Greed and ego are no doubt defining qualities of Nigerian politicians. These are congential and acquired traits exhibited in unconscionable degrees by Nigerian politicians. By greed and ego being congenital traits in relation to Nigerian politicians, I mean, some Nigerian politicians are helpless and irredeemable, their greed and ego maladies are incurable. In fact, they are born to exude odorous fumes of the depraved traits. And by greed and ego being acquired traits in relation to Nigerian politicians, I imply, some level-headed persons who had rigid moral principles prior to joining the Nigerian political circus, but the egregious and corrupting political system of Nigeria has soiled them so bad that they give off more awful stench of the odoriferous traits than the scrum of Nigerian politicians whose greed and ego are congenital and atavistic.
A diagrammatic description and theoretical dissection of Nigerian politicians will not be complete without an analysis of the place of greed and ego in the mix. All the actions of Nigerian politicians can be subsumed under the red heading, “greed and ego”. These two evil elements underscore the provenance of the decisions, actions, inactions, perceptions, opinions and views of Nigerian politicians. Nothing is born out of a sense of altruism or mindlessness. There is always an underpinning fuelled and propelled by greed and ego. This is the locus about Nigerian politicians.
An understanding of the place of greed and ego in Nigerian politics will afford one the opportunity to identify the fount of the putrid discharges of the miscarriages of Nigerian politicians. In other words, greed and ego in Nigerian politics explain the profusion of contemptible, ignoble, untoward and irrational output of Nigerian politicians. Greed and ego explain their lack of character, principles and morals; greed and ego explain their lack of direction, purpose and focus; greed and ego explain their corrupt state of mind, malfeasance and thievery. Greed and ego explain vintage Nigerian politicians.
To buttress the greed and ego in Nigerian politics plank, a case in point is the seemingly raging kerfuffle between the President, Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan and the Govenor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi. From a surgical study of the case between the parties concerned, it is evident that a conflict of interests inflamed by greed and ego is the underlying factor precipitating the issue. There is no other reasonable theory to explain the stooping of the presidency to haggle over crayfish in a public market by its laughable contention with the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, or the incessant ignominious “Skelewu” dance of Rotimi Amaechi in the full glare of the public by his condescending and deprecating attitude and actions. The issue, is a clash of varying degrees of greed and ego. Who wins is he that is greedier, has more ego and power to neutralize the corresponding proclivities of the other. To simply put it, the dirtying “gidigbo” between the presidency and Rotimi Amaechi is a struggle of varying propensities of greed and ego. However, I wish to state that I am oblivious of any entente between the parties in the fuss as press reports still suggest that there is no thawing in the greed and ego war.
In a similar vein, the crisis rocking the PDP in a clear assessment has a twin symmetrical cause-greed and ego. Greed and ego explain the Boy scout antics and attempts of some grown men who are Nigerian politicians to extirpate a political party on which platform they have risen to abusive power and opprobrious prominence. Greed and ego also explain the hijack of the political party by a certain group who are bent on having their way in driving the country to Golgotha and fastening the President, Goodluck Jonathan to the seat of power even if he does not win in 2015. Greed and ego explain the PDP confusion. In the case of the PDP, the parties involved may have to marry or harmonize their greed and ego for grand appeasement and optimum satisfaction. This is a conjecture. The ordinary people will have to pay for the marrying or harmonization of the greed and ego of this group. As we already know, ordinary Nigerians are always at the receiving end of the melee effectuated by greed and ego of Nigerian politicians. Inter alia, the PDP crisis is a struggle of different proclivities of greed and ego.
In a final analysis, as regard the political class in Nigeria, there has always been a struggle of different degrees of greed and ego. All the altercations among Nigerian politicians and their signature grandstanding and rabblerousing are usually the fallout of greed and ego. Greed and ego explain the politically motivated killings, the abuse of power, the character assassinations, the campaigns of calumny and impunity. The struggle among the political class in Nigeria is a conflict of different calibration of greed and ego. The masses are often the bearers of the brunt from this brutish struggle. Sadly, this is the situation which plays itself out in corruption, bad leadership, neglect, nepotism, “padi-padism”, and other concomitants.
Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and a poet: Email:[email protected]. 08167992075.