AS if rascally behavior of the political elites and militias were not enough for us all to be cynical many untruths were peddled . Some otherwise educated people turned facts of history up-side-down churning out falsehood without any iota of shame all for power and ambition For example on 21-3-2011 I watched Femi Fani –kayode on NTA. Words from him would be unhelpful to post election reconciliation efforts. It calls to mind his past hostile attacks on the Ibos in Lagos and some respected Nigerians many of them much older than himself. It may be his way of life but as leaders we should be careful with our utterances for they could serve as basis of evaluation and assessment of the speaker. I am thus worried more here by the many untruths and misinformation about the history of Nigeria. For the sake of tomorrow let’s do the right thing today. For the sake a better Nigeria and education of our children let’s set the record right. They could mislead the youth and hurt society at large severely.
Like many politicians Femi often talks out of context and deliberately distorts facts of history but by so doing they hurt their cause badly and mislead some others. There is no virtue in lying. Apart from the intelligent use of his past vituperations against president Jonathan during campaigns by the opposition to deride his Principal, his reference to the 1980S military era did no harm to Buhari. Unwittingly it promoted Buhari as a tough man who was in control of the situation, knew what to do and was determined to make the best out of a bad situation in the National interest.
Military rule is part of the Nigerian history –an era of its own-a fag that later became the faded that cannot be denied. The coup of 1983 was a military affair and not an individual thing and it was allegedly staged to correct some abuses and injustice in the political system. It was as popular and desirable as that of January 1966.Buhari was selected Head of State by his military mates ostensibly because of his leadership qualities. And he ruled the country in a military style which was then acceptable in the absence of democracy. At home and abroad Buhari accepted his leadership role as head of state but now he is a democrats. ‘No condition is permanent’ says the great Zik to OKadigbo. Saint Paul was once known as Saul the persecutor of Christians but later became a great exponent of Christianity. So it is not strange that Buhari has declared himself a democrat and who knows what history holds in stock here.
Contrary to some historical accounts recently advertised it was not under Buhari but Shagari’s government that foreigners- mostly Ghanaians were checked out of Nigeria for economic and visa reasons bordering on violation of immigration rules and regulation in the early 1980s. I was then a post graduate student in England and as Chairman, Nigerian Society in Swansea I was on Radio Swansea to defend Nigerian position. Nigeria was taken to the OIC under IBB and that led to disagreement between Navy Commodore Ukiwe and IBB leading to former’s removal from government. Let us leave the story of Gloria Okon because it is too complicated but suffice to observe that she was not executed by the government of General Buhari. General Buhari’ military government was simply strict on indiscipline, queuing for service, corruption, and drug peddling for which it made harsh edicts hopefully to curb them.
Life is not about politics alone and it certainly goes beyond the 2015 elections. In the interest of scholarship, knowledge and development we could make our point, advance the cause of our candidates without telling lies. Nation-states are built on trust, truth shared vision and values. Context matters in leadership .As military head of state Buhari was a successful, patriotic and effective leader who brought discipline and hope to bear on a country that was in disarray at the time.
Perhaps things were simpler for him because unlike constitutional democracy with its preset rules, check and balances, Buhari only needed the consent of his core military colleague to function. And there were laws enacted by the military and mountains of inherited injustice and decay to check at the time. Could Kayode have forgotten how bad those times were, the stench of corruption, how Chief Obafemi Awolowo was rigged out of power during election- making the sage to say that the country would not know democracy for long? Could he have forgotten that there was the need to clean the slate at the time and to punish evil? In a word Buhari displayed the traits of leadership which the situation demanded and only time will tell if he would be a good democratic leader if elected President.
The argument that old age is a barrier in leadership is one of the heresies of the season of political madness in Nigeria. It started to rear its ugly head during Military era especially IBB’s with its obsession with ‘new breed politician- a concept that was never properly defined but was used to ban some politicians in its transition program. However the idea was re- invented and sustained by some young governors after the 2009 elections obviously to monopolize power. They started a hate-preaching against older people by calling on anyone above the age of 50 years to quit politics. Many of them ended up as failed governors and are today still in active politics long after they had crossed their 50year divide.
While it amounts to a travesty of the African values where leadership, wisdom and reverence are accorded the older segment of society, it suffices to observe that there are early risers and late starters. Leadership cuts across ages. Most of our villages are governed by a council of elders-usually the first four or seven oldest people and the Senate or Upper house of constitutional democracy is often occupied by older people. Monarchy has no upper age limit, yet they are in leadership. Even in classical studies leadership operates irrespective of age and it would appear that the older, the better with experience and depending on the task in view.
Thus nothing could be more misleading than political argument based on old age as witnessed during the recent campaigns with its prospect of denying the nation the opportunity of sourcing for the best hands and weakening the basis of trust and unity of the country. It is not a sin to be old and willing to service if one has the energy, skills and knowledge but it is a great sin and shame for anyone-both young and old to be corrupt, morally bankrupt and to hop from one contradictory platform to another like a prostitute without noble principles in greedy chase of money and power for self-aggrandizement.
For a speedy reconciliation after the elections there is need to be committed to truth. After the rains comes sunshine. Both president Jonathan and former Head of state Buhari have strengths and weaknesses and each can be projected and sold on his merit without resort to lies, historical distortions and character assassination. The choice before the voters is between Change and Continuity but whoever wins needs a country to govern and one large Nigeria would be better than any of its fragmented part(s).
With knowledge, truth, honesty, trust, fair-play and justice, a better future can be built. We must stop the gospel of hate and falsehood in the national interest. W e must learn to do the right things always. The campaigns created dangerous mindset and uncomfortable scenario of grudges and bitterness informed by deliberate false hood and misinformation. It was song of war all the way with dreadful prospect for our collective existence. As indicated earlier, this is the time to commence the process of healing by staging free , fair and credible elections as planned.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan
