Nigeria @ 60: Revolution of values inevitable

By Richard Odusanya

It takes courage to be different. You must be courageous to step into the great unknown in order to discover your purpose and awaken greatness that is inside of you.

Nigeria’s relationship with corruption, selfishness and systemic poverty has turned the average Nigerian into money slaves. It is sad, the Giant of Africa is a sham and now a new Nigeria we seek as it will be unfair and shameful to pass the current state of our nation to the next generation.

A country where you can’t walk in peace because there is no security, a country that can’t provide 24 hours electricity for her citizens, a country where you give yourself light by fueling your generator, a country that can’t provide good health services, a country that can’t protect your interest in a foreign country, a country that is the largest oil producing nation in Africa but have epileptic refineries, erratic fuel price increase leading to excruciating pain on the citizens.

A country that can’t provide good roads, a country where poulteries are finer than classrooms and graduates can’t write about themselves. A country can’t provide quality education. A country where armed robbers inform police of their upcoming operation in a particular area. A country where nurses and doctors bark at patients frustration while patients beg with his money.

A country where police brutalize innocent people on the streets and take them to prison without explanation or trial, a country where politicians and military generals see it as a corporation and loot the allocations at federal, state and local government level, a country where good job opportunities are kept for the elites children, a country where the constitution protects the elite but prosecute the common man is not and if you make any protest, it’s deem as an act of terrorism.

What exactly is Nigeria providing for her Citizens? Nigerians just camouflage their woes with the feeling of “e go better”, which we all know is never going to happen without hard-work, good thinking and a strong strategic direction for the country. And definitely, not being silent in the face of wickedness. The Nigeria leadership system is deeply corrupt and insensitive to the plight of the hapless masses. When other nations are putting palliative measures, stopping interest rates and payments on loans, Nigeria is doing the opposite. Such a country deserves civil disobedience and revolution to get back on track.

Major General Muhammad Buhari’s administration has widened Nigeria’s fault lines on grounds of nepotism,  cliquishness, recklessness and corruption. It came as no shocker, when Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said Nigeria is slowly becoming a failed state and a basket case that urgently needs to be pulled from the brink of collapse and that only self-deluded people would claim that all is well in Nigeria.

The Balogun-Owu on Thursday 10th September, 2020 while delivering a speech titled, “Moving Nigeria Away from Tipping Over” at a consultative dialogue attended by various socio-cultural groups including Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo and Pan Niger Delta Forum said:

“I do appreciate that you all feel sad and embarrassed as most of us feel as Nigerians with the situation we find ourselves in. Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state; economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world, and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and insecure country. And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country. Old fault lines that were disappearing have opened up in greater fissures and with drums of hatred, disintegration and separation and accompanying choruses being heard loud and clear almost everywhere.”

Recently, also speaking on Nigeria slowly becoming a failed state was Elder statesman and playwright, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Tuesday 15th, 2020. Soyinka in a statement signed from his Autonomous Residence of Ijegba, Idi-Aba Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday titled, “Between ‘Dividers-in-chief’ and Dividers-in-law.”

Soyinka said, “I am notoriously no fan of Olusegun Obasanjo, General, twice former president and co-architect with other past leaders of the crumbling edifice that is still generously called Nigeria. I have no reasons to change my stance on his record. Nonetheless, I embrace the responsibility of calling attention to any accurate reading of this nation from whatever source, as a contraption teetering on the very edge of total collapse. We are close to extinction as a viable comity of peoples, supposedly bound together under an equitable set of protocols of co-habitation, capable of producing its own means of existence, and devoid of a culture of sectarian privilege and will to dominate.”

Nevertheless, just like the Nobel laureate Prof. Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka, we may also not agree with Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on many issues, but we thank him for aligning with our position completely on the various issues we raised. If only the present gladiators would be equitable enough to see the advantage of people’s friendly policies as against the draconian measures, the guarantee of harmonization between us is certain, just as it is happening with the Former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The swift response to the clarion call of “Why Nigeria Needs A Revolution” by men of good conscience, especially from the Balogun-Owu, two times Head of State Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the Global Icon Prof. Wole Soyinka is a welcome addition; including the visas restrictions on Nigeria elections riggers by the United States of America as announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday 14th September, 2020 as a stiffer sanctions against malfeasance during elections, which has been promoted by the current government under the leadership of Major General Muhammad Buhari.

Major General Muhammad Buhari, deliberately, refused to ascent to be electoral act as passed by the 8th National Assembly four different times, this is to enable fraudulent practices during and after elections. The Nigeria electoral system under this current administration has been characterized with brazen abuse and destruction of our democratic and electioneering process. Imagine, a year gone and NASS, INEC are still slow dragging on electoral reforms. Major General Muhammad Buhari deliberately withhold assent to the electoral act four different times is a tacit support for mismanagement and violations of the electoral process. Do you still need any more evidence to prove that this government is wicked?

The United kingdom joined United States of America in the sanctions yesterday with assets seizures. We further seek for greater sanctions against poor leadership and bad governance, from the UN Secretary General, European union commission and other stakeholders. A new Nigeria requires a revolution of values. We need to erase the idea that there is a national cake, run our economy profitably and hold our leaders to account. We need People who will discourage favoritism and encourage meritocracy irrespective of your region or religion and a paradigm shift from the bad system.

Conclusively, it is pertinent to mention that the Democracy we are all enjoying today is a product of sacrifice and was purchased at a great price, without any meaningful contribution from the present gladiators who through scheming became the beneficiaries and toying with Nigeria Destiny. Therefore, we call on our compatriots, men of good conscience, religious leaders and the international community to make efforts to salvage the present ugliness.

Richard Olanrewaju Odusanya
Convener AFRICA CONVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE (ACRI).