Pauperised electorate: Is paradigm shift feasible in 2023 polls?

Forum 1 year ago

Pauperised electorate: Is paradigm shift feasible in 2023 polls?

IT is unfortunate that the same politicians who have a history of peddling lies to gullible voters not only continue to do so, but also seek to further destabilise Nigeria through political office.

Nonetheless, we must all continue to question them and the system in order to determine what is best for the general public, even as we reiterate our firm belief that “nothing will take us by surprise, anymore, in this country; anything and everything is possible, and should be expected, in today’s Nigeria”.

While we don’t want to sound like a broken record when it comes to the ongoing countrywide intensive looting of public wealth (some of which is already in the public domain), it’s impossible not to mention it. Today, the amount stolen from public tills is unquantifiable and ‘legitimated’ through boldface roguery!

People are now either frustrated or struggling to join the ‘winning team”—the politicians and ‘thieving’ servants in government ministries, departments and agencies. This is a time when doubt is rife regarding the possibility of getting leaders who can reverse this disastrous trend! So, hope of solving this challenge is diminishing! Why allow this hopeless scenario?

We will not mention names in order not to be accused of being a ‘megaphone’ for other dyed-in-the wool politicians presently pretending to be in ‘opposition’. Where was the ‘opposition’ before now? We are still asking for the difference between six and half a dozen regarding these shameless public servants!

We are aware that many of the so-called leaders are symptoms of a long-standing, deeper societal malaise! This is why we rarely criticise individuals and instead focus on the system as a whole.The kernel of this intervention is to contribute to narratives that will elevate favourable discussions and arguments in setting agenda for those jostling for attention and votes to lead, politically, at every level in Nigeria.

Once the wrong people are recruited, getting the job done becomes very difficult, if not impossible! Closely tied to the foregoing is the need to add to the increasing clamour for a ‘real’ people’s constitution as opposed to the militarily-imposed one that has enabled and fortified the criminal capabilities for the internal colonisation of Nigerians by Nigerians! Except for those who have gladly agreed to be made slaves or serfs in Nigeria; we are neither!

Consequently, neo-colonialism through this type of ‘colonialism’ must be stopped! This can be achieved if and when the people are collectively able to recruit leaders who do not think they are doing the country a favour by being in public offices! We are confronting misfits that act as if they are more powerful than the electorate.

But are they not? Sincerely, these quacks do not have all the blame owing to the premeditated contradictions currently surrounding elections into public offices in Nigeria. What else should a registered voter expect if he or she is willing to sell his or her Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, for N2,000 before election day?

That is how worthless some voters regard the PVC! They erroneously believe that their votes cannot make any difference! Hence, we do ask some of them: if their votes are useless, why were they paid for their PVC to be relinquished? Why were they paid for their votes during elections?

We are severely disadvantaged because we are battling principalities that have “successfully” impoverished the majority of Nigerians for a long time. These shady characters have seized control of the country’s wealth and are poised to cause further havoc if they are not allowed to continue the massive heist!

Do these accidental leaders care about Nigeria? Certainly they do not; because if they did, the country would not have sunk this deep into the current mess. Do we even ask ourselves what is expected from ‘leaders’ who do not visit our public hospitals for treatment? Are they not always on medical tourism funded by government?

Yes, all humans are mere mortals prone to ailments—anytime. Thus, one may spend his/her hard-earned resources for health care services—anywhere. This can be justified if the resources are not illicitly extracted from the public purse. Nobody is trying to deny public office holders their legitimate privileges. Not at all! What we oppose is the assumption of illegal privileges by themselves.

These are the ‘perks of office’ that have contributed substantially to the dehumanising poverty of many Nigerians. The questions are: why should our public hospitals (hospitals-for-the-wretched) be worse than the mere ‘consulting’ clinics of the 1980s? Why are public higher education institutions unsuitable for the children or wards of our elected officials? We wonder how political office holders are able to sleep well when Nigeria is now comfortably the world’s poverty capital! These scoundrels are still continuing the mindless, insatiable looting of public wealth. This mental illness is nothing but insanity!

Well, now, we would like to place a reminder, here, regarding the stupidity of blind, primitive accumulation of ephemeral wealth. Those in government are looting the country’s treasury and, like Sani Abacha (1943–1998), stashing the proceeds away locally and otherwise. We want them to reflect on certain comments from a multibillionaire businessman, Femi Otedola.

We stumbled on a video where it was claimed that Otedola, in the last two decades, has donated more than $20 million for the sake of philanthropy. In the video, he was asked, by a journalist, why he has given out so much money to charity. “In my life and in my journey, I have taken the risk, I have chased, I have enjoyed the thrill, I have achieved success and recognition; what next?” he says. You give it back!

Many people believe that when they die, they will take their money with them; we shall see! Thank you …!” We know that the thieves, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (1938-1997), dubbed “vagabonds in power”, who are looting Nigerians’ collective patrimony, will be quick to quote Mario Puzo (1920-1999), saying that “behind every successful fortune there is a crime…” The messenger, like other mere mortals, may have his faults, but we want the earlier-mentioned thieves to know that—here—the message should be focused on more than the messenger