In Nigeria, the people have mixed feelings about their country. A plethora of issues – from the lack of infrastructure to the transparency of democracy, religious conflict and corruption – are stirring disenchantment, and raising fundamental questions about the direction of the ‘giant of Africa’.
While the handful who are in ‘elected’ positions seem least perturbed by the country’s woes, the fact is that Nigeria is being dragged behind by man-made circumstances.
Just recently the Supreme Court ruled out election petitions filed by opponents of President Umaru Yar’Adua in the 2007 general election. When he took office, I gave my take on the personality of the Nigerian leader. As an active student union leader earlier this decade I met most of the nation’s political elite, including President Yar’Adua, who seemed different from the rest.
However, the group that brought him to power took the back door against the people’s will. The People’s Democratic Party, under President Obasanjo, brazenly manipulated the election to elect him, thus denting Yar’Auda’s reputation. In the culture of ‘Godfather’ politics in Nigeria, Obasanjo and his clique chose Yar’Adua to keep having their way and maintain their influence on the national psyche, but the plan backfired.
So far Yar’Adua has struggled to steer Nigeria forward. This had led to his new nickname, ‘Baba-Go-Slow’, comparing him to the snail-pace of Lagos traffic. Being the first university graduate to become Nigeria’s president, people expected a new direction from Yar’Adua, but those same agents of backwardness behind him are at it again. They showed their art in the recent Jos crisis, where a mayoral electoral skirmish transformed into a violent religious clash, pitching Christians against Muslims and sending hundreds to their deaths.
As a northerner, President Yar’Adua seems to be stuck in the old game of sectarian politics, as he has been accused of bias in the resolution of the crisis. Facts reveal the hand of extremists, mostly from neighbouring countries, in the Jos impasse – clearly unhindered by the authorities. And aside from those who were butchered, properties such as worship centres worth millions of dollars were destroyed. The inability to handle this crisis, which has marred peaceful coexistence among the citizens in Jos, has prompted the question: When will Nigerian leaders be strong enough to make tough decisions that will move the nation forward?
Where do we give a passing grade to this administration? Is it in organising fair elections (as Ghana has recently)? Or in the creation of jobs? It’s neither, of course. The fact is that Abuja, the seat of power in Nigeria, cares little about its citizens despite declaring to run a citizen-based foreign and domestic policy. Is it a good government when people do not have the basic infrastructure to start a good life? There’s no use painting a beautiful picture when thousands of new graduates, facing an empty job market, are channelling their smart brains to sharp thoughts on the shortest way to succeed – even through crime. And as long as economic migrants keep streaming out from Nigeria, as long as those who stole the oil billions from our beloved nation are still dictating who gets a share in the national cake, the centre cannot hold.
There are many things wrong with Nigeria. From the governors who spend public funds as if it’s their own personal fortune, to the economic witches in the corridors of power who struggle for a share in petrodollars like vultures on a carcass, and those chanting the cantata of vendetta against Nuhu Ribadu, the former anti-corruption chief, our once proud nation is a rotting one.
As the next general election gears up, the people will watch with increasing interest to see if the elites will put on a good show like their neighbours in Ghana. The happiness and excitement about an African offspring becoming the US President has created a spirit of optimism, but it shall be no fluke if Nigeria’s elections and democracy are not transparent.
Ukachukwu Okorie is originally from Nigeria. He has recently completed an MA in Globalisation at Dublin City University, and writes a weekly column for Metro Éireann
olumoukachukwu@yahoo.com
