The Nigerian debacle and the Odyssey of a globe trotting president -By Richard Odusanya

The image of Nigeria, a nation destined for greatness and blessed with unimaginable wealth and resources has been so battered as a country.

According to the former chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, Nigeria is in the process of collapsing. He alleged that reckless elites in control of the governance process are blindly running the country aground.

It is only in Nigeria that democracy is so acclaimed yet breached, so promoted yet disrespected, so important yet disappointing. All because we are unfortunate to have a crop of leaders who are undemocratic – overt dictators who aspire to the status conferred by the democracy label.

Why else, for example, would a ruthless dictator like Buhari continue to masquerade as a democrat when he constantly breeched all known norms and tenets associated with democracy and jets out of the country amidst the deplorable state of the nation. Why should anyone be surprised about a man who is limited to ethnicity, religious bigotry and affinity to other nation, other than Nigeria? Niger Republic in my mind.

At a time the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on strike, a time that Northern Nigeria is bleeding with rapacious bandits attacking, insurgency, killings, and abducting of hapless citizens, and a period that hardship is biting hard at Nigerians due to a number of factors that is not less than the situation in Ukraine, including the issue of fuel scarcity. Instead of addressing the ugly situation, Gen Buhari departed Nigeria for Kenya on a three-day official visit after which he proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two week, without transfering power to his deputy on an interim basis as constitutionally expected.

Indeed, bad leadership is the bane of Nigeria. Instances of this abound: the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu walking out of a meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who were protesting over the one-month warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the obsession of the Nigerian government in carrying the deaths of Ukrainians in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis on their head and declaring solidarity with them whereas more people are dying in Nigeria on a daily basis due to insecurity than in the Russian-Ukraine crisis.

The nuisance values of the ruling elites reached its crescendo with the latest addition of celebrating the birthday of the First Lady in Dubai by Governors’ wives with funds from a treasury of borrowed funds at a time millions of Nigerians are starving and unable to get petrol for their vehicles and generators, with many spending hours at filling stations.

As they say in the local parlance, “President dey UK, wife dey Dubai, Nigeria dey auto pilot…..light no dey, fuel no dey, nothing is working.” Omoyele Sowore added weight to this when he said, “Muhammadu Buhari has relocated to London for medical treatment, his wife, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has relocated to Dubai. Fuel scarcity, insecurity, unemployment and hunger hasn’t relocated abroad. Never let sick people govern your space!”

Currently, the attention of the whole world is focused on Ukraine with leaders of different nations empathizing with them following the invasion of the country by Russian forces. People of all race and creed are declaring their solidarity with Ukraine because of the kind of leader they have – a patriotic and selfless leader.

As a leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy didn’t just give arms to citizens willing to defend the country, he armed himself and stepped into the battlefield. Seeing their leader ready to defend the nation, citizens followed suit.

This height of patriotism and selflessness, certainly, is lacking in Nigeria. The response of the Ukrainian leaders and citizens which reflects a great deal of patriotism and selflessness is a great lesson for Nigerian leaders.

One of the serious problems we have in the country is leadership and not the followership. For Nigeria to be better, our leaders must make their words their watchwords. They must be ready to live by and do what they say. When this happens, the masses will fall in line. After all, it is the duty of the masses to follow, reason they are called followers.

ARISE ‘O COMPATRIOTS. Nigeria will rise again.

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