There’s Only One Party In Nigeria, And It’s Not Pdp

The struggle for power in Nigeria has long degenerated into a gang thing – the struggle to control the resources of the country largely for the benefit of the gang leaders and the patronage to their followers.

The common good, a clearly enunciated programme for the sustainable development of the country, economically and technologically, for the improvement of the lot of the masses (beyond the mouthing of bland platitudes), are farthermost in the concern of our current gang of political actors.

 There is hardly telling one “party” from another, other than in the occasional loud cry against a perceived excessiveness of the gang in power or denunciation of some appointment into juicy positions that rival gangs wish they had. The concentration of thinking of all the gangs – either the one in power or the rival ones – is in strategising on how to grab the bone from the top dog and run away with it. And nothing bears this contention out more than the indistinguishable quality of most of the leading characters within one party or another, save in, perhaps, a totally eclipsed party like the National Conscience Party (NCP), founded by the late Gani Fawehinmi, a man whose only friend, one to whom he was unreservedly committed while he lived, was the masses.

 Consequently, it is with the greatest ease, and least compunction, that leaders of one party flow into another, hither and thither like a yo-yo – all, birds of the same feather. They know themselves and they welcome (or negotiate) themselves back on to the “gravy train”. After all, none can flaunt any moral superiority over another.

 That is the present reality of the country we live in. Government is the party, the only party, and the gravitation of all is towards the “party” to get a piece of the action. And that is what makes it look like the PDP is the only “real” party around. But the same trend, the same logic, applies to the few states outside of the PDP grip.

 It all boils down to the structural deficiency of the country, a deficiency that in turn produces a malapropos economic relationship whereby the government is the source of livelihood of 80% (some say 90%) of the people. Let no one kid you, from the biggest corporations to the smallest one-man business, everyone looks up to the government either for sustenance or for that elusive “big break”.

 How else would it be in a country where the small scale businesses, not to talk of the big industries and manufacturers, are faced with huge infrastructural problems that make their products and services uncompetitive and unsupportable – since they have to be their own ‘government’: mount their own electricity, bore their own holes for water, construct their own roads, police their own premises for security, etc.

 I was pretty downcast the other day when a friend of mine phoned me from Abuja urging me to go and dust up my CV and figure how to get it into the hands of those in power – as he was about to do – so as to get some appointment unto one Board or another. The Board bazaar was about to open, he figured, and President Jonathan would soon be filling the many openings. Here was a friend, fiercely independent, a former top Central Banker, and one of the brightest economic minds in the country. His consulting firm is on the verge of collapse, the only place for meaningful “consulting” action is the Government and not belonging has a devastating price – starvation! He has almost eaten up all his savings (and sold off his saleable assets) and now it is “begging” time again! So, what would my good friend get from being on some Board, just the “sitting allowance” and perks? Yeah, riiight. You need to be “inside” to partake of the gravy.

 And so we now have a situation where five months or so to the General Elections that is meant to usher in a “new” government, we hear nothing of any party programme for the country; no party is proposing a welfare dream for the poor and demonstrating how it can be funded; none is placing before the citizenry some superior idea on how to tackle the hydra-headed NEPA / PHCN or whatever it’s called now, different from the route that Obasanjo took us, all of eight years and hundreds of billion naira down the drain! No party is talking to us about developmental strategies for education, housing or health.

 Unless I’ve missed it, the only voice so far, and most strangely so, that presents us with some idea of fundamental changes he intends to pursue if we give him our vote is General Babangida. IBB talks about structural changes to the federation, he talks about devolution of powers and a centre that would only concern itself with some common services and national integrity, he talks about state police. But unfortunately his is a voice no one wants to hear and one we do not believe in. Why him and why now, we ask. Isn’t the master dribbler at his game again, saying things he knows some sections of the country like to hear? With so much trust deficiency, how can we trust him or his motive this time?

 Whoever is coming up next to ask for our votes, whether at the state or Federal level, must be taken to task on his understanding of the critical infrastructural, economic and educational issues facing us, and must be able to articulate his position with informed data, comparative analysis and funding options.

 For now, no party is different from the other, we are in an osmotic political environment, and our poverty level ensures that whatever Government there is, is the only party there is.

 Lord have mercy! The struggle for power in Nigeria has long degenerated into a gang thing – the struggle to control the resources of the country largely for the benefit of the gang leaders and the patronage to their followers. The common good, a clearly enunciated programme for the sustainable development of the country, economically and technologically, for the improvement of the lot of the masses (beyond the mouthing of bland platitudes), are farthermost in the concern of our current gang of political actors.

