqman Olalekan
Department of Arabic and Islamic studies,
University of ibadan,
Ibadan Nigeria.
08086546451
Lalagunfon@gmail.com