HOLD HANDS, MARCH ON (3)

It would be truistical to say we do suffer from a leadership crisis; the big question is: Do we have the right configuration in place to deal with this most ruinous of crises? I contend that we do. We have a Constitution (however holey it may be) in place; that, to me, is as good a starting point as possible. The religious disrespect for the Constitution in tandem with the obduracy of the 'political class' (I don't know why I'm even using the phrase for that bunch of ninnyhammers) conspire to render any attempt to solve the leadership crisis almost impossible.

Nigeria has independence but more than 98% of Nigerians don't have liberty. The Constitution is supposed to ensure that the people's rights are respected and honoured; it is this same Constitution that is being manipulated at every opportunity to foist governments from hell on Nigerians. This is exactly where I'm going. Do we have people of high integrity, people untainted by the evil deeds of the past and present? Yes, I believe we do, but lamentably few. Are the few even given a fair chance to enter the fray? The answer is an emphatic 'No'. This is exactly where the broken system needs to be fixed, and NOW. How? There are a few 'hows'.

The first 'how' is, as a matter of urgency (certainly before the next general elections), electoral laws have to be amended to enable independent candidacy. In a truly democratic society, one does not have to agree in principle with any of the established political parties. This will widen the scope of politics and the electorate will have a very rich field from which to elect whoever catches their fancy. For the reasons of expediency, most of the past and current crop of politicians are resolutely against this proposition. We, and they, know why. Political patronage and godfatherism will become less relevant and much-cherished political bases eroded as a result. To achieve this, we need a flood of bold initiatives and a torrent of actions to boot. There should be concerted efforts among the few conscientious politicians, human rights organisations, organized labour and student unions across the land. Afterall, "a man who examines the saddle and bridle and not the animal itself when he is out to buy a horse is a fool; similarly, only an absolute fool values a man according to his clothes, or according to his position, which after all is only something we wear like clothing."

The second 'how' is to address, without further ado, the issue of salaries. This particular issue is so vital that the failure to address it in a decisive fashion will always leave the country chasing the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Why are political assasinations, blackmail and kidnappings part of our national fabric? Desperate politicians stop at nothing to achieve their goal of getting a seat at the table, not because of what they aspire to do for the nation and its denizens, but to dip their snouts in the trough of seemingly endless riches. Could someone please enlighten me on why a quarter of our national income is being spent on the National Assembly? Why are senators' and representatives' emoluments crippling the nation, when we can't even pay a paltry N18,000 minimum wage? How many of these so-called elected representatives can survive on N18,000 a day? Why not then make elected office as financially unattractive as possible so that we can be certain that those willing to go into politics will do so for what they can do for their country and not what their country can do for them? Is the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) actually fit for purpose? Isn't it constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of setting salary scales for these pipsqueaks? What is the purpose of 'constituency allowance'? Isn't it the responsibility of state and local governments to deliver on their electoral promises to constituents? What is the purpose of 'security vote' doled out to governors on a monthly basis? Security for whom? C'mon guys, let's shake it about!!

The third 'how' is to bring to book, fearlessly and swiftly, those who have conspired to rob the nation dry over the years. Why should a few thousand corrupt wicked souls hold a country of more than 150 million people to ransom for so long? Are the ICPC and the EFCC just a mere froth? Why are the courts being used to frustrate every attempt to bring these callous souls to justice? A holistic review of the process of bringing these common thieves to book ought to be carried out. It is only in this country that a few that have been jailed for a ridiculously small amount of time come out of prison and are feted like heroes. They even go to Church for thanksgiving ceremonies! What a slap on our collective faces! They steal from us and they laugh at us; they even give some hapless individuals some 'change', and they are deemed to be generous. I'd like to know what's generous in someone stealing my, and my childrens', inheritance and entitlements and giving me a pittance in return. What contumelies we suffer at the hands of these freaks of nature! Look at the state of our schools and hospitals up and down the land. Look at the level of our infrastructural development (power supply, roads, airports, railway, and so on)

A political tsunami should sweep and sanitise this place; there should be an eruption of moral rectitude to give hope and a sense of REAL forward movement to Nigerians, young, middle-aged and old. With our God-given resources, we have a God-given right to good health provision, good roads, good schools, uninterrupted power supply, good level of security of lives and property, fair and equal access to the law, real employment opportunities for millions of long-term unemployed graduates, coupled with an inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness.

Forget Vision 20:2020. There can be no vision without the fundamentals in place; we have no need for slogans any longer. Speeches no longer mean a thing; writings are a waste of space. Corruption in politics and venality in our public life have to be steadily consigned to the dustbin of history. Nigerians are watching and waiting, but patience is wearing thin.

We need to avoid tangentiality in our actions; we need directness like never before and be resolute in the cause of upliftment. We should, firstly, avoid all actions that are haphazard or purposeless; and secondly, let every action aim solely at the common good. We should all remember the sagacious words of the Dalai Lama "we live very close together. So, our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."