I have always maintained that Nigeria has not only failed the black race, but now also constitutes a disgrace to the black race. As the most populous black nation on the face of the earth, endowed with abundant resources and a vibrant diverse population, there is no possible excuse for Nigeria’s failure when other younger and less endowed nations around the world, some without any natural resources and some in very challenging environments have succeeded.
Given her peculiar circumstances, Nigeria carries enormous responsibilities to showcase and become a “Mecca” for the black race, yet her failure against all odds has only served to vindicate those who have always argued that blacks are pathological incompetent and inferior. As much as we might be tempted to feel angry at such arguments that depicts us as an inferior race, the problem and solution lies with us, and we can either continue to vindicate those who share such views or prove them wrong by doing things differently. The absence of credible, efficient leadership has remained the missing link and is the single most important reason why Nigeria has shamefully continued to fail.
Musa Yar’Adua, who benefited from a rigged election or better still a coup d’état to usurp power, is a clueless, incompetent and hopelessly tribal bigot, who is no doubt, to date, the worst leader in Nigeria’s history. He complements a long line of kleptomaniac “Nigeria haters” masquerading as leaders whose only achievements in office is the massive looting, rape and despoliation of the nation. Ironically, even as Yar’Adua continues his journey of Nigeria’s destruction, many have remained silent. But silence for whatever reason as the nation totters closer to the precipice is a potential time bomb, waiting to consume us all. I refuse to join the culture of silence as Nigeria burns and, hereby establish below, the urgent reasons why Yar’Adua should be impeached.
Fake War on Corruption:
There is nothing that touches on every single Nigerian and generations of Nigerians even yet unborn as much as corruption. From “Aso rock” to the local governments, billions of dollars are robbed every year by government officials and their agents. Nigeria’s pyramid of corruption has ensured that there are no roads, no electricity, no portable drinking water, no healthcare, and no schools. Mass poverty, unemployment and insecurity has become the order of the day, while millions of Nigerians flee every year through the desert, the Mediterranean sea or other treacherous routes in a mortal bid to escape a hellish nation.
Over $500 billion, enough to give the nation some of the best infrastructure in the world, and every Nigerian some form of social welfare, has been robbed by successive leaders, making Nigeria, successively the most corrupt nation on planet earth. Yet in spite of the monumental cancer of corruption that is fast tearing down the nation, Yar’Adua has shown no inclination to fight corruption. If anything, he has chosen to climb into bed with the looters, many of whom are government appointees and regular visitors to Aso rock. The few “arrangee” trials concocted by the EFCC against some of the looters have turned out to be a sham. Once out on bail, the case is as good as closed. To date, not even one of the havoc wreaking looters who under normal circumstances should be facing a firing squad is in jail.
Incompetence:
After two years, there is now no doubt that Yar’Adua is the worst leader and the greatest tragedy to have befallen the nation. He has proven to be an unprepared, uninspiring, confused and crassly incompetent leader. There is much urgency and so much to be done that the nation simply cannot and should not allow such an incapable leader to mortgage the future of a whole generation of Nigerians.
Tribalism and Marginalisation:
In the age of Obama, were a black man could win an election in an overwhelmingly White majority nation where blacks make-up only 12% of the population, it is surprising that Yar’Adua and the ethnic merchants around him have learnt no lessons. His regime has unconscionably constituted the most tribally lopsided regime in Nigeria’s history and maintained retrogressive policies of institutionalised marginalisation against sections of the country. What now obtains, is a “federal government of the North” and not a federal government of Nigeria.
The insensitivity to Nigeria’s ethnic diversity that Yar’Adua’s regime has displayed even in a supposed self proclaimed democracy, presents a mortal danger and time bomb to Nigeria’s survival. It has further alienated a critical mass of the people and vindicated ethnic militias in their struggle for self determination. All through history, these same factors have led to the disintegration of many nations. Objectivity demands that a multi-ethnic nation such as Nigeria will be better served by a genuine nation builder who will through inclusion, justice and equality; inspire a sense of belonging amongst all Nigerians and not a myopic tribalist as Yar’Adua has turned out to be.
Election Rigging:
Yar’Adua’s regime came in through a coup d’état, orchestrated by the record breaking rigging of the 2007 elections. He admitted a robbery of the elections and promised electoral reforms, but the promise has turned out to be an elaborate scam, calculated to buy time. As the recent fraud ridden Ekiti state elections have proven, Yar’Adua is as determined as ever to maintain and benefit from fraudulent elections at the detriment of the impoverished masses. There is now no doubt, that the nation needs an honest leader who will give back to the people the right to choose their leaders in a free and fair election.
Insecurity:
The first and most important duty of any president is the protection of life and property. In every national constitution around the world, this ideal forms the beginning and most fundamental aspects of such documents. It constitutes the “social contract” between the citizens and the state without which the essence of the state will cease. However the Yar’Adua regime has continued to fail in this most critical responsibility of the state. Recently in Jos, over 300 people including youth corps members were hacked to death in cold blood, and properties worth billions looted. To date, none of the culprits who perpetrated such heinous crimes are standing trial, neither have any compensation been paid to the victims or families of the victims.
Kidnapping; a new and recent phenomenon have increasingly become common place, but the government have neither evolved any initiatives to combat such vices, nor shown any determination in that regards. Indeed the proliferations of arms and increasing gun culture in the nation which has recorded a monumental spike since the inception of civil rule, has been directly linked to the activities of the political class who have armed thugs for political purposes. Such thugs have consequently become a menace to the society, and the Yar’Adua administration has left the lives and properties of Nigerians at the mercy of such hoodlums. Insecurity in any part of the nation no matter how obscure is a failure of the regime. Yar’Adua has therefore failed Nigerians in every conceivable way. Patriots devoid of ethnic sentiments who desire to see a harmonious and prosperous Nigeria should therefore commence the impeachment of Musa Yar’Adua to pave way for a new beginning. It is either Yar’Adua is impeached or there will be a big bang sooner or later.
Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu
Email: [email protected]
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