From: Buhari Bello <belloskic@yahoo.com>
Date: 16 January 2011 13:16
Subject: [dandalin-siyasa] article for your consideration please
To: dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com
| NIGERIA @ 50: A NATION UNITED IN CORRUPTION The best of a community always comes from how best they were able to manage their affairs and effectively utilize their resources for the higher benefits of their society--- Anonymous 50 years is such a long years for a serious nation to have developed the require potentials, that, inspires national consciousness, and the development of both material and human resources. The Nigerian state is a paradox; with so much confusion, and contradictions. A nation with abundant natural resources both human and material, which ought to have catapulted her into developing the lives and property of the people; but, unfortunately, long years of leadership failure, economic indecisions, wickedness and corruptions have render this dreams worthless. There is no doubt at independence, 50 years ago; Nigeria was a beckon of expectation, hope, and aspiration by both friends and foes alike. It is the projections of commentators and leaders alike, that a new nation was born that will, galvanise and support the course of development for the rest of African countries; who were, grasping for developmental air long years, after colonial exploitation and underdevelopment. It is interesting to say, that, Nigeria was among few countries in the world that, was projected to develop rapidly within shortest possible time. Unfortunately; the yearning and expectations of Nigerians and the friends of Nigeria, was not only misplace; but, the country has become a total embarrassment to her expected citizens and friends alike. There is no doubt, Nature Has not only over pampers Nigeria; but, it is often regarded, that, Nigerian is the spoils child of God; due to the abundant resources the Beneficent Has blessed the country with; but, unfortunately, the prodigal sons and daughters of the country have refused to grow up and utilise such abundant resources to attained development. One important factor that has been a recalling decimal in yesteryears and today's national hopelessness and confusion; has being the pivoted role corruptions and official thievery have pervaded the landscape of the Nigerian state. Corruption is a major impediment to nation growth and development. The inability of the leadership of the country, to curtails their whimsical desires and corrupt tendencies; have structures the country where nothing works except personal aggrandisements, thieveries, poverty, immorality, hopelessness, confusion, underdevelopment, social and economic stagnation. Corruption is a major killer of the Nigerian project. The Nigerian projects started in a positive note, where leaders during such epoch are not only selfless; but, leadership quest was about service to the people; and the people also were conscious enough and alive to their responsibilities, as followers; who questions and hold the leadership responsible for their stewardship. But, today, everything seems to look like a fairytales, fantasy and illusions in the minds of its narrators. There is no doubt; everything is fundamentally, wrong with Nigeria, 50 years after independence. This fundamental crisis call for sober reflections and mourning, but, definitely not celebration from both the leaders and the followers alike; for the lost of better yesterday; the confusion and hopelessness of today and the uncertainty of the future. Leadership failure in all season, have been primarily responsible for the failure of the Nigerian state; because the leadership is an important component of the society; that ensure continues co-existence and well being of the society. It is the leadership that set the instruments and standards that mobilise, conscientize, galvanises, motivates; energies and develops the potentials of the citizens, towards moving the wheels of development of this promising country. Leadership is central to societal development. But, however, the role of citizenry in the making of their society is also vital to the growth and development of such society. No society or leadership grows out of a vacuum; but, requires the full supports, encouragement, criticism, protests and rebellion from the people to put the leadership in the right frame of mind to pursuits the course of development. This is, because, societal reforms; requires the active participations of the people; who form the engine that wheel the reform process to its logical conclusion. Therefore, the crisis of development facing the Nigerian state; is as results of leadership failure and the docility and immorality on the part of the followers. The followers remain aloof watching the destructions of their country; while the leadership continue to strengthen their hold on to power through deceptions and divisive tendencies (using religion and ethnicity). There is no doubt, societal values system are the core of national development. No society grows beyond her value system; this is because, attitudes, behaviours, and characters of individuals or people in the society are nurtures by the value system of such society. Over the years, Nigerians failed to hold the