It is as almost that everything is politicized in Nigeria. Even a matter that is as germane as providing infrastructural facilities to lift the living standards of the people is politicized. Agenda setting platforms that could be deployed to hint the government of the pulse of the citizenry as well as serve as a medium of idea exchange and peer review mechanism are widely also been politicized. Expressly, our socio-economic and geo-political kinship in steadily and surely been polarized by a few shenanigans who profit from squabbles. While many of us spend useful time tracking their diatribe and exhaustively analyze the possible outcome of some invented political gladiators, the detractors of our national landscape gleefully smile to the bank; looting us fast and hard to satisfy their selfish financial accumulation.
The Nigerian Governors Forum was envisioned, instituted and formalized with the intension to provide checks and balances and rally thoughts on governance. Members are expected to appraise each other on the basis of a peer review mechanism marshal a common front on national development while also ensuring that the Federal government presents a resourceful platform that enhances the smooth running of State wide economic activities. Although it was hard to doubt the fact that the NGF is a quasi-political instrument but the power play took a dramatic turn insouciantly exposing our acclaimed excellences as men who could barely hold free and fair election (one that is truthfully devoid of objection, the usual grumble and malpractice). Likewise, the unapologetic puffery of the G7 governors (popularly called the nPDP) has continued to rock the gallant and smooth rows of the ruling party. Accusations and needless altercations have been exchanged among men who should have done everything in their stride to present themselves as men of honour. Could the present division be occasioned by the reigning outcome of the NGF election? Could both (aggrieved) parties be wielding political strength to wrestle power from a section of the country? Could it also have been the usual casual and halfhearted slant to governance in this part of the world?
After the fragmented NGF election, State governors like Babangida Aliyu (Niger State), Rotimi Amaechi (River State/NGF Chairman of one of the splintered group), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto State), xxxxx (Kwara State) have ceased to be in the good books of some high profiled personalities in the ruling party. While the Governor Jang break-away party have gained the blessings of the presidency, the Amaechi camp have continued to cry wolf! May be a good retaliation is to form a parallel platform that also unsettles the supposed camp of ‘His Excellency.’ Since the swelling split in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a lot has also been happening in other parties; prominent among which is the merger, formation, formal identification and registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The APC have afterwards become a pulsating actor in the political scene. Like every opposition it has been trying to take very good advantage of the PDP’s division.
The splinter nPDP governors have been seen travelling in large convoys across States meting fictional elder statesmen, while neglecting their primary responsibility as their State’s Chief Executive Officer. Interestingly, they whip up pity for anyone in their political clan each time they are haunted by their some lords and ladies from the villa. APC has joined the fray. Representatives and high powered officers of the party have been junketing States, paying solidarity visits to the embattled G7 governors. One thing that remains unclear is, same APC which have cohesively expressed a gross and an unapologetic reservation for the political ideologies of the PDP (if there be any existing ideology anyways), is seen loitering around and trying inexorably to court PDP governors. The question then is why would you want a man to be your friend if you do not share his perceptions and ideas?
Our political juggernauts have a clear view of the State. It is all about the resources and who wants to be in control to take the largest proportion. They put up a façade to be fighting for a common interest that is really non-existent. Our situation as a nation State is clearly debilitating, the state of affairs in the country is worrisome and none of the warring parties have been able to provide a robust, systematic, measurable and well-structured agenda to take Nigeria and Nigerians out of the morass of decrepit infrastructure, corruption and increasingly falling standards of living. Today poverty have swelled in our country than any other time in our nation’s history and some of these ‘political gladiators’ have amassed for themselves great riches using State machineries and resources to enrich themselves. This is while over 60% of Nigerians wallow in abject poverty. Why will all the warring parties want to sheath their sword of distraction? That is the instrument they have used in ages to take our mind as a society off the main issues of collective concern. Evidently, one thing those parading themselves as loyal lords or rebellious foes must know is this, Nigerians care less about you or your office, but they want a good life and they unmistakably deserve it and no one reserve the right to deny them.
Elijah Olupona
greatesticon@yahoo.com
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