HUE AND CRY FOR MARGINALIZATION: IS POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS EQUIVALENT TO DEMOCRATIC DIVIDEND?
HUE AND CRY FOR MARGINALIZATION: IS POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS EQUIVALENT TO DEMOCRATIC DIVIDEND?
BY:
Nurudeen Dauda
March 28, 2016
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“It does not matter whether the Cat is black or white so long as it can catch Mice”- Deng Xiaoping
In my humble view, what should matter most to Nigerians is gaining the “Dividend of Democracy” irrespective who delivers it; we need good roads, schools, bridges, etc., whether through our kith and kins men or not. “Political appointments”, in my understanding, only empowers an “individual politician” while “Democratic Dividend” is for “collective empowerment” of the people.
Arguably 70% of the previous government’s appointments went to the Igbos and Ijaws but that didn’t make the “ordinary” “Igbos” and “Ijaws” men richer and better off than the rest of Nigerians. The immediate past minister of power was an Igbo man but that didn’t give more “electricity supply” to the Eastern part of this country. The immediate past president is from the “Niger Delta” area but for 6 years he could not clean off the environment.
If all the “political appointments” of this government are given to “Yorubas” and the North while all the roads, schools, and bridges etc., of the “South-East and the South-South zones are fixed then who benefits? In my opinion, the later benefits! The Igbos could only be marginalized if the “Dividend of Democracy” did not reach their zone. Political appointments is for those who contribute to electoral success; In my view, “electoral victory” is like a War Booties” which is only fair to be shared among those who contributed to victory not otherwise. However, “Democratic Dividend” has to go round to all zones which, of course, are what benefits the “masses” not political appointments.
In Nigeria unfortunately, we seem to be discussing, religion, region, ethnicity, zone, and states etc. regardless of whether we practice what the religion says or not and irrespective of the level of corruption or incompetence our “kith and kinsmen” we support them. In running a successful country it doesn’t matter whether the leader is white or black. We need leaders who are “transparent” to be appointed into “political offices” not our “kinsmen”. We need results not our “kinsman”. For corruption or poverty or unemployment has no clan, tribe, religion or region. No one chooses to be born as Yoruba or Igbo or Hausa or Fulani or Ijaw.
The immediate past government had its Minister of defense, National Security Adviser(NSA), Inspector General of Police(IGP) and Chief of defense staff(CDS) all as “Northerners” but there was never a time in history that “Northerners” were maimed ,massacred, abducted, bombed, and killed like that period.
The immediate past Vice president is from Kaduna state but that did not give more federal roads constructions, bridges and electricity supply to Kaduna sate. The immediate past “Senate president” is from “Benue state” but that did not make the state more develop than the rest of the North Central states. For the North –Western states had both the Vice president and the speaker of the House of Representatives in the immediate past government but that did not make the zone richer than the rest of the North. For the Northern region in the immediate past government had the “second”, “third” and the “fourth” citizens in chronological order but that did not bring more development to the region in fact the region witnessed it worst in terms of security.
Regionally speaking, the defunct northern region had Sir Abubakar who spent 6years; Gen Gowon who spent 9years; Gen. Murtala who spent 6-month plus some days; President Shagari who spent 4years + 2months; Gen Buhari who spent 20months; Gen. IBB who spent 8years; Gen. Abacha who spent 4years+8months; Gen. Abdulsalami who spent 11months; president Yar’adua who spent 2years+11 months with some days. Conservatively, the north spent about 33year in power. Those that long years in power make northerners richer than the rest of Nigerians?
Democratically speaking, From 1999 to date, the south had so far stayed more in power than the north, President Obasanjo spent eight years and president Good luck Jonathan spent 5years plus (13 years all together).That did not solve the problem of unemployment in the south!
“…The former Chief of Defense staff is someone whose country home came under attack. In fact, his own community had been seized by Boko Haham up to three times. Then they gave you money to go and buy weapons to secure your own community, but you would rather build palaces in Abuja…”-Garba Shehu (Daily Trust Sunday: March 27, 2016).Also, If the allegation against the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki is true you could see how bad it was.
“When the elite want to share booty there is no tribalism. When they conspire in the dead of the night when all honest people should be asleep, ethnicity takes a back seat. But when they are caught and ordered to give account, they resorts to bade sentiments”-Prof. Wole Olaoye.
Ethnic defense for corrupt leaders will not solve our problems; Very sadly, in our country, people once gang up against the constituted authority in the name of protecting a corrupt politician or public servant simply because he is from their ethnic group. Additionally too, we have seen where people stage a rally as well as a protest in defense of a minister simply because they share same ethnic group, this unbecoming of a suffering masses.
What Nigerians must acknowledge is that a corrupt leader does not benefit his clan, tribe, religion, region or the county as whole. However, no one doubts the fact, that transparent leader benefits all and sundry regardless of their clan, tribe, religion or region. May God bless Nigeria!