Tomorrow the 6th of September, 2011 will mark be the 100th day since newly-elected President, 26 State Governors and new or re-elected legislators at Federal and State levels were sworn-in for new 4-year terms. Nigerians will therefore go through another ritual involving public outpouring of sycophancy and empty adulation of elected leaders. Our newspapers and airwaves will be full of congratulations and praises for giant strides made by the President and Governors in the 100 days since they were sworn-in. Governments themselves will spend millions of public funds telling the same public how much impact they have made in just 100 days. An assortment of government contractors, lobbyists for new contracts, businessmen and corporate bodies with an eye on lucrative contracts, party executives, political office holders benefiting from crass patronage, Chairmen of Local Government Councils whose future depend entirely on the disposition of Governments, will all take out expensive adverts to congratulate our new leaders for their spectacular achievements in just one hundred days. Their Excellencies may also note those who do not splash out with praises and adulation as enemies and adversaries to watch out for.
This ritual has many tragic consequences. One in that almost all the funds used to lie to the elected office holders and the public belong to the public; either directly as government funds, or because they are funds being used by others to attract more government spending through heavily-inflated contracts. Another tragic dimension to this wasteful ritual is that some of the elected officials may actually believe that the outpouring of praises and conjured achievements are a true record of what they have accomplished in 100 days. Yet another dimension of the ritual is that the public which is targeted by this choreographed programme of ritual lying is both offended and distanced even further from those who a few weeks ago were begging and bribing and fighting and rigging their way into offices. Members of the public who are the best judges over the performance of Mr. President, Governors and Legislators will be told how much their lives have been touched for the better in 100 days; how major strides are being taken by leaders and administrations and how solid foundations are being laid for spectacular governance, all in the last one hundred days. Yet another angle to the ritual is that the media, supposedly the guardian of public interest, will make much money from a practice which serves only one purpose, and that is to waste public funds and entrench a culture of sycophancy around elected officials.
But by far the most tragic dimension to this tragedy is that it will pass as usual without a vigorous protest from Nigerians. This happens because we have become accustomed to being abused by leaders we elected to lead with honesty and with respect for us and the laws of the land. Many have become leaders by cheating and rigging their ways into office, with active connivance of a few citizens; or with massive indifference from majority of citizens. We have become resigned to the sad reality that public funds are entirely at the disposal of elected officials to use as they wish, and if they decide to spend millions on adverts praising themselves, then so be it. We will read and hear or see a bundle of lies and false claims, and we will tolerate or dismiss them as the manner things are done in Nigeria.
A few Nigerians may want to remind fellow citizens, however, that the last one hundred days have been the most trying three months in the life of our nation. A new leadership was sworn-in amid the smouldering fires lit by unprecedented violence which followed their election. The entire leadership is yet to come to grips with the full impact of that violence, and what its implications are for nation. In many States, particularly in the north, most of the Governors are still shell-shocked from the violence, and many have not ventured out of their State capitals largely our of fear. In most States, Governors have used up their first 100 days in office just to appoint members of their State Executive Councils and part of the army of political hangers-on. They are yet to settle down to the job of running governments that will be challenged to address dangerous levels of poverty and corruption. Second-term Governors have been shocked and dismayed by the price they had to pay for their re-elections. First-term Governors have spent stupendous amounts to get elected, and are shocked to find empty treasuries and intimidating liabilities. There are political enemies all around; and loyalists and fixers to settle and accommodate.
The President, who came to power on the back of a very trying controversy which exposed the nation to the dangers of playing politics with ethnicity, religion and pure, unbridled monetized politics, is yet to impress the nation with an agenda or any action that will justify his intense desire to be President. The nation is more insecure today than it was this time last year. His first 100 days in office have witnessed spectacular bombing campaign another acts of violence which have left the nation more exposed than it has ever been to dangerous, hidden forces which we hear now, have international dimensions. Old flashpoints like Jos and Kaduna are flaring up again, and Borno and neighbouring states are largely unsafe for ordinary citizens and security personnel. The nation is being ravaged by floods, and many families will mark the first 100 days in office of their leaders in refugee camps, flood shelters or mourning for loved ones.
