On ruling people through deceit
The greatest American President apart from Abraham Lincoln is J.F. Kennedy. Back home here in Nigeria, from the Nigerian perspective, the two former leaders people are still honestly passionate for their leadership are Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Murtala Muhammed. Muhammadu Buhari, J.F. Kennedy and Murtala Muhammed have a few things in common. They never stayed […]
The greatest American President apart from Abraham Lincoln is J.F. Kennedy. Back home here in Nigeria, from the Nigerian perspective, the two former leaders people are still honestly passionate for their leadership are Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Murtala Muhammed.
Muhammadu Buhari, J.F. Kennedy and Murtala Muhammed have a few things in common. They never stayed up to two years in power. But in as much as life exists here on earth, their pride of place is assured and insured in history. Compare that to Mobutu Sese Seko or even some former leaders here in Nigeria who overstayed their welcome and are now wishing they never came near the seat of power in the first place. They now look for every opportunity by attending all funerals and weddings to make amend and want to make themselves look as if they have changed for the good. In life, whenever any opportunity presents itself, do good to all men and be selfless in service to humanity. What am I driving at with the above story? In leadership position(s), it is not how long, but how well policies were executed. Otherwise, juxtapose eight years of misrule to 20 months of purposeful leadership or even six months and look at what is written in history. The difference is simply clear.
If Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s yes-men are honest to themselves, let them take a closer look at Yar’adua’s picture taken on 29th May, 2009 and his picture which was flashed on the Daily Trust website of Monday, 30th November, 2009. It is either they are callous and want to maximise their looting spree while keeping Yar’adua there as a figurehead or that their conscience doesn’t work anymore as typical Nigerian elite who derive maximum pleasure from the sufferings of other Nigerians.
In life, nobody is indispensable since we are all mortals. Barely 10 years ago, we had all forms of dubious individuals and groups falling over themselves that if there was no Sani Abacha in power, Nigeria would cease to exist; that Sani Abacha was the only capable Nigerian to rule probably over 100 million people. Sani Abacha’s enemies – imaginary or real or even those who risked their lives just like we are doing now – were hunted into prison. But one day early morning on 8th June, 1998, Abacha was no more and Nigeria is still here 10 years after.
King Solomon, reputed to be the wisest man to have ever lived, said in the Book of Ecclesiastes that, ‘Everything is meaningless,’ more so in this our modern world where not many people have lived up to 120 years yet. But we still have megalomania looters in Nigeria. If the stolen wealth from state treasury could prolong life, probably Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire wouldn’t have died. Even with the unquantifiable state funds that some former Nigerian leaders have stolen, they still have to move from one hospital to another all over the globe.
Unfortunately, most human beings do not learn from their immediate history. When they were in power, they refused to equip even one standard hospital in Nigeria where they can go to be managed. I may not be a doctor or nurse, but treatment of sickness is not only through drugs or medicine. I believe visits from relations and friends do give psychological healing. Tell me, how many relations and friends can afford to travel to Saudi Arabia or America to visit their sick relations on admission in ICU or cancer treatment units? The issue of visa will be the first obstacle as Saudi Arabian or American governments will be thinking that the Nigerians visiting their sick could abscond.
I still believe that all these monies wasted on going overseas for medicament can be used to equip one standard hospital in Abuja for the benefit of us all. There is every probability that there may be Nigerian doctors and nurses in the Saudi hospital managing President Yar’adua.
After seeing pictures of the interior of the hospital that Yar’adua is admitted in Saudi Arabia on pointblanknews.com, there is nothing special about it. I saw a trolley, a double-seat settee and a cupboard. If Yar’adua were to be admitted in Nigeria, all the outcries and confusions in the land would have been avoided. But the average Nigerian elite and their stooges have always rejected the truth.
Nelson Mandela fought apartheid to a standstill in South Africa. He was in power for only one term of four years and followed the Charles de Gaulle principle of being dispensable. Even Jerry Rawlings, the father of modern Ghana after steadying the Republic of Ghana on its feet, decided to go honourably. People of honour will always know when to go, but not in Nigeria, especially when there are those who feed fat on the ill-health and misfortune of a leader. Those who were chorusing that Abacha was the only Nigerian who could rule in 1998 are still here enjoying their ‘war bounty’ while Maryam Abacha is still nursing her wounded pride.
Those who love Umaru Yar’adua honestly and sincerely will advise him to leave Aso Rock Villa and its many Nigerian problems. After all, he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. We know that life and death are in the hands of God, but heaven they say, helps those who help themselves.
For all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing —Edmund Burke (1729-1797). Gara rayeyen kare da macecen zaki inji karin Magana.
Babrik can be reached through [email protected].