 There is hardly telling one “party” from another, other than in the occasional loud cry against a perceived excessiveness of the gang in power or denunciation of some appointment into juicy positions that rival gangs wish they had. The concentration of thinking of all the gangs – either the one in power or the rival ones – is in strategising on how to grab the bone from the top dog and run away with it. And nothing bears this contention out more than the indistinguishable quality of most of the leading characters within one party or another, save in, perhaps, a totally eclipsed party like the National Conscience Party (NCP), founded by the late Gani Fawehinmi, a man whose only friend, one to whom he was unreservedly committed while he lived, was the masses.

 Consequently, it is with the greatest ease, and least compunction, that leaders of one party flow into another, hither and thither like a yo-yo – all, birds of the same feather. They know themselves and they welcome (or negotiate) themselves back on to the “gravy train”. After all, none can flaunt any moral superiority over another.

 That is the present reality of the country we live in. Government is the party, the only party, and the gravitation of all is towards the “party” to get a piece of the action. And that is what makes it look like the PDP is the only “real” party around. But the same trend, the same logic, applies to the few states outside of the PDP grip.

 It all boils down to the structural deficiency of the country, a deficiency that in turn produces a malapropos economic relationship whereby the government is the source of livelihood of 80% (some say 90%) of the people. Let no one kid you, from the biggest corporations to the smallest one-man business, everyone looks up to the government either for sustenance or for that elusive “big break”.

 How else would it be in a country where the small scale businesses, not to talk of the big industries and manufacturers, are faced with huge infrastructural problems that make their products and services uncompetitive and unsupportable – since they have to be their own ‘government’: mount their own electricity, bore their own holes for water, construct their own roads, police their own premises for security, etc.

 I was pretty downcast the other day when a friend of mine phoned me from Abuja urging me to go and dust up my CV and figure how to get it into the hands of those in power – as he was about to do – so as to get some appointment unto one Board or another. The Board bazaar was about to open, he figured, and President Jonathan would soon be filling the many openings. Here was a friend, fiercely independent, a former top Central Banker, and one of the brightest economic minds in the country. His consulting firm is on the verge of collapse, the only place for meaningful “consulting” action is the Government and not belonging has a devastating price – starvation! He has almost eaten up all his savings (and sold off his saleable assets) and now it is “begging” time again! So, what would my good friend get from being on some Board, just the “sitting allowance” and perks? Yeah, riiight. You need to be “inside” to partake of the gravy.

 And so we now have a situation where five months or so to the General Elections that is meant to usher in a “new” government, we hear nothing of any party programme for the country; no party is proposing a welfare dream for the poor and demonstrating how it can be funded; none is placing before the citizenry some superior idea on how to tackle the hydra-headed NEPA / PHCN or whatever it’s called now, different from the route that Obasanjo took us, all of eight years and hundreds of billion naira down the drain! No party is talking to us about developmental strategies for education, housing or health.

 Unless I’ve missed it, the only voice so far, and most strangely so, that presents us with some idea of fundamental changes he intends to pursue if we give him our vote is General Babangida. IBB talks about structural changes to the federation, he talks about devolution of powers and a centre that would only concern itself with some common services and national integrity, he talks about state police. But unfortunately his is a voice no one wants to hear and one we do not believe in. Why him and why now, we ask. Isn’t the master dribbler at his game again, saying things he knows some sections of the country like to hear? With so much trust deficiency, how can we trust him or his motive this time?

 Whoever is coming up next to ask for our votes, whether at the state or Federal level, must be taken to task on his understanding of the critical infrastructural, economic and educational issues facing us, and must be able to articulate his position with informed data, comparative analysis and funding options.

 For now, no party is different from the other, we are in an osmotic political environment, and our poverty level ensures that whatever Government there is, is the only party there is.

 Lord have mercy!

Religious Fundamentalism: Time To Stop The Nonsense I missed out on the horrifying mess of one completely deranged Bunmi Adegunsoye who disguised herself with ‘hijabi’ as a Muslim sister to gain entrance into the female section of the Univ. of Ibadan central mosque penultimate Friday while the Jumat service was ongoing, only to interrupt the service with her Christian fundamentalism hogwash of her “faith” and her “messiah” being the only way to salvation. But thankfully, Mikail Mumuni, the Deputy Editor of The Westerner Magazine, sent me an email to bring the sad occurrence to my notice.

 This mad girl obviously is seeking some martyrdom and she’s no different from her converse of America’s “September 11” or even our own nappy-bomber Muhtallab. Had she chosen anywhere in the North for her provocative bravado, she’ll be history now. For lesser exhibitionism or indiscretion of one individual, scores have been massacred, churches burned down, and whole communities razed.

 Thank God, Prof. Bamiro, the VC of U.I. and Prof. Oloyede, the Chief Imam were quick at dousing the fire this time. But this is an alert on the need to put a stop to religious extremism at least in our public institutions. All the rubbish of some Faith using classrooms for worship, amongst other provocations, must stop.

 This Bunmi girl must be expelled and sent to Aro where she and her ilk rightly belong.  

 Martyrdom my foot.