22 May 2009
editorial
Discerning Nigerians and indeed her friends are all agreed that by dint of her endowments Nigeria should be one of the foremost countries in Africa and the world. For many years, it has worked to earn this pre-eminence and the respectability that comes with it.
To this end, it had utilized its oil wealth to champion the cause of Africa and her peoples, particularly those under imperial and apartheid bondage. This was dramatically demonstrated in1976 when the Murtala Muhammed/Obasanjo administration succeeded in influencing African countries to recognize the MPLA movement as the bona fide liberation movement to form the government in Angola. This, along with her moral and financial support for majority rule in other Southern African countries won her huge goodwill and unquantifiable clout.
A cursory observation would reveal that all the respectability has waned and in some cases disappeared completely. Thanks largely to the unrelenting assault on the image of the country by 419ners, drug smugglers and other scammers who have continued to perpetrate their notorious acts. To this list add the new political elites whose members have elevated brigandage into an art form through looting of national wealth, turning the country into an object of derision by its peers. How, it is asked can a country so endowed with human, material and other resources be so abysmally inept and incapable of undertaking some acts so routinely done elsewhere including African countries.
Take for example the issue of conducting elections which has been done with clockwork efficiency in South Africa, Ghana and Benin Republic; in Nigeria every shot we have had at elections has been badly bungled with the rules governing the conduct stood on their heads by those charged with the assignment to the consternation of Nigerians and foreigners alike. There is also the self inflicted problem of the untidy manner in which routine foreign policy issues like the withdrawal of Nigeria's ambassador to the United States was handled. Indeed that matter and all the allegations around the sale of the embassy's properties are said to be engaging the minds of the country's diplomatic establishment instead of the more serious challenges the country faces.
All this has combined to portray Nigeria as irredeemable in its unrelenting tendency to do what is not wholesome; stubbornly refusing to follow the footsteps of those countries that have mustered the courage to insist on what is right. The result is that the nation is gripped by moral morass and ethical turpitude with young people thinking the only way to success is to cheat or steal. Nigeria's inability to come to grips with what it needs to do to create the desirable nation it ought to be, is increasingly turning it into a laughing stock.
Once courted for her views on the continent and elsewhere; she is now treated like a leper shunned in important gatherings and occasions which she should by right have been there. And so it was that invitation was not extended to Nigeria at the recent Group of 20 meeting held in London, the United States diplomatically turned down a request for a visit by President Umar Yar'adua to the US, and in his first trip to Africa, US President Barrack Obama chose to go to Ghana instead of Nigeria, formerly acknowledged regional giant
The reason for this is obvious: ever since it transited from military to democratic rule some two decades ago, Ghana has stuck religiously to the tenets of free and fair elections, transparency and good government; so much so that a ruling party has been successfully removed from power through the ballot. A well nigh impossible feat in Nigeria. Many see the humiliating treatment meted to President Umar Yar'adua at the inaugural ceremony of Jacob Zuma in South Africa as the nadir of Nigeria's 'clout in Africa. The president was literally tucked in some obscure corner at the occasion, indicating that Nigeria is quite low in the pecking order of African countries.
Daily Trust believes that the above scenario should exercise our collective minds and especially that of our leaders in order for us to begin to make amends to reclaim our rightfull position on the continent and the world at large.
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The world see Umaru Yar'Adua as a local TRIBAL POLITICIAN with almost no experience of WORLD POLITICS as opposed to the recognized PATRIOTIC OBASANJO who brought Nigeria into the lime light but was ironically almost humiliated by Nigerians. Obasanjo is regarded as one of the wise men of Africa outside Nigeria.
Even though Obama used to be a Ganja smoker, he is not to be seen hobnobbing with these guys who call themselves leaders in this our own Nigeria. So, he can not come here anytime soon in the name of oficial visit.
The order of the OBamanic service is so cellestial that it can not be afforded the opportunity of direct contact with such an indolent and never sincere leader as Yaradua.
Governance in Nigeria rode gleefully into the abyss of self destruction when Babangida allowed the devil to erect the headquarter of currupton in Nigeria. the same further sank into reprobacy during the day of OBJ's so called democratic administration.
But today there is a government in place with ears but cannot hear, with eyes but cannot see, with hands but can hardly fashion anything, with a mind viod of determination.
nigeria is showing the peculiarity of a Nation. it is currently affording the whole world an insight into the human behaviour during those far flung evolutuionary days of pre adamic existence.
Nigeria's dimming internatilnal stature! Hmmn. We will never be there untill all that culminated to the civil war is eradicated. And we must start by being fair to ourselves. We must jetisson all there quota system, federal character, practice true federalism, shun corruption,develop our infrastructure then and then, democracy will fit in without much ado. Anything other than this, we're just moving knowhere and not only Ghana will leave us behind but Burundi also and then we'll finally cap it with the inevitable dismemberment of the country. Cheers.
Nigeria's dimming international stature! Hmmn. We will never be there untill all that culminated to the civil war is eradicated. And we must start by being fair to ourselves. We must jetisson all these quota system, federal character rubbish, practice true federalism, shun corruption,develop our infrastructure then and then, democracy will fit in without much ado. Anything other than thesw, we're just moving knowhere and not only Ghana will leave us behind but Burundi also and then we'll finally cap it with the inevitable dismemberment of the country. Cheers.
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