What
else should a conscious Nigerian be thinking about if not the oncoming national
elections. Of particular importance is the Saturday, March 28, Presidential
election. For one, it is an election that put up the commander in-chief
(President) of Nigeria affairs. And that matters a lot because in Nigeria the
president of Nigeria is like a God. Once there, the occupant of that exalted
office bounded by her philosophy may carry on with an unparalleled power to do
and undo. Perhaps due to the loopholes in the 1999 constitution, the person of
the office of president of Nigeria wield so much power that even in the face of
stiff opposition they remain unbending in implementing their unconstitutional and
acrimonious pursuit. That brings to mind the un-seeming presidential covering
of the case of illegal yet inflated bullet proof cars as bought by ministry of
aviation not too long ago which eventually stall the suppose prosecution
process.
The NLC Chairman, Mr Omar in his disappointment over the president body
language concerning the saga lamented ‘’does it mean that corruption is officially
recognised in Nigeria’’ ‘’despite all that is being said, nothing has changed.
What we expect is that the president should have asked Oduah to step aside’’.
Rather she became a regular travel accomplice of the president going from
Israel to Palestine in a manner that detail the entire presidency as defaulter
of conscience. Yet, the demeaning gambits that led to postponement of national
elections also lend credence to how office of the president can be misuse yet
unqueried. It becomes instructive to note that the person of the president is
critical to the success of the Nigeria project.
Against
the code of conduct for public officers as enshrined in 1999 constitution which
states that ‘’a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his
personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities…’’, a sitting
president earlier this year leveraged his high office to grab a prime land of
about 90:04 Ha in Abuja under the façade of using it for farming as well as one
of his cabinet minister that also grabbed 40:40 Ha in same Abuja. An overt
breach of constitution but being the pinnacle of power, the alpha and the omega,
he succeeded unchecked.
Put
succinct, the president is the messiah of Nigeria with the 1999 constitution
still in place. And that suggest that the magic wand capable of turning the
table for sheer prosperity lies in the quality of person occupying that office.
According
to Harry Truman, ‘’men make history and not the other way round. In periods
where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when
courageous, skilful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the
better’’. If the person of president is saint, courageous, incorruptible and of
humane spirit, then Nigerians can expect a steady change in all the facets of
the economy. Ofcourse, as of now it should be clear to all of us that a weak
person cannot battle-win the monster called corruption that have been allowed
to fester for so long. In 2014, Ibrahim index of African governance (IIAG)
rated Nigeria as the worst governed country in the continent with 45.8% score
which was lower than 51.5%, the average benchmark for Africa. Of recent the BBC
places Nigeria as the third most poverty ridden country in the world –
saddening, a country as rich as Nigeria still suffers from poverty, a symbolism
of unequal and unfair society where few make excess wealth at the expense of
majority. This to me is a consequence of weak leadership: leadership that has
not the courage to face corruption in the face and stamp out class wealth
syndrome, leadership that is as clueless as being lost on the difference
between stealing and corruption, leadership whose self-preservation in office
matters more than the people he leads.
One
thing stronger than all the armies in the world they say, is an idea whose time
has come, if Nigerians really want to emancipate themselves from widespread
poverty and grip of insecurity, they must as a matter of importance vote for no
other person but that which has a zero tolerance for corruption. That which has
a fearless mind to step on toes of those political profiteers who carry on with
lifestyle that runs against the law.
Frankly, the sins of government under Jonathan
is endless and all to a discerning mind signals him as being a too weak or
perhaps a bereft being. The time has come when power must change hand.
A
time like this demand strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands.
Men whom the lust of office does not kill. Men whom the spoils of office cannot
buy. Men who possess opinion and a will. Men who have honour, men who will not
lie, men who can stand before a demagogue and damn his treacherous flatteries
without winking! Man of integrity and profound initiatives who will not amass
public wealth for selfish end yet engage their foresight in entrenching common
prosperity. This time, in this election, we must vote not a weakling but a
capable man. And that capable man, yours sincerely, is General Muhammadu Buhari,
vote for him.
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