By Dele Sobowale
“There are some situations one simply cannot be neutral about; because when you are neutral, you become an accomplice” – Christiana Anampour, CNN.
For reasons too numerous to discuss, I had since my days in university vowed never to participate in politics by becoming a member of any political party. That should not be interpreted to mean that I was always neutral on issues concerning society over which politicians rule. In fact, there has never been a time when absolute neutrality was my stand. In the past, I had worked for Chief Awolowo and Buhari, Christian and Muslim, Yoruba and Fulani – on different occasions, based on my judgment, at the time, that they were the best presidential candidates.
Awolowo never made it; Buhari did and I will regret my support for the hypocrite forever. Consequently, I have never had a political party card; and it is not my intention to start now; particularly, when the options are, to say the least, so unappealing – given the horrible experience of Nigerians since 2015. Neutrality is out of the question; when Nigerian politicians are embarking on digging their own graves, as well as our own. Only God knows what we did to deserve this.
I watched the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja, two weeks ago, with the misgivings of someone attending a funeral after a monumental genocide. Nigeria’s democracy has been condemned to death at that convention, from the hands of politicians claiming to be political descendants of the founding fathers – Ahmadu Bello, Awolowo and Azikiwe (in alphabetical order, please); who must be rolling uneasily in their graves. Politicians, from all the 36 states of Nigeria, gathered ostensibly to attend a convention. Instead, they laid the foundation for three things which might not have been intended; but, which will occur eventually – one-man dictatorship, third term and life time presidency.
Already, one Yoruba traditional ruler is urging lawmakers in a National Assembly, NASS, still to be elected, to amend the constitution and allow a Third Term Presidency. Obviously, he has assumed that the 2027 election is a foregone conclusion. A fanatic, Sunday Igboho, seeking to secure a good appointment in the government, had become part of the advance team of demagogues who would not tolerate any criticism of their new god. Hitlerism started this way; most Germans were not aware of the ultimate consequences – until it happened and six million Jews, several million other ethnic minorities were slaughtered. If the horrors of the worst sort of dictatorship can happen in an advanced civilization, like Germany, worse can happen here – where jungle justice is more acceptable.
COMPROMISES OF POLITICAL COWARDS
“There is nothing more agreeable in this life than to make peace with the Establishment; nothing more corrupt.” – A J P Taylor, New Statesman.
Foreigners resident in Nigeria, as well as those keenly following events in this country, must be shaking their heads in disbelief. A long term American friend (we bbecame friends in my second year in the university, 1965-66, called me a week ago. His question summarises the bewilderment experienced by objective observers. “My friend, have you Nigerians gone totally nuts? Why are the politicians flocking to a leader under whose tenure your lives are infinitely worse than before?”
Good question; thee simple answer to which can only be: “because they are Africans and black men and women.” Look around the world and the Dark continent, and it id easy to discover that Africa comprises of the worst governed and most backward nations headed by dictators – civilians and military. It is still the largest Slaves continent in the world. Furthermore, the vast majority of us are quite contented to be enslaved by dictators; rather than risk being free. There are less than six democracies in the entire continent and Nigeria is about to reduce the number by one.
SILENCE OF PATRIOTIC MEN AND WOMEN MAKES THEM ACCOMPLICES
“In a sick country, every step to health is an insult to those who live on its sickness.” – Bernard Malamud 1914-1986, in THE FIXER.
Even the most charitable supporter of governments in Nigeria must admit, honestly, that this is a sick country. Even the village idiot knows that it is impossible to cure a serious pandemic by allowing those who infected everybody to run the health sector. I am keenly aware that courage, which is the finest of all human attributes, is very rare among people. But, wholesale surrender to fear, either for material gain or personal safety, is what has kept Africa down and backward since the dawn of history. Through the 200 years of the slave trade, white men never went inland to capture slaves. Our conscienceless fore-fathers, including empire builders, did the dirty jobs. Paul Barre is in France, Kagame and Museveni are on ground in Cameroun, Uganda and Rwanda, respectively, terrorizing their people because they have installed slave-holders, called security men, to hold down the millions of cowards in their countries for years. Nigeria is heading that way; unless enough patriotic and non-partisan Nigerians rise up and save the nation from a civilian government worse than Abacha’s.
