By Sixtus Chibueze Ezennaya
THE apostle of democracy dividend is the ex-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State. He invented the language in one of his numerous lectures while in office. But incidentally many of Chimaroke Nnamani’s colleagues in office became Pharaohs despite presenting themselves as Moses. They never delivered the dividend of democracy.
That Nigerians have suffered tremendously in the hands of their political brothers and sisters since 1999 cannot be gainsaid. What they said at the going of Eke Market day was not what they said when Eke market was returning. As Owerri is thinking of Egbu, incidentally Egbu is not thinking of Owerri.
They call themselves politicians making people believe that politics is all about deceit, killing, ritual murder, maiming, cheating, stealing, embezzlement and hijacking of other people’s political mandate. Why must a Nigerian politician take solace that he is referred to as being “deadly”, ruthless and ever ready “to do anything” to clear any obstacle on the way to his political victory? They make people believe that if you are not a rogue, a liar, a killer, if you are not mischievous, unnecessarily and foolishly smart and clever, you cannot participate in politics. This is very untrue. President Goodluck Jonathan once said, “I don’t tell lies and say I am playing politics. Lies are lies”.
Politics has never, is never and will never be the game of a dishonest men and cowards. Politics is also not for drop outs in their life pursuits, failed ambitions, school drop outs, certificate forgers. Some women who think that politics is where men are hunted, may be deceiving themselves. Nunquam Nunquam, (never never). The vulture has no business with the barber.
In the white-man’s world where politics originated, only people of tabula raza, those who have no skeleton in their cupboard go into politics as only men with clean hands go to equity. Ehud Omad resigned as Prime Minister of Israel to enable him fight the corruption charge preferred against him. Thabo Mbeki of South Africa resigned as a President because of his indictment by a judge who tried Jacob Zuma for corruption.
The judge reprimanded Thabo Mbeki for putting more pressure on the prosecutor to influence decision. Mildly put, he was accused of interrupting with the corruption case charge against Jacob Zuma. United States New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer, resigned after being linked to a prostitution ring. He was allegedly identified by Federal Agents arranging to meet a prostitute in a Washington hotel. Mr. Spitzer, a leading Democrat told a crowded news conference, “I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the public work.
I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong”. What made Abraham Lincoln President of USA or Francois Mitterrand President of France having failed many elections, was not their parties, creeds, colour, sentiments or education rather their life philosophies, tenacity of purpose and perseverance. What they said synchronized with their actions. So, their country men and women saw the infrastructures in them and believed that they would be superstructures hence their elections.
The white-man politician is not dirty but clean and selfless. He is a servant–leader, doing the will of those he represents. He does not apportion himself fattest salaries as a legislator neither does he live in the best of buildings. He does not ride the best of cars or move with convoy and siren. He is properly accountable to the people as a good turn secures another tenure for him.
But here only five or six months after the swearing in ceremony, the politicians would start to campaign for another tenure. The governor constitutes a quasi-organization, buys a quasi–newspaper or students’ union award, mandates the Information Ministry to produce a promotional jingle to extol his self–acclaimed achievements and righteousness that takes about five minutes during the news time. At every yearly anniversary of his regime, pages of newspapers are filled with list of his unfinished projects, many of them complete falsehood. These are repeated yearly with the same pictures.
The governor also arranges for political visits to traditional rulers where he donates vehicles, market women where he donates bags of rice and wrappers etc. For student union, he donates buses and to the unemployed he arms them with dangerous weapons. A governor from the South West was asked by reporters why he was never tired of appearing in the billboard even when he has won the election as a governor, he retorted, “Coca-cola still advertises”.
The white-man does not do such things. That is black-man’s politics. Much as political jingles and all these Greek gifts like advertisement create awareness of somebody’s existence, intention or ambition, the political victory deserves to go to or belong to a political achiever. Politics is dirty and politicians corrupt, people often say. If this is true and if there are people who can “de-dirty” and “de-corrupt” the system, in Nigeria, it is the type that play white-man’s politics and not those who play the politics of a black-man. I have often asked myself whether a black-man is also black in the heart. But Nelson Mandela is a black-man.
If there is anytime that corruption would be tackled in Nigeria, it should start from the head down to the toe as a cock does not mate with the hen with its neck being unaware.
The he–goat or billy-goat is usually used to cleanse all the abominations having impregnated its own mother. Every Nigerian politician should play politics without bitterness, with dignity, truth, zeal to work for the people and commitment. Nigerian politicians should be chastised and criticized for derailing, de-focusing and demeaning the political office holding.
Finally, the greatest asset and legacy of a family are the children not property or wealth accumulated. In the same manner what a political administration achieved not its liabilities are its legacies. The number of people it empowered not the number that died through its mis-governance is what gives a good leader joy.
The countenances on the faces of the citizens will tell every governor if he has done well. From the reaction of the spectators, a masquerade will know when it dances well.
Ezennaya is the Asst. State Secretary APGA, Abia State