DILEMMA OF CHOOSING ROLE MODELS AND ELECTING NIGERIAN LEADERS
By, Seye Adetunmbi (first written in 2006)
Growing up in Ifaki-Ekiti in the 1960s was real fun for me like any other vivacious and curious child in my situation because one knew no other place then. More often, whenever one recalls some of the many innocent pranks and intriguing childhood ignorance exhibited then, I have a belly laugh. The public primary schools available had very limited teaching aids except for few ones made by creative teachers in the junior classes. The language of instruction was the admixture of Ekiti dialect, Yoruba and English languages. Perhaps one had little privilege over some of my peers because of being surrounded by educated parents and siblings who were quite older and always there to school one each time I goofed. It was when one of them made jest of me when I referred to the sketch map of Nigeria to be the map of the world that I realized that there are other countries not to talk of planets. Most of the things children of these days learn in their private primary schools one didn't get to know them until secondary school days. I'm not sure I traveled outside Ekiti or saw television live until a trip with my venerable father to Ibadan when I was in the primary school. In fact, electricity did not get to Ifaki until 1976, then, you can guess when the first television was seen in the community.
Through radio powered by dry cell battery, Daily Times and Sketch newspapers which were supplied everyday; the family was kept abreast of what was happening in the outside world. Then, earth moving equipment like bull-dozers and graders were no common sights. But one day, the exact date I cannot recall; however, it was certainly during the civil war years in Nigeria 1967-1970, something like that was passing in the front of our house. I was so scared and ran to my senior ones and asked if the war that was so talked about was not approaching because I thought it was an armoured vehicle.
My father had a relation, uncle Sunday Omoboye of blessed memory who was in the army and looked like 'Rambo'! His nick name was 9-9 because he was said to have beaten 9 people at a go. Apparently he often took advantage of few times he was sent on an errand with a military jeep to pass through Ifaki and would stop over in our house. I was always too excited to see him because of the legendary stories my older relations told me about his physical strength. During one of his visits I went to ask him if it was true that some of his muscles were removed because he was too strong; the man laughed. I liked to touch his very big biceps.
At the peak of General Yakubu Gowon's popularity, he was always in the news. The handsome Head of State in his sharp ceremonial military dress often adorned the front pages of the newspapers were sufficient for me because I could not read and understand the stories after all. I still remember a particular signature tune on the radio with these words of "to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done"; there was a funny way I sang it along with the radio in Ekiti dialect coloration because I didn't get the exact words correctly until I grew older. Words like ogagun Gowon kept recurring in my ears to the extent that I thought that the position or the title of his office was GOWON. It never occurred to me that it was his name. As a matter of fact, at the height of my excitement one day, I ingenuously said in Ekiti dialect when I grow up, "mo fe je Gowon" (I want to be installed Gowon). I did not know the difference between his name and the office he occupied until my senior ones expressed amusement and tried to explain it to me. I needed to understand what a state means before I could comprehend what Head of State stood for.
I have been able to appreciate better the ordeal of meeting the challenges of my very inquisitive mind in those days from my parenting experience with Oluwadara, my 3 years old daughter in 2006 who wanted me to put on dark glasses in the house. I told her that it is a sun glasses, then her follow up questions was: what is sun? Luckily that day and time, the sun was up, bright and shinning and I was able to show her. But I soon realized how difficult it is to satisfy the inquisitive mind of a child. Dara kept coming with more questions just because I would not wear my sunglasses inside the house. Her next question was who put the sun in the sky? I said God. Then, she asked: where is God? I said in the heaven. Then you can by now guess the next question: where is heaven? I just kept pointing to the sky!Anyway, I had to go through all this length to pep up our consciousness on the reality of the fact that the choice of leaders at all tiers of governance should not be taken lightly because they impact a lot on the psyche of the innocent minds and youths. Those people who say they are not interested in politics because things seem okay for them or could not be bothered, put their children and grandchildren at the risk of choosing wrong role models. Bad governance breeds imps and when they are awake, the contented cannot sleep peacefully. Interestingly, a frequently recurring act in the absence of feasible alternatives may assume the status of a norm, which may be difficult to let go by anyone who has inculcated such a wrong habit. This is why corruption becomes a monster because those who entrenched it spend more time in government than the renewed effort to step it down to the barest level if complete eradication may be a mirage. It is almost becoming an aberration to do business without corrupting someone or being corrupted. The findings of EFCC on Petroleum Development Trust Fund in 2006 indicting senior Nigerian government officials is a major testimony and very appalling.
