So, President Barack Obama of the United States of America took time off his busy schedule to preach to Nigerians, leaders and the led on Monday. That step must have been very important to Obama whose current position imposes the clout of a global superintendent.
Leaving the issues bothering his own country, the pressing challenge and threat that the Islamic State constitutes, the brewing friction between the US and Israel on Iran’s nuclear initiative as well as worries over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine to give about three minutes of his time to a compelling preachment to Nigerians, shows that Obama makes no joke of our upcoming elections. So, he posted a video in which he spoke, not through our leaders but directly to us – “the people of Nigeria. “
The American President reminded us of our gallant history, how we won independence and fought military rule to a standstill, how we have grown democracy and the opportunity that the 2015 elections offers for democratic and national growth. He had one or two lessons for us about the practice of democracy. Hear him: “Now, you have a historic opportunity to help write the next chapter of Nigeria’s progress – by voting in the upcoming elections. For elections to be credible, they must be free, fair and peaceful.
All Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without intimidation or fear.” He then went on to lecture us on the benefits attached to successful elections and democratic progress saying that these “will help Nigeria meet the urgent challenges you face today…” He expressed confidence that having successful elections this year would help conquer the Boko Haram terrorist group and bring back over 200 girls kidnapped from Chibok, a community in Borno State about 12 months ago. But a lot of Nigerians including yours truly hold the opinion that the American President went beyond his bounds in the video no matter how well intentioned it is.
At first look, I see the Obama intervention as a mere exhibition of the arrogance that comes with being the president of the US and the attendant bragging right as leader of the free world. Even with that, Obama, if he had anything to say to Nigerians would possibly have addressed his counsel to President Goodluck Jonathan and if need be, other top political leaders. To broadcast a speech to Nigerians in the manner that he did is to have annexed the country in his mind.
Like many other Nigerians, I find the reference to Boko Haram and the return of the Chibok girls hypocritical given the much advertised qualified support that Nigeria has received from the US in its fight against terrorism. However, on a deeper reflection, it is easy to understand that Obama and possibly a substantial number of world leaders are genuinely worried about the gloomy prospect that the mismanagement of Nigeria’s 2015 elections portends for Nigeria and the African continent as a whole.
I recall the scenario painting by some experts on sub-Saharan Africa, who gathered under the auspices of America’s National Intelligence Council in 2005 to the effect that “… other potential developments might accelerate decline in Africa and reduce even our limited optimism. The most important would be the outright collapse of Nigeria.
While currently, Nigeria’s leaders are locked in a bad marriage that all dislike but dare not leave, there are possibilities that could disrupt the precarious equilibrium in Abuja. The most important would be a junior officer coup that could destabilise the country to the extent that open warfare breaks out in many places in a sustained manner…If Nigeria were to become a failed state, it could drag down a large part of the West African region.
Even state failure in small countries such as Liberia has the effect of destabilising entire neighbourhoods. If millions were to flee a collapsed Nigeria, the surrounding countries, up to and including Ghana, would be destabilised. Further, a failed Nigeria probably could not be reconstituted for many years if ever and not without massive international assistance…” So, to avoid the burden that violence in Nigeria might be to the world, Obama’s Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, visited Nigeria in January to confer with major political actors in the country. Two months after and in spite of a peace agreement which was signed in Abuja under the supervision of a former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, and a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Nigerian politicians are still unable to assure us that their supporters would give us peace during and after the elections.
It is no news that Nigeria has the unenviable status as the choice destination for small arms and light weapons in Africa and that 90 million of such dangerous weapons are within the West Africa sub-region, a situation which creates a lot of anxiety for lovers of the country.
This point will be more properly driven home when we remember that Boko Haram, the killer-gang that has troubled the northeastern part of Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic for close to a decade emerged from the attempt of a politician to arm young elements in his state in fixed readiness for the intimidation of his political opponents.
This group would eventually grow beyond his control into a bloodthirsty body that has taken the lives of tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Yet, politicians across political divides encourage and enhance their supporters’ access to small arms and light weapons with which they very boldly intimidate political opponents and put the citizenry in mortal fear.
The Nigeria’s political elite, rather than see elections as a celebration of the essence of democracy, have made it war, which must be won at all costs, hence the mindless equipping of hundreds of thousands of young idle and unemployed people who would do anything just to earn a living with arms and ammunition. And when they win elections by hook or by crook, Nigerian politicians are hardly magnanimous in victory. They gloat over their opponents and go on with this winner-takes-all attitude (A point which Jonathan canvassed against during his speech at the signing of the Abuja peace accord), which makes rapprochement an impossible task at the time of subsequent elections.
This is why our political system has remained underdeveloped even at this stage of our nationhood. To worsen the situation of things, the political class here has corrupted every other part of society such that the country cannot be said to have any group of people who can defend the nation against the unrepentant self-centredness of politicians. When a society is like this, when men, women and the youth irrespective of calling have shamelessly joined the political bandwagon.
When the clergy have abandoned their high ecumenical and spiritual placement to pander to the wishes of politicians; when members of the civil society have abandoned their position of responsibility for the promotion of partisanship; when labour unions that should fight the cause of the people have suddenly become part of the problem, things, worse than intrusions from foreigners are bound to overtake it. This is why Nigerians must understand Obama’s recent message to all of us. We indeed seem to owe the American president who is our brother in a sense, a world of gratitude for reminding us that we, as human beings, have a duty not to harm ourselves and not become a burden to humanity.
My only hope is that no matter who wins the 2015 elections, Nigerian politicians would work towards situating a point where national interests would prevail over the pecuniary tendencies of partisan politics. They should make 2015 the last time an American president or any president other than ours for that matter would contemplate speaking to the nation on how to conduct our affairs. And as the 2015 elections kick off in 48 hours, may we have peace even in spite of ourselves.