On the London meetings

As the 2023 general elections draw closer, Nigerian politicians have turned London as their strategic venue or destination where they meet and reconcile their political feud or perfect their plans.

Last week, at the instance of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, who fell apart with his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) top political gladiators including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, were in London.

Atiku met Wike to resolve their festering political feud emanating from the last PDP primaries and vice presidential running mate selection conundrum. On the other hand, Obasanjo met both Wike and Obi in a bid to solicit support for Obi’s presidency.

These meetings came after Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was rumoured to have had a meeting with Governor Wike in order to convince him to join the ruling APC.

Our politicians can globetrott and hold as many meetings as they wish. However, the million naira question in the lips of Nigerians waiting is: why do our politicians prefer or opt for foreign countries for meetings which, ordinarily, should have been held in Obudu, Cross River state or Yankari, Bauchi state?

It seems these politicians are running away from the country’s insecurity, a Frankenstein monster which has defied solutions. The country’s tourism centers which were very attractive and beehives of activities in the past have since become ghosts of themselves due to rampaging insecurity.

Tourists who identified and besieged those areas to relax or enjoy the serene environment the country offers have deserted them. It is an undisputable fact that the tourism sector has contributed greatly towards revenue generation and job creation in the country.

Our political elite should desist from traveling to London or other countries for their meetings, instead, they should patronise our local event and meeting centres in order to boost revenue generation in the country.

Besides, these meetings are not for the growth and development of the country, but convened primarily to promote their political interest.

London, which our politicians cherish and love to visit, attained its present status because of good governance. Britain, Nigeria’s colonial masters, invested heavily in its human and capital development.

Some of our ruling elite who were opportune to study or engage in business in England and other advance countries would testify to the qualities of their leadership which translated to strong institutions leading to growth and development.

It is sad that our ruling elite have refused to replicate or adopt some policies those countries pursued leading to their rapid socio-economy and political development. The over two decades of Nigeria’s democracy will have catapulted or leapfrogged the country to social, economic and political development.

However, this tall dream has become a mirage. What Nigerians continue to experience or witness is poor governance. Corruption, poverty, nepotism, unemployment and high rate of insecurity have become the bane of our development.

The ruling elite have failed to address the multi-faceted challenges plaguing the country. They are more preoccupied with how to capture power as the country heads towards the 2023 general elections. That is why political meetings for alignment and re-alignment or even endorsements are more frequent not in Nigeria but far away in London.

It is high time Nigerians buried their differences and elected only leaders who are concerned about the problems of the country. Let us pray that the London meetings will be fruitful and lead to the emergence of capable leadership in the country. Nigerians hope that the next meeting will be held in Nigeria not America or London.

Ibrahim Mustspha,
Pambegua, Kaduna state
08169056963.