Nigeria in the throes of power beyond limits! (1)

There is a lot of official motions to factor the vision into the rubric of political strategies of the State. Unfortunately, as the year 2015 closes in on us, with still so much to do to deliver on the promise of 2012, the system has begun to be so heated up by the partisan politicians […]

There is a lot of official motions to factor the vision into the rubric of political strategies of the State. Unfortunately, as the year 2015 closes in on us, with still so much to do to deliver on the promise of 2012, the system has begun to be so heated up by the partisan politicians at a level that bespeaks crass absurdity. The Absurd, in conventional theatrical terms,—in a layman’s language resonates  Cluelessness of purpose and motivation in existence, disjointedness in structure of living and the language of expressing that formlessness of the state of being, hopelessness and a certain meaninglessness of life and living.
 Many people with the slimmest familiarity with the humanistic discipline of the theatre know about the Theatre of the Absurd—as especially typified and exemplified by the slim classic of the British playwright Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot.   Two seamless and purposeless characters wait, not for God, as may be suggested in the title, but for no one in particular—they express this waiting in a language and actions that are at best definable as incoherent babbling. The pattern of their waiting lacks pattern, form and compass.
Now, when one reads a certain amount of factuality—or reality—into this formless, purposeless  and absurd state of theatrical affair in a way that defines the state of our polity in fictional terms, then one is likely to be perceived , with a sleight-of-hand, as incurably and profoundly cynical. No patriot or discernible public commentator can afford to be in such a stoic state of resignation about the possibility of a nation in which he passionately believes and lives with unrelieved commitment. Is this a preference for absurd stage craft due to a crass absence of statecraft in the nation’s body-politic? Is this a signal of the failure of statesmanship in pursuit of greedy politics? Is this where the country—the largest black settlement of the world should be headed?
Nigeria, as manned by the operators of our ‘struggling democracy’ today exemplifies the cockerel that is totally oblivious of its seniority—to translate a Yoruba saying about one who is being looked up to as a model but who constantly disappoints and plays a saddening second fiddle. I am writing this moment from Freetown, Sierra-Leone—a country which shares many positive and negative existential features and characteristics with Nigeria. But this is no moment to go into that comparative narrative. Sierra-Leone, like many other nations on the West African coast (with the possible, over-exaggerated exclusion of Ghana) adores Nigeria with a humbling, unabashed passion. Everywhere you go in Sierra-Leone—from State House to the market place, from Ministries, Departments and Agencies to Mama Put, the swan song is of praise, genuine and passionate expression of gratitude to Nigeria as the mode and language of welcome. Sierra Leone has cause to be grateful to Nigeria for the role she played in terminating the near-motiveless fratricidal war it prosecuted for ten years and which ended eleven years ago. True, Nigeria at the head of ECOMOG, indeed as ECOMOG, committing a whooping $5 billion and a few thousands of her men to the bargain, made inimitable sacrifice to save that country from total disintegration. But it must be said that the unequivocal manner in which the people of Sierra-Leone express their gratitude to Nigeria is altogether disarming. But that is not the total story. The nation looks up to Nigeria as a model for the transformation of Africa. Other West African countries that I have visited in the last few years—including  Guinea Conakry and Senegal—carry the same burden of longing, that Nigeria, their big brother (not the Big Brother ad nauseum raging on the screen nowadays!), will show the way in the transformation of the African dream as the next hub in global development. Even South Africa, which also owes Nigeria unquantifiable gratitude for playing the role of a frontline state in the liberation struggle for independence from the heinous Apartheid regime, but which, unlike Sierra-Leone, gives the open political impression of utter contempt for Nigeria! Surely, this is no more than a façade, as the official attitude to Nigeria reveals one of mutual respect, and South Africa is innately aware that it cannot afford to ride Nigeria rough-shod.
Now, what is the issue at stake here?  The world is at the feet of Nigeria. Nature beckons us to covetable greatness. Our neighbours are at our feet, waiting for us to make the great, critical leap—at a moment like this in the global economy, where the developed world has got to its cealing and may have begun its journey down the ladder of growth. What else can be responsible for the frenzy to make the neo-liberal world shrink into a tiny global space? (called Globalization and/or Glocalization)? The BRICS countries, the current ‘rave’ in global economic ascendancy, have themselves begun to show strains in their GDP/GNP. There is crisis in Brazil as evident in the raging tension in the streets. Russia’s competitiveness is not on the rise. India is doing very well but the recent showing of its currency betrays rising inflation. China is the big contender for leadership in economic power but there are a lot of issues around that contention, including its very myopic body language in Africa, as exemplified in Sierra-Leone as we shall later discuss. Singapore has, of course,  stabilized as a ‘First World’. Africa is the focus of the world whose economies stand a good chance of rising unto great heights in the next few decades. Nigeria holds the ace, if it develops the right attitude, consciousness, builds the required structures and institutions and finds the correct, functional and visionary leadership.  The signals are positive but there are too many impediments and hindrances—self inflicted.     
The smaller countries on the West African coast and in ECOWAS enthuse with pride in the potentialities of Nigeria to lead the bang in the economic explosion of the continent. They are entranced with longing for the day.
Look at what the political and power elite of the country are doing with the possibilities and expectations of the whole continent for Nigeria to provide the model of economic breakthrough! I shall get back to the story of Sierra-Leone which I began to mention earlier on. But just imagine the rudderless manner the political elite carries on with the serious business at hand. An unstable, heated up, insecure and   violence-prone polity, led by petty-minded politicians and political parties, cannot play the role of master-minding Africa’s quest for economic transformation and democratic leadership in a competitive world. Witness the absurd goings-on in the political party that controls the centre of governance today! Everybody is talking about the wanton and prodigal politicking going on in River State where the State government and its stride toward advancement and good governance is being wafted on the altar of ‘reckless’ politicking , with the alleged active engagement of the central government in the democratic distraction. And this is just one example of the self-distraction of the leadership of this potentially great leader of world economies. How far more absurd can we get?  How far beyond limits can the tussle for raw power take our political elite, to the crass detriment of good governance?