Orientation For Nigerian Politicians

The processes of nation-building and development demand synergy and coordination, so that physical or structural changes would balance and reflect new orientations in human attitude and perceptions. A vital principle of readiness in development demands that the timing of a change-policy should synchronise with an attitudinal readiness of a majority of the people, to embrace and absorb the change. This means that development programmes must go along with adjustments among the people, so that implementations can be smooth.
Politics, among other things, involves a process of bringing about a balanced development whereby attitudinal change should go before or along with physical changes. No society or a section thereof should remain stagnant or live in the past, neither is development meant to be a window-dressing affair characterized by one-sidedness. A vital task which politicians should undertake involves a synergy and coordination of all available resources to ensure a balanced and sustainable social up-building, with no one oppressed or left out.
Politics is not meant to be a gangsterist affair, with greed, avarice and self-aggrandizement as visible features; rather, it is a missionary service involving self sacrifices and utmost patriotism. Only the best in the nation can go into such missionary service but this is rarely the case; rather, many go into politics maybe for fame or money. The diverse and dynamic social forces at play in Nigeria are largely responsible for the current orientation and attitude of Nigerian politicians. Gangsterism comes in where politics involves mutual distrust and deceit.
What had evolved in Nigeria under the guise of politics in a supposedly democratic setting is an oligarchy which looks like a class system. What used to be known as “Kaduna Mafia” was instrumental to the emergence of the current political system in Nigeria. The 1966 military intervention in Nigerian politics was considered by some groups of people as a planned assault on certain sections of the country. Despite the civil war of 1967-1970, there had been some features of vengeance, bitterness and gangsterism in Nigerian politics. This is a major task that politicians should address.
To say that there is hardly any genuine unity among Nigerian politicians is to say that politicians are not there to serve the electorate, but to preserve a power structure. This also means that current orientation of the politicians is that of conserver-holders whose commitment is not rooted in patriotic service to the masses but the preservation of a nebulous power-structure. This translates into a pseudo-democracy in which “leaders” are hand-picked for the purpose of preserving the status-quo.
For those who would have doubts about the truth of the opinion expressed here, supportive evidence can be picked up from the attitude, orientation and life-style of Nigerian politicians. Unfortunately, some Nigerians who would have stood up to tell Nigerians the truth without fear are no longer living. Anyone can make some judgement from the trends of events, without saying anything hateful or based on prejudices.
Lines of new orientation for Nigerian politicians would include the following: Firstly, redefining politics, not as a cult of money-bags, for the protection and preservation of their private empires and investments, but as a service towards building a just society. Secondly, the practice of clever use of hand-picked politicians as field agents of a power structure, who can be used and dumped at will, should be recognized as a strategy that does not reflect democracy. We see a situation where perceived” enemies” of the power structure are hunted by security agents, while “friends” whose hands are unclean are protected and compensated.
Thirdly, there should be a separation of politics from religion and the armed forces, in a secular and democratic polity. The involvement of the armed forces in partisan politics is a factor which has made politics a gangsterist affair. We see a situation where members of the armed and security forces are hired and ordered to serve partisan political interests.
Finally, politicians should embrace the orientation of protecting and liberating the masses from clever and oppressive forces and antics of numerous conservative elements that seek to keep humanity in bondage. Not many people know the extent of harm and obstruction to human freedom that are associated with activities of ecclesiastical and coercive institutions in history. Development cannot take place with the minds of the masses held hostage through coercion, fear and indoctrination.
Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.

Bright Amirize