State Of The Nation: Government By Error And Terror -By Richard Odusanya

“It is not the function of the government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it Is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error” – Robert Jackson

As one who distinguishes truth from falsehood, I am in a better position to begin to put the record straight. But let me make it clear; I have never been on the side of an oppressor, never! Not once in my life!!

I would rather stand by the oppressed, even if it is the supreme price. I have exhibited such traits and tendencies from childhood. That’s part of the reasons why I stood up against the tyranny of Olusegun Obasanjo, while he was a sitting president and thereafter.

As a rule, when people I know very closely or relatives get into public office, I give them a distance of respect to avoid compromises and not to be part of the extra burden.

Obasanjo

In a materialistic society like ours, it is even a crime for you to be around what is known as the “corridors of power” and be reasonable enough not to be compromised by numerous so called friends. This is a very fundamental issue that needs to be addressed – “Restructuring of the mind”.

This is my personal experience and observation during and after a stint in government. Between 2005 and 2007, I had the privilege of a working relationship with Mallam Garba Shehu, even though it was specifically for an assignment, which we clinically delivered.

The assignment was to stop the then president Olusegun Obasanjo from actualizing his ambition of transmuting to the life president of Nigeria. I played a very significant role in stopping the ‘Obasanjo’s madness’ at a very high price, and at the risk to life. History and posterity will surely be kind to some of us.

I also had a brief working relationship with my dearest ‘egbon’ Lai Mohammed, and the current president Maj Gen Muhammadu Buhari RTD. He was always at hand as a motivator, patriot and former head of state, coming all the way from Kaduna for a call to duty.

Critical events at that time included getting the then national assembly under the leadership of Sen Ken Nnamani to kill the third term bill and thereafter. There was also a watershed when Obasanjo connived with Maurice Iwu to rig the 2007 general election in favour of his hand-picked candidates in person of Umoru Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

Looking back with a deep sense of responsibility and nostalgia, what we fought against is being replicated by the same characters that we shared the spirit of ‘comradium’ with. It is indeed sad and very unfortunate.

Every human being embodies a multiplicity of personas. The reason why the same issues that some of us fought a bitter war over against tyrants is repeating itself on a larger scale. They include: corruption at the highest echelon of government, economic downturn, insecurity, election rigging, poor leadership and recently elements that are sympathizers of terrorist groups in government.

That shows clearly that nothing has changed. Despite the sloganeering of “Change” and “Next Level”, things have even taken a turn for the worse. A slogan cannot feed a nation. So those who pay billions of naira to television houses, radio stations, and use their ill gotten wealth to pay public relations companies must bear this in mind: “you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.

Is this the change we asked for when school children and university undergraduates are kidnapped, the roads are unsafe, farmers cannot go to their farms, banditry has been taken to another level, arson is rampant, poverty and unemployment are at the highest level? Yet we pretend as if all is well with us.

In the recent past, blue chip companies and multi-national corporations are snubbing Nigeria because of the numerous issues of insecurity, poor leadership and others.

I sincerely hope that we will not need to go the route of Ghana before we get things done and get it right. I am not a prophet of doom but the signs are ominous. Even the blind can sense it because the sixth sense can conjecture what the society holds in store for us.

We have become not only senile but also toothless bulldogs waiting for 2023 to come and receive bags of rice and vote “recycle” the same sets of people into power. Our psyche has been manipulated to the extent that we cannot think properly thereby acting like a parliament of baboons.

Richard Odusanya

This is a country where so many states cannot pay the minimum wage yet their governors, elected members in the legislature earn millions of naira as salaries. Truth is rare these days and people of integrity are difficult to find.

On the other hand, the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari is standing behind his embattled minister Pantami will make it extremely difficult for the government to extricate itself from the charges of: Extremism, Islamization, Fulanization etc.

IN THE LIGHT ON THE ABOVE, WHOM ARE WE GOING TO HAND OVER THE BATON TO WHEN PATRIOTS ARE RARE TO FIND..

Richard Odusanya is a Social Reform Crusader and the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI.