Power abuse and growing disunity in Nigeria, by Aminu Salihu Yakudima

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”- Abraham Lincoln.

As we ponder on the noble statement above, let us bear in mind that an Anthropologist’s simple description of a Man as dynamic entails many reasons and purposes. The dynamism in Man can best be understood by a Psychoanalyst or Psychologist and a Linguist. Sometimes, an Islamic Scholar or a Christian Priest. However, our exhibition and aspiration over matters also help to determine the dynamics of a human being.

This is not only limited to our lifestyles, but also our action and inaction on issues related to government and business opportunities. It’s difficult to ascertain human behaviour with accuracy until a person is lifted to an advantageous position or when someone is elected or appointed to a position of public trust, that is when one is in power. They are casually called “people in power.”

This preponderance, I believe is more in Nigeria and so much inclined to Nigerians who are from poor and middle-class income families and those exceptionally arrogant or those not fully civilised and properly exposed. We will discuss reasons and tendencies in due course to aid good understanding of the subject matter.

There is no contemplating or contradicting ourselves when we say, it’s only in Nigeria that Government is personalised. Day to day running of public Office is also personalised. The level of impunity and recklessness in discharge of responsibilities by certain Individuals are coherent to undaunted and had reached a climax.

Some Government’s Agencies are turned to private Companies and being controlled by family. Few others are for collaboration and made to be partnership outfits. Many people are doing many things outside the law that one hardly believes and they go unpunished.

Power abused and growing disunity in Nigeria as well as the incursion of nepotism are common practice these days. Some People don’t even have respect for the Nation’s Constitution. There is no doubt, we have less government in the Country.

I know, it is not time yet for accusation or fierce opposition which is contrary to my intent and purpose. However, I’m blaming all of us particularly the patriotic Nigerians for allowing a bastardized system to be enforced right under our nose. A system that is no longer working and stare us in the face.

As we admit nothing goes wrong without causative factors occasioned by attendant consequences. We must also accept that things are wrong and hold those responsible for committing the wrongs. Make sure they are punished accordingly.

Unfortunately, in Nigeria, nobody cares to find out about anything. We often, deliberately, refused to point at a mistake for correction. We allowed the culprit to walk away or refused to make concerted efforts in bringing culprits to book even in a situation that affects our neighbouring community. Many of us are carefree citizens. We based our concern on self-esteem, immediate family members and take care of those from our ethnic group only.

A country being orchestrated by poor handlers who are milking it and plundering resources at their own time and will.

It’s disheartening to continue recording retrogressive activities and series of sabotage on security architecture. While we are yet to recover from misappropriation of the colossal sum of $3.2 billion extrabudgetary interventions and $2.2 billion budgetary spendings for Military operations and fight against insurgency. We are now confronted with missing whopping sum also budgeted for arms.

National Security Adviser, Major General, Muhammad Babagana Monguno, retired said, “Government could not trace and account for money budgeted for arms, including the $1billion extrabudgetary fund taken from excess crude Account in 2018 for the purchase of weapons during the tenure of erstwhile Military Chiefs.”

This is not the first time Nigerians were intimated about missing a whopping great sum of money in government. Sadly, there was no effort in getting traces or recovery of such funds at all. The reader may recall a replica and similar incidents of this financial scandal in NNPC, NDDC, JAMB etc.

We should avoid cheap blackmail on matters of national importance and stop politicking with issues of national interest. Let us be bold and courageous enough to call a spade, a spade like the shining example of Babagana Monguno in an attempt to change the country for the better.

Coming to the incursion of nepotism in our system. If you like call them cabal or ethnic jingoist and whatever name so wish, have succeeded in cornering some Federal Government’s Parastatals, Directorates and Units to cater for their interest only. Those who were formally in charge have succumbed to their charms.

They have changed the functions of these extra Ministerial departments and redesigned them in tandem with their suitability. This alien approach in the civil service had made the recruitment of qualified Nigerians outside the purview of their arrangements impossible.

Similarly, some political appointees have rolled out another evil plan for exclusive vacancies in the government’s Ministries and Agencies earmarked for family members and friends even if they are not qualified.

I want us to consider this as dangerous as an unacceptable cast system. Because their ultimate desire is to relegate certain individuals or ethnic groups to the background which we must stop by all means possible.

The sincerity of purpose is what we required in dealing with many critical situations on the ground.

We should be worried about derailment and anarchy because many predictions by Analysts are pointing at these looming threats. Certainly, nothing will be well with us if we succumb to the designs of some unprofessional and brainless in power.

We should be worried about the lack of political will in fixing problems. We should be worried about the inaction of few irresponsible people in government. We should be worried about sabotage, corruption and lack of patriotism. We should also be worried about power abuses, lack of cohesion and growing disunity among Nigerians.

We should task our politicians to discontinue their blame games and politics of sectionalism. We should task our religious and community Leaders to discontinue their bigotry and separation. We should task all Leaders to put an end to obnoxious support for radicalism and making criminals majority of whom are ethnic militia becoming local champions and war heroes.

GOD save Nigeria!■

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