Finding Our Giant Steps Demands Sacrifice

Just last week, the Federal Government decided to adopt some of the provisions of the electoral reforms package doctored by the Justice Muhammadu Uwais committee. For reasons best known to him, the President decided to retain the power to appoint the Chairman of INEC. Leading newspapers and opposition parties have all voiced concerns to the effect that the nation may be about to blow yet another opportunity to entrench good governance through the restoration of the right of the citizens to freely choose their leaders. This concern is not without reason, going by the antecedents of the present PDP controlled Federal Government from 1999 to the 2007 general elections. Since the beginning of the current democratic dispensation, elements within the ruling party have continuously schemed to win elections at all costs. Ironically, most of these elements were active in the military governments which handed power to the civilians in 1999. Since we are in a free democratic society, they have the right to aspire to any office as long as they follow due process. However, that freedom does not come with the rights to continue their stranglehold on the nation. Nigeria is a developing country (unfortunately so after nearly 50 years), and as such we should necessarily be in a hurry to implement policies which unleash our true potentials. The biggest threat facing the country now is that of unbridled quest for power. A direct product of this quest for power is that the citizens lose the right to choose their leaders and ultimately have leaders imposed on them.

I appeal to our fellow compatriots in leadership positions on behalf of Nigerians, to realize that for every fair law adulterated, for every good governance measure not taken to a logical end, for every ill swept under the carpet, for every election manipulated or rigged, that Nigeria is taken back several step. That our ill equipped and seriously unprepared posterity, will have to compete on the same world arena as those of other nations in an increasingly globalized world. We beg them to note, that other African nations (including the ones which call us big brother) are fast pulling ahead of us in development. We ask them to search within their hearts and to rationalize or justify the fact that Rwanda with about 1/120th of our GDP can provide steady electricity to her citizens, while we simply washed down $16b without anything to show for it. We ask our leaders to stop and think, and to realize that to love ones’ spouse is to love oneself.

Electoral chaos introduced our first crises in 1964. The same electoral chaos led to the military take over of 1983. How can we keep repeating the same sets of blunders for 45 years and seem ready to push on for another 60 years! If we have been enjoying steady electricity supply, the citizen could point to that as a sign of great things produced by this brand of democracy. If the country is currently progressing  like the Singapore of Lee Kuang Yew, then we could argue that our brand of democracy (with election rigging in tow) works. Our democracy is not improving the lots of the majority of Nigerians. That is why we urge President Umaru Musa Yar Adua, to deliver our country from stagnation and addictive retrogression. For starters, we urge him not to stand in the way of genuine change by tweaking the Uwais committee report beyond recognition. It should be adopted AS-IS. Adopting the report will only put Nigeria on a sure path to progress. Moving a battered Nigeria forward is herculean, but patriotism always demands sacrifice.

We urge you with a deep sense of patriotism to return back to us what is constitutionally ours – our right to choose our leaders. If you do, posterity will remember you for it. Thank you.

Tags: nigerialog.com blog urges good leadership