We have three major candidates now in the ring. Not one of them is a saint; not ONE Nigerian is! All three have baggages hanging on their neck. The difference between the three is in the degrees. But then choose we must, ONE out of the three. Wish angels can come from above for this exercise. But then, angels don’t hear such clarion calls. They can only work with humans.
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Whom amongst the three are angels likely going to work with inspite of the fact our ways are not always their ways?
The one with the less baggage and the ONE that is most likely going to be Obidient!
Two of the three have baggages that stinks not only to the homosapiens but also to high heavens! The two had no visible/known industry/enterprise that could justify their stupendous wealth until they became Public Servants!
The third was already a billionaire and director on board of several companies before he became a Public Servant.
Two of them were Governors in two different States of the federation. One of the two was known as “bu je, bu danu”! Of course, this endeared him to crumb eaters, and those who have for long been denied development.
So whatever gets thrown at them in the name of development, is enveloped in spin propaganda such that they sung his praise so high undeservedly as if hypnotised.
It doesn’t matter to them if the contracts and value of these ‘developments’ come highly opaque and deeply enmeshed in corruption as it could ever get! The other, was labelled ‘Stingy’ because he wouldn’t do Father Christmas with his charge.
He ran a decent administration and most possibly could have achieved more if he had a constructive and less hostile House of Assembly to work with!
He became one of the very few, if not the only one ex-Governor that never had corruption cases with the anti-graft agencies.
Now, who of these two should naturally have an appeal consideration assuming our society is sane enough? The more frugal and service inclined, of course!
But then our people speak from both sides of the mouth. They like to shift the buck and bane to the people instead of leadership, and talk of Nigeria only getting better when the people “are ready” for it! And even when the people are evidentially showing up they “are ready”, they in systemic and deceptive manner continue to root for the old order! How do we revel in sin expecting grace to suffice?
If we all support the one with the less baggage to office and he does not measure up after four years, we throw him out. But if he performs, we renew the mandate as is done elsewhere in advanced democracies. If we are able to perfect this over a period of time, perhaps leaders will begin to emerge that will no longer take the people for granted!
How on earth do you reward a character who ‘solely’ installed in office the villain that have brought this nation to this sordid pass, with an electoral return to the same office? Which sane nation does that?
Bunmi Daramola writes from Lagos
