Africa needs listening and royal leaders

New York, January 10, 2006—Following the noticeable efforts at social engineering currently gathering momentum in the African nation of Nigeria; Africans In America, Inc. wish to state as follows:

In 1999, Nigeria by popular vote elected former army general and head of state, Matthew Okikiola Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo to rule the country again. Obasanjo who was fresh from Abacha’s brutal prison inherited a flawed constitution put together by Abacha’s clique to protect itself and cronies looting the oil-rich African nation silly.

Local, national, regional and international communities had lots of hope and expectations on the second coming of Obasanjo to Nigeria’s seat of power. Obasanjo acknowledged, confirmed and heightened those expectations by proclaiming during his inaugural address that there will be no sacred cow in the war he was going to wage on waste and corruption.

However, instead of reducing the suffering of the masses, their woes appear to have worsened; world community witnessed allegations that recovered Abacha loots were looted again; looting of the local, state and federal government treasuries continued with greater intensity; politicians continued to launder and siphon looted funds into foreign banks and invest in real estate in western countries; the military were invited several times to annihilate communities experiencing strife; unsolved political assassinations; massive bribery and corruption by government officials including the legislature, judiciary and the executives including the law enforcement agencies; government contract scams; political thuggery and gangsterism; election frauds; political godfatherism reached new height with the kidnapping of Anambra State Governor by agents of clique that determined election results; arson, armed robbery, police brutality, extra-judicial killings, human heads and parts hunters and human sacrifice (ritual killing of human beings at local fetish shrines for economic and political power) continued to flourish; vigilantism, jungle justice and other vices blossomed. Meanwhile basic amenities and infrastructures including healthcare, roads, water, electricity, education, sanitation, wages and benefits continue to deteriorate and hardship already extreme intensified.

Nigerians were complaining, criticizing and groaning in hardship and pains. International community and supporters of Africa were clearly shocked and embarrassed by government acquiescence. Meanwhile the citizenry and civil society including African In America, Inc. mounted international pressure to get the retired army general to listen to the anguish of the masses, to address the realities on the ground, to ensure that government policies have some ‘human face’ and to administer with some ‘milk of human kindness’.

However, some actions of Obasanjo government in 2005 seem to suggest that it is gradually beginning to listen. Even though some lesser ‘cows’ that cross presidential interest are summarily tamed with corruption charges, majority of Nigerians still believe that government seem unwilling to beam the light on the ‘real fat cows’ also known as, ‘the sacred cows’ that looted the country silly.

Nigerians want leaders that will genuinely work to clean the Augean stable. The government clearly understands the desire of local and international community to recover all loots, including pre and post Abacha loots, including funds looted during the current dispensation. It also clearly understands that a lot of looters are stampeding to Obasanjo side to escape the anti-corruption agents.

Being a former army general, head of state, and quintessential political insider, President Obasanjo is in better position to know how Nigerian treasury were looted, who the looters are, other dynamics, where the loots may be lodged and if he summon the political and moral will may patriotically recover them for Nigeria when it is safe for him to do so. But first, the army general and two times head of state turned billionaire-farmer has to securely cover his loose ends (tracks).

We want to believe that Nigeria at the moment is conducting a test-run on the impending and imminent war on corruption. When the actual war begins, there must not be a sacred cow and it must not be one-sided.

The leaders, looters included must be bold, courageous and patriotic enough to jettison the cowardly excuse and cheap cover of political victimization. Courageous leader when cornered by the anti-corruption agents must patriotically face the specific facts of investigation, honestly point to where the loots are lodged, completely give up the stolen funds and ask the nation for mercy. Looters could made short speech if they wish to the effect that they are not really bad people but did what others were doing in their time. They could also choose to pledge their support to the new effort. They could also choose to go to court to prove their innocence. Looters could make the impending war on corruption very simple.

Reality check indicates that all facts notwithstanding, any leader including Obasanjo who requests for opportunity to serve, majority of Nigerians may be willing to grant such request (including 3 rd term extension) if the leader will truly listen and be royal to the masses. Nigeria like other African countries wants leaders that; listens (to Nigeria), royal (to Nigeria), recover all loots (to Nigeria treasury), wage total and comprehensive war on corruption, use the oil-wealth to develop all corners of the country irrespective of tribe and the leaders must be result-oriented.

It is a civil duty to criticize the government when it is going awry, it is also a civil duty to recognize changes, no matter how imperfect, when they begin to occur. Whether it has political undertone or not, the facts on the ground indicate the Nigeria government for whatever reason has lately decided to do what it should have done immediately it got into office.