Opinion: Gov. Shettima is right on the revolution we need

by Omozuwa Gabriel Osamwonyi

occupy protest

The fuel subsidy crisis showed how our politics canonizes falsity, impoverishes the masses and debases our common humanity. Leaders at various strata of our society seem to have chosen an education in corruption, instead of one in service.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state spoke truth to Nigeria’s self-absorbed political elite during the week, when he received a 32-member Senate Joint Committee on the Massacre in Baga. It is reported in mainline media, he told the committee, which was in the state on a fact-finding mission that, “the nation can be consumed by a revolution.” Noting that, in the near future, Nigerian “youths will chase politicians out of power,” if the socio-economic malaise fuelling violence in the country are not adequately addressed. According to him, “only and until we address some of these issues, believe me, the future is very bleak for all of us as the current crisis is just an appetizer of things to come. Very soon, the youths of this country will be chasing us away.”

He further noted that, the political class is indifferent to the plight of the poor, but animated by sit-tight syndrome and the desire to illicitly acquire more assets: “How we can perpetuate ourselves in power. How much we can steal, how many mansions we can buy in Florida, Dubai and London, this is what agitates the minds of the elite of this country, including you and I.” 

This is quite contrary to River state Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s opinion.  Recently, during the second Nigeria Symposium for Young and Emerging Leaders, Amaechi ruled out the possibility of a revolution, because, “Nigerians are too timid.” Nonetheless, he thinks revolution is the magic bullet to all woes. He said, “Yes, revolution can happen outside Nigeria. But here, I do not think so. Tell me what happened in Sudan, Libya, Zimbabwe and other countries that have not happened here. Our elasticity has no limit”

Indeed, all is not well in Nigeria. For instance, governance is a practice of smoke and mirrors. The fuel subsidy crisis showed how our politics canonizes falsity, impoverishes the masses and debases our common humanity. Leaders at various strata of our society seem to have chosen an education in corruption, instead of one in service. As a result, the Nigerian state is weak.  Public institutions are inefficient and seen as mere “avenues for chop-chop.” And public servants are perceived as parasitic sleazebags.

The recent report by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, entitled, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012” lends credence to this popular perception. The report, which was presented to Congress, noted that Nigeria is steeped in “massive, widespread and pervasive corruption.”

It is hilarious that the factuality of this report is now a subject of debate in certain circles. One would have thought it would strengthen our collective resolve to urgently extirpate corruption and ingrain probity in all facets of our national life. We do not promote our national interest by discarding such reports without due consideration. They deserve objective scrutiny, even when they do not capture some of our seeming successes in the fight against graft, or if they are manifestly inspired by Euro-American pessimism about our prospect for self-determined development.

Let it be said: We do not need violent revolution to move Nigeria forward. We do not need youths to chase politicians out of offices before everyone can truly enjoy the dividends of democracy. We do not need a campaign of violent negativism to bridge the high income inequality between the haves and have-nots. We do not need ethno-religious warlords to determine our secular orientation as a nation state.  We do not need the revolt of the masses for it subjugates passion to reason, almost always.

What we need is simple. We need servant-leaders who are responsive to the legitimate aspirations of the citizenry. We direly need empathic leaders who are animated by the desire to elevate the socio-economic status of the poor. We need leaders who will approach youth empowerment and wealth creation from a programmatic stance and not the occasional doling out of handouts. We need leaders who will massively revamp our dilapidated infrastructure.

One way to ensure Governor Shettima’s prophetic warning does not become a reality is for us to engender ethical reformation. We must concertedly work at creating a society that elevates principles above people, justice above tribal sentiments, right above might, work above wealth and the common good above the narrow self-interest of the political elite. Toward this end, it will be profitable for leaders to glean wisdom from the political legacy of Aminu Kano.

The enlightened politics of Aminu Kano gave hope for a better life to “Talakawa” (common people).  We need leaders like him who are dealers in hope. For him, the purpose of power was to empower people to pursue their concepts of the good life.  Alan Feinstein noted that Aminu Kano knew “the ultimate in self-gratification is self-denial for the common welfare.”  Sadly, many leaders do not know this truth, or cannot practice it.  Therefore, many Nigerians are disillusioned. People without hope are likely to engage in violence for mere bread and butter.  It takes hope to cope in times of economic crunch and social turmoil.

The revolution we need is of the mind. Our national psyche is skewed in favour of the immediate. We need to do away with “present-mindedness.” This is imperative because, a people who cannot see beyond now, cannot work together and create a better future.  No nation has ever developed significantly by getting overly fixated with gratifying the immediate needs of the power class, or the underclass.

The revolution we need is ethical. The present ethical basis of the Nigerian society cannot foster sustainable economic development for all. The impudicity of Nigeria’s elite, which is well-known around the world, has entangled us in the web of poverty, backwardness, social injustice, crony capitalism and political instability. Our checkered political history shows: Sustainable national advancement is elusive, when the ethics of transparency and public spiritedness do not sufficiently influence policy formation and implementation. I dare to say that as long as many public programmes and projects are conceptualised and executed to advance the narrow self-interest of the power class, Nigeria will keep descending the slope of self-annihilation.  We need to collectively, urgently and hugely revamp the ethical framework of leader-follower engagements.

The revolution we need is respect for difference. We need to denounce that pejorative notion “to be different is to be indecent.” In a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, like ours, provincialism breeds animosity and debars progress.  Every one of us, even the grassroots man must cultivate the attitude of a savvy player in the global arena. By so doing, we will pleasurably cross social, political, ideological, religious and economic borders without changing our identities, or feeling our sense of well-being is threatened.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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