Innocent Civilians flee recent Herdsmen attack in Taraba State, Nigeria. Photo: Facebook.
"..., to stop dictatorship is incredibly risky. In Rome it leads to civil war and extreme violence"- Andrew Marr.
The story of autocratic rule has never changed; 'rising political unrest and appalling human rights abuse'. The solution is to change this political system that has failed to address our collective challenges- restructuring. The future is now in our own hands.
A keen observer of Nigeria's politics can definitely predict that all is not well, no matter how the politicians pretend to be on top of the situation. There is high propensity for political breakdown given the current state of events. This is a remarkable truth that must be acknowleged . History can predict, and can also warn. This is the time for a strong political leadership, very re-assuring leadership at all levels determined to build inclusive society instead of " mobs and squads hunting down" suspected enemies of the state. The simple solution remains inclusiveness.
We cannot continue with the mistakes of the past. We have told this story in various ways. I have just read a recent article by Professor Ben Nwabueze: ['Basic Indicia of State Failure: Why Nigeria is now qualified as a failed state', Vanguard, February 3 2018]. According to the erudite Professor, the basic attributes that constitutes a state i.e, the ability to maintain peace, security and welfare of the people , is now threatened and there seems not to be a robust/radical approach to restore stability. There is diminishing trust, and corruption has taken a new dimension.
The democratic institutions are not spared. The executive-legislature relationship is evident, in-addition to assault on the Judiciary. We have talked about the composition of the electoral office, the absence of cross-party dialogue, repression, civil and political rights, ethnic minorities discriminations, federal character, security heads, EFCC, nepotism, etc. The implication is obvious.
Read More: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/2018/02/nigeria-heartbeat-of-country-light.html
In the words of Andrew Marr; 'to stop a dictatorship is incredibly risky. In Rome, it leads to civil war and extreme violence'-[Shakespeare warned us about the dangers of a political vaccum; London Evening Standard, Friday 2 February 2018]. He says the play is at heart a warning about the dangers of anarchy and political breakdown.
There is urgent need for a national consensus to address the urgent task of nation building instead of recent war of words on the pages of newspapers, even led by elder statesmen including past leaders. This is the time for sincere national dialogue, not a distant talk or newspaper talk. It's surprising that nearly sixty-years after independence, a country that is projected to be home to all Africans is yet to address the challenges of inclusiveness.
This situation requires honest leadership that puts the country first , especially now that we are approaching the next elections, not seeking for scape goats or 'eloquent dissident'. Elections are one major period that violence occurs most especially in the developing societies if the results are not as expected. We are currently witnessing that in Kenya.
There is urgent need to engage all the stakeholders to renew trust in the system so that we can help achieve a good future. This is the time to sit down and talk.
This is the time to show great statesmanship and love for the country. It's a bit funny that we are advising political leaders to embrace inclusiveness especially in 2018..
Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur, he lives in London.
Read More: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/p/blog-page.html
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