FEATURE ARTICLE

Temple Chima UbochiSaturday, January 24, 2015
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Bonn, Germany

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2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS:
FACTUAL ANALYSES AND MY ENDORSEMENT (2)


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Continued from Part 1

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river (Nikita Khrushchev)

There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable; for in politics there is no honour (Benjamin Disraeli)

Future generations are not going to ask us what political party were you in. They are going to ask what did you do about them (Nigeria's problems)? (Martin Sheen)

I've learned from being in the woods that titles don't mean much and that actions speak a lot louder than words - even in Congress. I always look for the people who want to act - people who want to run the river or climb the mountain - even if they're not members of my political party (Mark Udall)

hese are the Presidential candidates for the February 14, 2015, election:

As you can notice, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Labour Party (LP), and the National Conscience Party (NCP) adopted Goodluck Jonathan as their presidential candidate!

As noted earlier, this year's election would not be as the previous ones before. Things would never be the same again, as our democracy is getting more matured, and the citizens are getting politically sophisticated with better and deeper awareness of election than in previous cases. Talking about the peculiar nature of this election, the time for political timidity is over, as Nigerians, voters and contestants alike, have now better understanding of what they want and how to go about it. As I wrote in my last article, Nigerians should vote for character instead of political party, by electing those with conscience and fear of God; those who will put the interest of Nigeria and its citizens above their own personal and parochial interests. And it seems that Nigerians are taking that route, as we can remember that a contestant (Abacha's son) from Kano State lost during the PDP primaries there, and then asked the delegates, who collected his money but refused to vote for him, to refund his money. Read more about it below. From now, people will collect money from contestants; will then go into the polling booth and vote for a better candidate, meaning that it might not be very easy again to buy people's conscience or votes with money. On January 1, 2015, the Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, in his New Year cross over message, admonished Nigerian youths to shun the 'Greek gifts' of desperate politicians who do not have their interest at heart, "as the gifts were mainly to lure them with a view to using them to achieve their selfish desires and dump them after". The Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has just accused politicians of threatening INEC officials, as well as inducing them with money, accusing many of them (the politicians) of being desperate and want to win election "by hook or crook." Jega also lamented that some politicians are planning to clone the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), saying their efforts would not yield positive result, as the PVCs were so well programmed, that faking them was impossible. Jega then advised that the attainment of credible, free and fair election in the February general election lies on the change of attitude and the disposition of the politicians, urging them (politicians) to change their attitude of desperation.

Nigeria needs now compassionate leaders, as Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) noted that "Compassion is the basis of morality". We want simple leaders, just like the ones during our First Republic (Nigeria's founding fathers). They, the founding fathers, weren't angels, but, they were men of simplicity, style, excellence and character, as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807- 1882) wrote "In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity". The founding fathers and the present politicians are worlds apart, because, in today's Nigeria, just as Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) wrote, "The universe seems bankrupt as soon as we begin to discuss the characters of individuals."

Look at Nigerian First Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, on annual leave, relaxing in his farm in 1963. That's the simple life that imbues compassion and ushers happiness into one's life, and that must be why Tenzin Gyatso (1935), the 14th Dalai Lama, wrote "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion".

Imagine the Nigerian Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, sitting and relaxing with his children in his farm while on annual leave in 1963. Even though they had their own faults too, considering the history of Nigeria, but many Nigerians would wish Nigerian politicians of today can go back to learn how to live simple and modest life like those of that era. (Nairaland Forum).

Alhaji Maitama Sule, an elder statesman, who was Nigeria's Permanent Representative at the United Nations during the second republic, said that Tafawa Balewa was a gentle man who went into politics to serve but not to be served, to give but not to take, just in line with what Albert Schweitzer (1875- 1965) wrote that "The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others". While the present ruling class are only after our commonwealth and have looted it that Nigeria is now broke and on the brink, Alhaji Sule told us that when the Prime Minister died and they looked into his bank account, he hadn't a kobo except a mud house he left in Bauchi. There was no fleet of cars. No investment or shares in any company. The Sardauna, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, died like that too, according to Alhaji Sule, who added that when the coup leaders sent for his bank account, they discovered that it was in red. About the leaders of the other regions during the First Republic, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Sule said that "they were excellent leaders, too, these were principled politicians who went into politics to serve but not to be served. After all, Zik returned from abroad a rich man. He stopped in Ghana to establish a newspaper; he could not have established a newspaper unless he had money. He brought the newspaper to Nigeria, the West African Pilot. So, he was in money even though he didn't make the money from politics. Chief Awolowo was a successful lawyer, one of the most prominent lawyers. He made a lot of money from his law practice; it was not from politics that he made the money. Tafawa Balewa and the Sardauna were poor teachers before they came into politics. These people belonged to different parties, tribes, religions and cultures, just as we are today but there was a difference". These First Republic leaders are all gone long ago, but, we remember them for their selfless services to the people, because, as Albert Pike (1809-1897) wrote, "What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal".