Don’t say “it can’t happen here”. America, today, symbolizes what can happen when good people sit back and confidently assume that their freedoms are secure – until a Trump steps up. Few people believed him when he casually remarked that “I will be a dictator”. They clapped at the campaign rallies where he said this. Now, they have a President who insults the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice and other justices. Anything can happen when a dictator assumes power – including getting you killed. More on this later.
WHY WRITE THIS NOW?
“Our lives begin to end; the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Rev (Dr) Martin Luther King, Jr, 1929-1968.
To me, democracy matters, freedom matters. That was why, unlike the cowards, who ran to exile during Abacha’s murderous dictatorship, I did not cut and run – even when I had the easiest opportunity to flee. Instead, from August 1994, on this page, Abacha was battered verbally until his death on June 8, 1998. At almost 82, I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life worshipping a human god created by yellow-belly politicians.
Almost every Third Term Presidency had ended in Life Presidency – if it is not terminated by violent, usually military, uprising – Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, William Tubman, Robert Mugabe, Kabila, Mobutu, Uganda, Rwanda, Cameroun,
MOST OF THE ACCOMPLICES END AS VICTIMS
“….people and governments never have learnt anything from history…” – George Hegel, 1770-1831.
For those who are now eagerly sowing the seeds of our destruction, as well as theirs, the true story of Professor George Saitoti, 1945-2012, former Kenya’s Vice President, under Arap MOI, 1924-2020, should serve as a warning to those eager to promote dictatorship in Nigeria. George was my senior by one year, and my friend, as an undergraduate, reading Economics in the 1960s. He was brilliant; too brilliant, as a matter of fact. He returned to Kenya after bagging a Ph.D, taught in the university for a while, before being appointed a Minister. After serving in two other Ministries, he became the Minister of Finance and quickly got promoted as Vice President. Neither George nor anybody else could have known that his good luck was coming to an end. As Interior Minister, he had helped to delete virtually all of Arap Moi’s political opponents. Moi ruled for twenty four years, after amending the constitution to allow multiple tenures – thanks to George.
Then, the roof caved in. Moi was getting too old; and Kenyans were sick and tired of the old man. Rumours started flying, amplified by TIME Magazine, touting George as the successor to Moi. The old man was not ready to go. First, Saitoti was poisoned; next he disappeared for a long time and only re-emerged after Moi left office. Still, his enemies were not finished with him. He died in a mysterious helicopter crash on June 10, 2012. Speculators attribute the death to planned assassination.
Moral of the story? Be careful when promoting dictators; you might become a victim of the monster you create. Ever heard of Beria? He was Stalin’s Chief Security Officer; who helped the Russian maximum dictator to send over 20 million people to early graves until he faced a firing squad himself – when newspapers described Beria as the “second most powerful man in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR. Dictators hate 2ICs. Those seeking to be closest to the throne better acquire a coffin and grave first. Dictators are also predators. Today you sit at their table (remember General Diya?); tomorrow you are on the menu.
WILL NIGERIAN POLITICIANS LISTEN?
“Washing a donkey’s head is a waste of water.” Italian Proverb.
Attempting to wash the heads of 100,000 donkeys would require emptying all the water in the Abuja waterworks; and it would still be to no avail. Africans have written very little of their own history; and they seldom read it. It will be amazing if Nigerian politicians pull back from the brink of self-destruction. I wait to see the miracle occur. Myopic leaders constitute the black man’s burden. No hope for salvation.
Fortunately, the dictator eventually passes on, either by coup or to eternity. All the monuments erected for his vainglory are demolished. Then, it is dust to dust e.g Stalin.
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