“In every society in human history, including the United States, those in power seek to imbue themselves with the attributes of religion and patriotism as a way of getting greater support for their policy and insulating themselves from any criticism.” -George J. Mitchell
Nigeria’s loss of all indices that befits her status as a developing nation, and consequent forfeiture of her bragging right as an emerging economy is owed, not to the maniacally overused word — ‘corruption,’ but to utter banishment of the culture of germane ethics in public service engagements. Our public office holders’ emulation of Western civilization and imbibing the worldview of advanced nations is selective. They reference the first world countries only to the extent that their interest and ego are not bruised.
When it comes to ethics of governance, Africa occupies the plebeian base of the rung. Power drunkenness and sit-tight syndrome in public office continues to bane our political development. Think of the Idi Amins, the Mobutu Sesèsèkos, the Gbagbos, the Kabilas, the Sani Abachas, the Gadaffis, the Mugabes etc.
In Asia, Europe and America, patriotism guides most motives of men in public service, and so it is easier to see a leader throw in the towel once he is perceived to have lived below expectation in the discharge of his duties (even in private life).
This far-flung odious ill of holding unto power at all cost, may not be exclusive to Africa, but the West has in place fortified system mingled with platonic love of fatherland that compels compliance. In 2015, there was unprecedented information leakage of several “black spider letters” from British heir apparent, Prince Charles to PM Tony Blair persuading him to make some policy adjustments that would arrogate him some allowance to expropriate certain influence in government. How it broke out remained a shock to the royal family. But the tamed media tussle that trailed the alleged incident showed how sane and civil that clime is. No media house was sanctioned.
In Nigeria, Twitter pulled down an incisive tweet of the President and he swiftly pulled down the entire platform and banished it out of the country. An inflamed black man kills ants with hammer and hunts mosquitos with gun.
Recall the infamous Vatileaks which revealed compelling evidence of alleged ‘corruption‘ within the papal curia of the Catholic Church. Many pundits believed the scandal remotely persuaded the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. A typical black man, in Benedict’s position would have subjected the news outlet that sold that news to trials and gag it to obfuscate the evidence.
He never did any of sort. Even the papal Butler, Paolo Gabriele, who pleaded guilty to illegal leakage of those controlled documents to Italian journalist, Gianluigi Nuzzi, was granted amnesty and pardoned by the Supreme Pontiff.
All he did afterwards, was to calmly pack his baggage and abdicate the Petrine Chair, citing failing health.
The lesson from the whole episode is that whether the Holy Father resigned due remotely, or immediately, to health concerns or fallout of Vatileaks scandal, it is heroic to toe that path. He quitted the moment he noticed that his position had become untenable. So he gave way for someone better disposed to take over. That’s how people led by selfless love for institutions act. It doesn’t happen in our own part of the world.
When Sepp Blatter’s body language indicated unwholesome desire to seek additional tenure after 17 years as FIFA President, the system was fortified to suffocate such inordinate urge. He voluntarily stepped down before the end of a subsisting term, the same week that seven FIFA officials were arrested on charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering in 2015. Part of his resignation statement read: “My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody.”
But here, Athletics Federation of Nigeria was mired in a scandal of fraudulent contracts over Jersey production for our contingents at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, and none of the parties involved in that ignominy was sanctioned nor did they have any reputation to protect by standing down.
On Wednesday December 01 2021, Turkey’s Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan resigned amidst an unprecedented currency crisis, according to a decision published in the Official Gazette.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed Nureddin Nebati as the new minister of treasury and finance, the Sabah newspaper reported.
The resignation comes amidst a currency crisis that has seen the Turkish lira fall to record lows, further diminishing the purchasing power of Turks. Turkey lira crisis leaves workers and middle class struggling to make ends meet. The country’s finance minister had some honours to protect. He felt he has failed in his duty as manager of the country’s economy, and therefore in the love of fatherland, the honourable thing to do is throw in the towel. And he did!
Juxtapose Turkey’s scenario with Nigeria’s and you will weep for our salvation. Imagine how low naira has dropped in value and worth, yet Hon Minister of Finance and CBN governor stay put.
Our Correctional Service custodian centres have recently been serially attacked and broken into across the length and breadth of our land, yet the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rt. Hon. Rauf Aragbesola retained his seat in tact. Last week he was on air to say that we should not even contemplate his resignation.
Earlier this year, on May 31, Belgian ambassador to South Korea lost his diplomatic post when his wife took laws into her hands and slapped someone recklessly in that country. In Nigeria, D.G of Code of conduct Tribunal feasted on a mere Mai Guard at Banex plaza, Wuse 2, Abuja, in public glare and nothing happened. Two years ago, a sitting senator descended on a lady in a sex toy shop in the same Wuse 2 and nothing happened.
Impunity rules the day!
In his days as governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole verbally assaulted a widow on the streets of Benin, and his tenures and office remained ‘sacrosanct.’
In the heated politics of pre-2015 election, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (present governor of Sokoto state) as Speaker of House of Reps, lead a ‘mob’ of other parliamentarians into jumping national assembly fence to force themselves into the chambers against legitimate police barricade. An act that scandalized our kids on national television. He was untouchable.
The mace of the Senate of federal republic of Nigeria was violently snatched in plenary and the senator fingered to have masterminded the opprobrium was rewarded with higher office.
Our narrow-mindedness and continued celebration of mediocrity was why President Jonathan’s acceptance of election result in 2015, when it was obvious that he was losing, became a breaking news. This was common place across saner climes; so ordinarily, GEJ did nothing exceptional, but because we were acclimated with inanities, we had continued to celebrate him years after.
Like Prof. Oyewale Tomori would say: “the disease that had plagued Nigeria came surreptitiously, slew good governance, murdered societal sanctity and eradicated individual integrity. This disease came in three forms of greedy self-interest, blatant lack of patriotism and unabashed shamelessness.”
May daylight spare us!
Ogechukwu writes from Abuja.
