ZIK GBEMRE PROFFERS RIGHT STEPS FOR NIGERIA AND OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
“If you’re a dunderhead, the mere fact that you are elected does not convert you into anything. You’ll just remain an elected dunderhead.” And sadly, there are many in the Government space…
Until we make public office ‘unattractive’, and adopt drastic punishment against corrupt public office holders at all levels, down to the local communities – Nigeria and Africa will never attain desired development…
The subject rephrases was taken from a speech made by Kenyan anti-corruption and African-liberation crusader, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba, which has gone viral online for quite some time now. And it is a statement that is quite profound, laden with the obvious truth, but also an irony itself because it clearly depicts the apparent sad picture of Nigeria and the African continent, as a people that is so blessed beyond measure, but still regarded grossly underdeveloped, and the poorest in the world.
I have reiterated that until Nigerians, and indeed Africans, in and outside Government change their orientation about Government and services to their local communities, and until they start taking Government as a place for “serving the public” and not a business enterprises or factory to enrich themselves; Nigeria as a country, and the African continent will continue to move two steps backward and one step forward in its developmental strides. And until the general masses start condemning these people for who they are, and not singing their praises-for-doing-nothing, and start making their own individual adjustments as Nigerians/Africans; we will remain an undeveloped nation/continent that is heading nowhere.
According to Prof. Lumumba: “I know there are already efforts to move Africa in the direction of unity at the economic front, but the suspicious in Africa are too great. The African politician, is perhaps, with due respect to them; Africa’s curse.
“The day the African politician realizes that the occupation of political office and political space, is one of SERVANT LEADERSHIP, that is the day Africa will begin to move in the right direction. The day the African politician realizes that the occupation of public space and public office is an honour and a privilege, that is the day Africa begins to move in the right direction. The day the African politician recognizes that THE OCCUPATION OF PUBLIC OFFICE IS NOT ONE FOR THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC WEALTH, that is the day Africa will begin to move in the right direction.
“The day the African politician recognizes that they do not have the monopoly of wisdom, that is the day that Africa will begin to move in the right direction. The day the African politicians realize that LONGEVITY IN OFFICE IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO AFRICA’S PROBLEM, that is the day that Africa begins to realize their potentials. The day the African politicians begin to remember that the electoral vote is a charge for them to deliver on health, on Agriculture, and education, that is the day Africa will begin to know her place in the world.
“The day the African politician is liberated from the chains of greed, that is the day the Africa will realize their potentials. And I say all that, because it is not lost on me that one of the reasons why Africa cannot unite, is because we have become so used to politicians in African countries where they are treated as ‘demi gods.’ And because we too; we who are the electorates, we have treated our leaders as demi gods for too long, and they are now conditioned to believe that they are gods.
“You know, respecting leaders is a good thing, because that is what is right. Once you have given people the privilege to serve you, you give them respect. But respect must be earned. Many times, in my own country Kenya, I see some of the individuals that we elected into public office, as fine, but some are not. In fact, most are not. And in my village, they elect some semi-illiterate individual, who everybody knows is semi-illiterate, and everybody knows he’s not wise. But the day after he’s election, when he attends a forum such as this, those who invited him to speak will say; let’s so and so whom we elected yesterday, share his wisdom with us. And I want to assure you that there is no magic in the ballot box.
“If you’re a dunderhead, the mere fact that you are elected does not convert you into anything. You’ll just remain an elected dunderhead. And sadly, Africa has no shortage of dunderheads who are leading her in the wrong direction – the direction of disunity…”
Truth is, how can we have political leaders and a minority few, who steal, misappropriate and mismanage our collective wealth, and the people do nothing to address these ‘VESTED INTERESTS’ groups? How can we sit back and watch these same people living large in stupendous affluence and reckless living in the name of “Government Work”, and in the midst of poverty-stricken majority population, and be comfortable with it? Yet, the same suffering Nigerians/Africans do nothing about changing this unhealthy statuesque. While some even praise and hail those responsible for the woes the majority of the population is facing, many of us, have become indifferent and too-laid back to resist those who are the real enemies of our nation-building.
Until we make public office unattractive and adopt drastic punishment against corrupt public office holders – Nigeria and Africa will never attain desired development.
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