Hostages to self-interest

Parties were rushing to outdo each other with promises aimed more at selfishness than basic fairness, fostering a brand of self-interest which is destroying the glue that holds society together.This marrying of justice and self-interest is deeply unfashionable in a political scene where heart-breaking decision of repression by the political leadership to by all means […]

Parties were rushing to outdo each other with promises aimed more at selfishness than basic fairness, fostering a brand of self-interest which is destroying the glue that holds society together.
This marrying of justice and self-interest is deeply unfashionable in a political scene where heart-breaking decision of repression by the political leadership to by all means outdo others in coming general elections not with a vision of justice but with appeals to individual preference, interest, convey the impression that a long slide is underway toward cold war levels of animosity between the leadership and nation’s interest. The art of government was in finding ways to bring together the interests of individuals with those of society at large.
Astonishingly, this disintegrative process is then expressed in what it means to have a proper nation. The party in realm of leadership has failed the nation inconsistently. It didn’t use to be like this. Even at the height of civil war, the Nigerian ruling class was nowhere near as anti-Nigerians as it is today.
The problem isn’t so much that the Nigerians don’t trust their government with unprecedented powers in the realm of national security, but that the government continues to insist on our trust despite an incontestable track record of deceit and incompetence.
If it is the survival of the fittest that’s what I call living in the jungle and I don’t want to live in the jungle – this is supposed to be a civilised society. If it is to do with the health and the wellbeing of the nation the leadership really ought to be at the same table and not fighting with anybody against the bad policies that affect us because they want the biggest bargain. No – that’s the rule of the jungle, we left that behind. Nigerians have no time to lose and no excuse for delay. The nation’s need for change is not negotiable.

Ahmed Abdulrahman, Kaduna <[email protected]>;