In line with what Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) wrote that "To leave the world a bit better ...to know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded", Alhaji Maitama Sule reminded us that those leaders before "loved Nigeria (different from what's obtainable today). They (First Republic leaders) were always ready to put national interest above self interest. These people, inspite of their differences, were always ready to come together, to accommodate one another, to respect one another, to cooperate with one another in order to move the country forward. That was why Nigeria was a decent country; that was when we were our brothers' keepers. Nigeria, as a result of this good leadership, became very much respected in the eyes of the world such that our reputation was high. Wherever a Nigerian went in those days, he was respected and held his head high. Those were the days. The norms and values these men and leaders left for us have been thrown away. We are no longer what we were, what is happening now in the country was not in our character then. It was a decent, peaceful, united, morally sound country with little corruption, if any. I am not saying there were no problems in those days, after all, we are all humans, we were not perfect, perfection is only an attribute of God but, even at that, they were not as bad as it is now".

Talking about today's Nigeria and why there's no progress, Alhaji Sule said that "the present day leadership wants money. You can't have money and honour at the same time. Our former leaders didn't want money, they wanted to serve the country, and that is why they were respected. Those founding fathers of Nigeria thought they were leaving a better legacy and country for the future generations, just as Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005) wrote it that "The ultimate test of a man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard". Unfortunately, today, the labors of our heroes past have been in vain, as Alhaji Sule noted "that if these leaders were to come back to life, Azikiwe, Awolowo, Sarduana, Tafawa Balewa, would die 10 times and go back to their graves because this is not what they were expecting. They expected that Nigeria by now would be a decent country, united, morally sound and its leadership will not be corrupt, these were their dreams, because, during their time, there was respect for elders, constituted authority, there was morality in the society, there was little corruption in the society and, above all, we were peaceful people. We had problems then too but we were able to overcome them". Advocating for leaders instead of rulers, Alhaji Sule told us why the following First Republic leaders were his role models:

"*Tafawa Balewa - because of his love for the nation, honesty and gentility!

*Awolowo - because he was a man of principle, a man in Nigeria who never had a girlfriend in his life, he never smoked nor drank, and he never lied, he was a great man.

* Zik - because he inspired me when I was young.

* Mallam Aminu Kano - because I regarded him as the greatest politician in Africa because he never had a government but, yet, his people obeyed him more than any leader that I know of, They died and suffered for him, they were imprisoned because of him, and he never gave them a penny, he was a man of his words".

All that Alhaji Sule said above confirmed Michael Josephson (1942) words that "We can't live forever but what we do can change lives forever". Let the two major contenders reflect on and imbibe the sterling qualities of Nigeria's founding fathers, in order to be successful leaders, no matter who wins!

I dwelt upon the founding fathers here just to point out that there's dearth of such leaders in present day Nigeria, and that's why progress is stunted and development is arrested. The Nigerian leaders of today are so selfish that they wouldn't mind if Nigeria goes ablaze, as long as their selfish and parochial interests are protected. Take for example; the northern elders and leaders have failed to learn from neither Tafawa Balewa nor Sarduana. They have been clamoring for power to return to its "base", the north (born-to-rule fallacy), but, they should tell us what they have done with power all those years they have held it? Is it a secret that the north is the least developed in terms of human resources (human development is more important than infrastructural development)? What have the north done with power for more than 38 years it has held it? Who's sure that anything would change if power goes back there? Infact, President Jonathan has done more than all northerners who have ruled Nigeria, after Balewa, in developing the north both in terms of human resources and infrastructure. Previously, many of the major landmarks in the north, apart from Abuja, were built by Tafawa Balewa and Sarduana. The northern leaders afterwards were only there for themselves, their families, friends and cohorts.

To be continued!

Read about what the electorates are supposed to be doing:

https://www.ngrguardiannews.com/opinion/columnist/191277-onyekakeyah-2015-how-money-will-disappoint-many-at-the-polls

TIT BITS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCm6gRHINqA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky_gh14b010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSR6ZzjDZ94

THE THANX IS ALL YOURS!!!

Continued from Part 1

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