Ayo Oyoze Baje
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Name it: Brilliance, beauty and boldness, she has it all! But deep down, something is missing- some vital ingredient in the pot pourri of true nationhood. It is more like a noble, connecting chord that offers inner satisfaction between the leaders and the led majority when things go on well with the country one calls his/her own.
But not a few aspects of governance in Nigeria have since gone wrong -as they have been over the decades, spanning successive administrations. These span a wide economic spectrum, from security, through infrastructural development, education and healthcare delivery to job creation and national unity. And the patriot in question is not one to keep quiet, or wallow in self deceit, pretending that all is well with us.
The person we are talking about is none other than multiple award-winning and globally recognized star actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekehinde (Member of the Federal Republic, MFR). She recently stirred the hornet’s nest by saying it as it is, through a post that she tagged both President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. Said she:“The country under your watch is Hellish.
The lack of money in circulation coupled with continuous assault and killings by uniformed men will make this country implode! It is unbearable. Do something.
Insecurity, fear and desperation everywhere.”
As expected, the apologists of the current administration went on a tweeting spree, unleashing their vile vituperations on the messenger instead of focusing on her poignant message, as if she had told some lies. And as if they live in another country, instead of Nigeria. How can we be comfortable with Benue, Adamawa, Kaduna, Borno, Yobe and Zamfara states turned into killing fields? What about the increased spate of extra judicial killings coming out of attacks by some security operatives, erroneously taking laws into their hands and considering innocent citizens guilty outside the law courts?
Should we shield ourselves from the pervasive poverty ravaging our land? Has the World Poverty Clock not rated Nigeria as home to the largest number of the extremely poor in the world? Has the punishing penury not led to mass misery? Has our dear country not been ranked as the sixth most miserable to live in according to Steve Hanke, an economist from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, United States, amongst others such as Venezuela, Iran and Brazil?
This scary scenario raises the fundamental questions: Does the country belong to only those in authority, members of the party in power and their supporters at the exclusion of the mass of citizens? No! Should our political leaders be held in such alarming level of awe and fear, kowtowed to and worshipped instead of being loved on account of their people-oriented policies, programmes and performance? What is the role of the average citizen under a democratic dispensation if not to assist the leaders to actualize their dreams and vision, to meet their needs, from a bottom-up approach instead ramming their greed-driven antics down their throats?
Should governance not be sustained as a continuous process, instead of the politicians remembering the electorate only during electioneering campaigns and elections? Does it help our leaders to grow when their supporters highlight the failures of past administrations once you point out their faults? If so, why make yourself available for political contest if you are neither prepared for, nor going to make the desired change? This is one wrong mindset foisted on the pauperized people by the political elite that must be done away with. So good, that Omotola has taken up the gauntlet.
She explained it thus in a recent media chat: “ It is very bad for people to want to compare negatives of different administrations, times and people…A lot of people follow the bandwagon…they have been programmed to only engage in comparison. They feel that it can never get better”. But she believes that it can and I do too. With good leadership and restructuring of the political economy in favour of the people, why not? Insecurity would have been better managed by community policing. Also, the gold wealth from Zamfara state now stolen by foreigners in collusion with illegal miners would have served the people much better.
If only our past leaders had listened to, and acted on the suggestions of great entertainer cum activist such as Fela Anikulapo Kuti we would have been saved the recurring ugly decimal of ‘Sorrows, Tears and Blood’ ,which is the politicians’ usual trade mark. And of course, from the hands of ‘Jeun kokus’ and ‘Vagabonds in Power’(VIP) still with us till today.
Perhaps, if they had watched and got touched by the gripping features film entitled:”Squandering of riches” by Onyeka Onwenu on the massive waste of our oil wealth during the Second Republic they would have had a second thought before pillaging our common patrimony. For instance, when in August 2017 the violent outbreak from a “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, led to the deaths of three people, with dozens left injured, several celebrities took to social media.
They did so to share their outrage and disappointment. The hateful event had spawned a greater divide among Americans and beyond. Lady Gaga mirrored similar emotions saying: “I know we are not created to hate each other, but to help and love.” Another celebrity, Demi Lovato wrote on Instagram with a photo of a Stop the Hate sign that: “Do not listen to evil no matter how loud it gets”.
In all sincerity, the government should listen to Omotola because she has spoken out of her love for the country. She has this to say: “Do you know that when I had cause to speak up against previous governments, I was attacked? Not by words alone. But my business, my personal life, my finances were attacked.”
Undeterred she added that: “I don’t have a choice than to speak the truth. I live here and a born activist. Anybody who knew me as a child will tell you that”My piece of candid advice therefore, is that the president should invite her and other patriotic activists, as the father of the nation to find out their proffered solutions to Nigeria’s myriad of institutional challenges. As the wise ones say: “A true friend is that fellow who would tell you the truth at the risk of losing your friendship”
Baje writes from Lagos