leadership accountable to their stewardship; which gives the leadership the leverage to do as they like. It is often argued that poverty is the major cause of this silent; which i disagreed; because, poverty is not the major sources of corruptions; but, moral poverty is the major cause of corruption and corruption is the major cause of physical poverty in Nigeria today. What we have in Nigeria is the decline of men and women of integrity that will voice out and mobilise the people against the carnage of corruptions going on in the country. Poverty of spirits instead of physical poverty is the major driving forces for the spreads of corruptions. Today, all the socializations and moral institutions in Nigeria, (parents, religious bodies, traditional, schools, mass media etc), have failed to discharge their responsibilities of moral and spiritual guardianship of the society; but all have line up in facilitating the spread of corruption in the country. Parent who ought to be the moral moulders of their children, bribe their way, for their children to pass exams and encourage them to make it in life by hooks and crime. Today, our position in our various families lies in our economic status within the family. The media organisations, criticise politicians and government officials of corruptions in the morning and afternoon; only for them to wine and dine with thesame corrupt elements at night, with an award of excellence for none performance; only for EFCC to arrest them after the stewardship in office. The schools are no longer a pacesetter for academic and moral excellence; rather an avenue for an awards of certificates to the highest bidder both in cash and kinds. The tertiary institutions are becoming a place of training disco dancing and ill equip students as leaders of tomorrow. Commit a crime and the cleric would set your conscience free from guilt, or even legal punishment, and in addition, secure a house in paradise if you pay unsolicited fees to the consulting clerics, who carry themselves as if they have a contract with the Almighty God for the custody of the keys to paradise. These men of God, or is it men of gold, have so blurred the dividing line between right and wrong, goodness and evil, and the worldly and faith based affairs, so much that morality and ethics look like some old fashioned principles. The traditional rulers... no comment... you know the rest........ It clear today, most of us both in public and private sectors are all culprits in the network of promoting corruption in various guised. I believe that, every one of us knows the problems and solutions to Nigerian crises; but, nobody is ready for the commitment and sacrifice requires in the reinvention of this promising country. Sometime i often ask myself this question; if change is truly a Nigeria? But, on a deeper thought, i realised everyone desire change in this country, but on his own term. How can you have change, when all of us want to benefit from such change? It is not possible to change this country; if the beneficiary will be you and i. This is because, reform is for the future generation; while the current generation labour, struggle, sacrifice and suffer to build the future; the next generation, will only consolidate the gains of suffering, sacrifice and foundations of their founding fathers. This is the hallmark of reform and development. But, unfortunately, we what change, and at thesame time, want to benefits from such change; that is what is facilitating corruption in Nigeria today. We must understand that, national rebirth come with the blood and sweat of patriots and foes alike. We will only be pretending of fighting corruption in Nigeria; but, corruption has circle all of us from head to toe. In conclusion, it is important to say, that, a faithful man holds himself responsible for his backwardness and will not blame his country and its administrators for that. He believes that if there is anything wrong, that is because he and others like him have failed to discharge their duty properly. This feeling will naturally arouse his sense of self-respect and impel him to move forward hopefully. In contract a disbeliever is in the universe like a man living in a country about which he believes that its system, laws and formations are unjust and corrupt and that he has to accept then against his will. The heart of such a man will always be full of malice. He will never think of improving himself. He will think that there were everything is wrong; his own uprightness will be of no use at all. Such a man never shall enjoy the world. For him the world will always be like a dreadful prison. Let search our hearts and reform the corrupt desires that lies in all of us and see what will happen to this country; this is because Allah (SWT) Has caution the people in the Glorious Qur'an that "Allah does not change the condition of any people until they first change what is in their hearts" (Surah Al-Ra'ad 13:11). Happy searching and reflecting.... you may be the change agent this nation is looking for.
BUKHARI MUHAMMED BELLO JEGA Senior Research Consultant and Youth Development Expert Center for Political Research, Education and Development Abuja. 07037176838 |
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