Yet the nation will be told that we have much to celebrate for the life and work of leaders who have spent 100 days in office. Most of these leaders are facing tough legal challenges which makes it difficult for them to concentrate on governance. Some will survive these challenges, while others will not. Some are still unsure over what to do with the people’s mandate, while others are busy dismantling the works and legacies of their predecessors. Still, public funds will be used to sing their praises to the high heavens. Not one Governor will own up to the task ahead, and plead that public resources should not be wasted to lie to the public that he is the messiah. The first 100 days in office of the present leadership may actually simply remind Nigerians that they have no leaders with the capacity and competence to lead the nation out of its severely restricting limitations. If the first 100 days must be marked, they should be marked with humility by our leaders, and intense prayers that our leaders will begin to govern well, and not on the pages of newspapers.
This ritual has many tragic consequences. One in that almost all the funds used to lie to the elected office holders and the public belong to the public; either directly as government funds, or because they are funds being used by others to attract more government spending through heavily-inflated contracts. Another tragic dimension to this wasteful ritual is that some of the elected officials may actually believe that the outpouring of praises and conjured achievements are a true record of what they have accomplished in 100 days. Yet another dimension of the ritual is that the public which is targeted by this choreographed programme of ritual lying is both offended and distanced even further from those who a few weeks ago were begging and bribing and fighting and rigging their way into offices. Members of the public who are the best judges over the performance of Mr. President, Governors and Legislators will be told how much their lives have been touched for the better in 100 days; how major strides are being taken by leaders and administrations and how solid foundations are being laid for spectacular governance, all in the last one hundred days. Yet another angle to the ritual is that the media, supposedly the guardian of public interest, will make much money from a practice which serves only one purpose, and that is to waste public funds and entrench a culture of sycophancy around elected officials.
But by far the most tragic dimension to this tragedy is that it will pass as usual without a vigorous protest from Nigerians. This happens because we have become accustomed to being abused by leaders we elected to lead with honesty and with respect for us and the laws of the land. Many have become leaders by cheating and rigging their ways into office, with active connivance of a few citizens; or with massive indifference from majority of citizens. We have become resigned to the sad reality that public funds are entirely at the disposal of elected officials to use as they wish, and if they decide to spend millions on adverts praising themselves, then so be it. We will read and hear or see a bundle of lies and false claims, and we will tolerate or dismiss them as the manner things are done in Nigeria.
A few Nigerians may want to remind fellow citizens, however, that the last one hundred days have been the most trying three months in the life of our nation. A new leadership was sworn-in amid the smouldering fires lit by unprecedented violence which followed their election. The entire leadership is yet to come to grips with the full impact of that violence, and what its implications are for nation. In many States, particularly in the north, most of the Governors are still shell-shocked from the violence, and many have not ventured out of their State capitals largely our of fear. In most States, Governors have used up their first 100 days in office just to appoint members of their State Executive Councils and part of the army of political hangers-on. They are yet to settle down to the job of running governments that will be challenged to address dangerous levels of poverty and corruption. Second-term Governors have been shocked and dismayed by the price they had to pay for their re-elections. First-term Governors have spent stupendous amounts to get elected, and are shocked to find empty treasuries and intimidating liabilities. There are political enemies all around; and loyalists and fixers to settle and accommodate.
The President, who came to power on the back of a very trying controversy which exposed the nation to the dangers of playing politics with ethnicity, religion and pure, unbridled monetized politics, is yet to impress the nation with an agenda or any action that will justify his intense desire to be President. The nation is more insecure today than it was this time last year. His first 100 days in office have witnessed spectacular bombing campaign another acts of violence which have left the nation more exposed than it has ever been to dangerous, hidden forces which we hear now, have international dimensions. Old flashpoints like Jos and Kaduna are flaring up again, and Borno and neighbouring states are largely unsafe for ordinary citizens and security personnel. The nation is being ravaged by floods, and many families will mark the first 100 days in office of their leaders in refugee camps, flood shelters or mourning for loved ones.
Yet the nation will be told that we have much to celebrate for the life and work of leaders who have spent 100 days in office. Most of these leaders are facing tough legal challenges which makes it difficult for them to concentrate on governance. Some will survive these challenges, while others will not. Some are still unsure over what to do with the people’s mandate, while others are busy dismantling the works and legacies of their predecessors. Still, public funds will be used to sing their praises to the high heavens. Not one Governor will own up to the task ahead, and plead that public resources should not be wasted to lie to the public that he is the messiah. The first 100 days in office of the present leadership may actually simply remind Nigerians that they have no leaders with the capacity and competence to lead the nation out of its severely restricting limitations. If the first 100 days must be marked, they should be marked with humility by our leaders, and intense prayers that our leaders will begin to govern well, and not on the pages of newspapers.
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