As a result of the carriage, poise and dignity some of the early distinguished Ekiti leaders put to their calling, most of the ambitious indigenes looked up to becoming a school principal like Senator Paul Anjorin Ogundipe (Ijesha Isu-Ekiti), Chief Ade Akomolafe (Ido-Ekiti), Chief Asebiomo (Igbara-Odo), Chief Areola (Ayedun-Ekiti), Venerable Ayo Ogunlade (Erinjinyan-Ekiti), Chief David Famoroti (Ifaki-Ekiti), Chief J. Ojo (Ifaki-Ekiti); Professors like Adegoke Olubummo (Orin-Ekiti), Daniel Funmilayo Ojo aka Ojo Ugbole (Igbole-Ekiti) and Ade Ajayi (Ikole-Ekiti) or Permanent Secretaries and technocrats such as Lady Jibowu (Ido Ile-Ekiti), Chief J. M. Akinola (Ido-Ekiti) etc Thank God, we have more of Ekiti indigenes in wider professional callings these days who are impacting positively on Nigerians.
However, actions of few elected officers in the ongoing democratic dispensation, as evident in their utterances, disposition to orderliness and decency as depicted on televisions constitute a put off sometimes. One can now appreciate better why General Olusegun Obasanjo was then quoted not to be excited in taking over the mantle of leadership when General Muritala Mohammed was assassinated because he could not fathom that a character like Dimka was gunning for the same office. Likewise one may be unenthusiastic to contest for elective posts that are presently occupied by uncultivated characters. Nevertheless, it is instructive that one must not because of irritants and opt to go blind; otherwise, the day inspiring souls are available one would not be able to see them. That may result into a regrettable miss.
Thus, the way some other elected officials in other states and levels of government have been going about their mandates persuades one not to give up. As a matter of fact an official encounter I had with the amiable, cultured, disciplined and focused Governor Donald Duke in his office sometime in 2003 further encouraged me not to relent in my effort to be prepared to serve my constituency at the instance of a collective initiative towards entrenching enduring good governance in Ekiti whenever such clarion call arises. The success he recorded on the Obudu Ranch and the international TINAPA tourism project may not come to most people who knew him closely as a surprise because he is a vibrant visionary and dedicated governor. In my opinion if Nigerians are ready for genuine paradigm shift and the ruling party in their search for Presidential candidate in 2007 and ready to give new breed of politicians a chance to continue this ongoing reforms, this guy may be a good material for the South-South people and the nation. However, if it is imperative to appease the South East zone and consider a credible and reliable character in the Ibo clan the international and highly prized civil servant Emeka Anyaoku could be packaged for 2007 in the manner of 'Obj 1999', Nigeria would be better for it provided the current reforms are sustained for the good of all.
Nevertheless, if the oppositions at any level are truly desirable of change; there is need for more functional planning and effective implementation strategy because propaganda is not adequate. This political class is faced with three practicable options: restructure their political party to be all inclusive; move en-mass to the ruling party and take control over time or make sure that a grand alliance of parties in this category works. Furthermore, political parties parading many aspirants at relevant levels should draw up a program whereby it is those accredited aspirants that will select the party flag bearer and make negotiation easier or reduces waste of resources. An alternative is to adopt the option A4 formula for all party carrying members to choose the party flag bearer. The traditional delegates approach gives room for money bags to be the major determinants and it often goes to the highest bidder and not a consensus candidate and those who lost out unjustly may team up with the opposition.
Multiparty system engenders healthy democracy and as such let all political parties go ahead and field candidates at every level where they have strength and win elections. When it comes to governorship and presidential elections, each political party in opposition should elect their flag bearers, thereafter all these contestants with the consent of their political party must not deceive themselves in choosing a commonly acceptable candidate. They will campaign together to the admiration of the electorate and be seen to be working together as a team. A workable alliance is the key to success; it must not be like the alliance of Zik and Awo who had mortal scores to settle; it must be made to work and seen to work. It should not be matter of polemics or rhetoric.
One important resolve that a consensus candidate must discern upfront is the fact that he/she is a candidate of a group beyond his/her primary political party and government will be formed based on a jointly drawn up program and duly executed pact. The beginning of making change possible is for those who desire it to accept the strength of incumbency and if any political party in the present dispensation thinks it can do it alone and dislodge or face the ruling party headlong, it may amount to a monumental wrong move. Once the common objective has been defined as change in the interest of all, then articulate the criteria for the kind of candidates required.
A sincerely coordinated coalition may do it. In addition to some basic unavoidable political considerations, we consider a biblical injunction: “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Exodus 18:21). This is a good guide and such candidate should be at home with the charge of being a servant-leader personified and should have capacity to be able to bring everyone together under a conducive atmosphere that will ensure confidence of all parties concerned in the treaty. Albeit, wherever consensus can not be reached, it is in most cases a manifestation of the inherent motive of the parties involved which is often not short of selfish and sectional interest. This should be avoided like a plague in the next political dispensation.
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