What an irony!! Nigeria in abject poverty in the midst of plenty. Richly in human and material resources but poorly in services and deliverables. Richly in budget allocations but poorly in implementations. No thanks to ‘The Tradition’ of recycling and celebrating poor and unpatriotic leadership for the past 48years of our sovereignty.
The wicked heartless leaders signed under oath to serve this sovereignty, but what did they do?
Government funds, substantially the tax payer’s funds, money earned with lots of pain and sacrifice, money hardly enough to take the earner through the first week of the month and yet taxed to the teeth. Funds said to meant for the construction of roads, unfailing power supply, free education, medicals, water supply, found their way with ease into The Governor’s account, The Deputy Governor’s account, The Senate president’s account, The Senators’ account, The Speaker’s account, The Commissioners’ account, The Ministers’ account, The First Lady’s’ account, The First daughters’ account, The First Sons’ account, The Perm Secs’ account, The Party Leader’s account, and the list keeps growing by the day as they keep recycling their types.
In effect, they destroyed our roads making they unmotorable and move around in airplanes and helicopters. They destroyed our PHCN, provided generators for themselves, use our funds to import and sell generators to as many that can afford them. They destroyed our educational systems and sent their own children abroad for standard education with the intention of bringing them back to continue The Tradition. They destroyed our medical system and fly abroad for medical care. They destroyed our water supply system and provided for themselves borehole and water treatment plant.
They do all this things and dare us to challenge them. They make us feel the law was made for those who are not as smart as they are.
It is amazing to note that the last two Inspector Generals of Police accounts were not left behind. Inspector Generals of Police-the Capstone for upholding justice and equity was caught up in the web of corruption with funds meant for putting smiles in the faces of the common people risking their lifes in the uniform stacked away in their private accounts.
I believe the sovereignty of any nation derive its life from its commitment to the pursuit of justice and equity for all its citizenry.
A school of thought once said we should just forget the past and move forward. We can never move forward if we do not bring to justice the evil done to our nation by our past leaders, if we keep recycling the same people with ‘The Evil Tradition’. If we the victims keep seeing them on our streets and television. If we do not bring to justice the unlimited pains this unpatriotic Nigerian have brought upon 150million Nigerian. Forgiveness is not lack of Justice. We can only hope for a better tomorrow if justice and equity is given its proper place.
I must admit that hope for a New Nigeria came when the likes of Nuru Ribadu showed up from the police force, the likes of the Akunyili, the Soludo, the likes of Oshomole, The Fasholas, The Marks, The Bankoles, and the likes of President Yaradua. The present Inspector General of Police used to be in my list but now I’m now confused but I really want to believe the contrary to the obvious.
Back to the case study-Nuru Ribadu, a man that proved the theory right, that one man is enough to cause a needed change if he stays resolute to the vision of change.
Ribadu, liken to a saviour in his own right, shook the very foundation of all the corrupt practices. A man that made the world impossible for all our corrupt leaders including his former bosses.
Ribadu, a world acclaimed symbol of Good governance; I mean the fear of Ribadu was the beginning of good governance.
At the rate he was going we would have been closer to the promise land now but he was becoming to much for the devil to handle-The tradition that gave him wings to fly.
There was a serious need to save ‘the tradition’ from imminent collapse and invariably kill the New Nigeria order which Ribadu and His likes stood for.
The ‘traditionalist’ went to work, putting their ingenuity in skimming to serious challenge and before long, their game plan was formulated. The plan worked so well that the presidency bought into it and today Nuru Ribadu is not only without his flying wings but permanently ousted. Victory at last! Victory at last!! Victory at last!!! to the ‘traditionalist’.
Now, what is our message to the world? Who is the victor and who is the vanquished?
What are we going to say to our children when they ask us about all this injustice? What are we going to say to the tax payers when they refuse to pay tax? What are we going to say to all the victims of denied justice when they decide to take laws into their hands? Are we going to tell them they are not justified for their action? This is a dilemma and I need answers.
Maybe the Okiros will have answers; he signed the dismissal document that ousted Ribadu. Maybe the Precidency will have answers at least they played along. Maybe the senate and House of representative will have answers; they observed the entire process. Maybe the judiciary will have answers at least the cry of wingless Ribadu has been weting their desk for sometime now without proper justice.
How I hope that my children will never ask me for the truth why Ribadu was dismissed, why MKO had to die, why Oshomole had to wait for two years to be governor for an election He truly won, why Dele Giwa had to die, why Bola Ige had to die.
Better still I hope they will never find themselves in the same dilemma; The Tradition against the New Nigeria order.
Written by Adewale Odusina
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
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