"MY POSITION: EVERYTHING IS WRONG" by Itunu Levi Akorede

The continent of Africa is richly blessed with intellectuals and traditional ways of transmitting knowledge. This is carried out through various ways, and one of these ways is PROVERBS. There are some proverbs which are peculiar to a particular people and some are universal.

Permit me at this point to bring in a proverb from the Yoruba culture and language which says : "O sa girigiri lo ibi oja ti n ta, n je o beere lowo ori". Respect to the elders. This proverb simply means that you didn't inquire from the deities what to do to succeed. You only saw that some people are succeeding in a particular venture and you joined them. This proverb is for no other reason than to discuss the few various forms of government and the Nigerian system.

Prior colonialism, the various nations in Nigeria had various styles through which the administration was designed. In the east, it was the council of elders and various age grade groups. In the north, it was the combination of both theocracy and monarchical systems while among the Yoruba people of the west, the oba (monarch) was the source and interpreter of laws. But the colonialists came and condemned every existing government system and replaced it with colonial Lords, a style of government only they can tell us but in Nigeria it was called indirect rule.

Not to dwell too much on the background which I am sure we are all familiar with, let's talk about democracy and its effects on the polity. Democracy is still a pretentious department of neo-colonial operation.

 

Britain and America are the two chief protagonists of democratic rule in every part of the world, but I have come to understand that democracy will not succeed in every part of the world. There are places where the success of the government will be in the hands of religious systems, some in the hands of monarchs, some in the hands of the wealthy people, some in the hands of the poor peasants and some in the hands of the military.

Britain propagated various doctrines which they don't even practice. They plunged us into the mess called "Nigeria" where we practice a democracy very different from other democracies. I laf. If Britain was sure that democracy is total, why do they have to preserve the seat of the Queen? America, on her own, has never practiced any other form of government in their entire history apart from democracy. So how do they know that it's democracy or nothing for every nation. What is the situation of Greece the origin of democracy?

Coming back to the home front, Nigeria started a full scale operation of democracy on the 29th day of May, 1999. What have been the gains? Ethnic brigandage, desperate political leaders, politics without manifesto, rigging, religious crisis and intolerance, bombing, industrial action, embezzlement of public funds, non-availability of basic infrastructure, etc. The 15 years of democratic rule in Nigeria have sent Nigeria 150 years backward. O ga o. We don suffer sha. The youths can't get employment. Even with a first class degree, you have to take to political thuggery, armed robbery, prostitution or internet fraud.

It's in Nigeria that a 72 year-old granddad wants to rule a majority population of youths. Aso Rock has no mortuary facilities, please. If truly you want to help Nigeria, why not look out there for a young energetic character who can be tutored and assisted to rule? Desperate politicians everywhere! What have the political parties offered us? Two things: empty promises and disappointment. My charge still goes to the youths in Nigeria, expect no miracle o. The status quo will remain unless we demand a change. We must not be complacent. We must rise to action. We must do something!

 Always in tears when I remember my homeland.... Nigeria the giant of Africa. I am even scared to call Nigeria a giant.

WHERE DID WE GET IT WRONG? SIMPLY PUT, EVERYWHERE!!!

 Akorede Itunulevi.


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