6th May, 2013
By Joe Igbokwe
All over the world the only thing that is permanent is change. You buy a motorcycle or a car and a use for sometime and then change it. It may be cloths, it may be shoes, may be eye glasses, may be household wares, machines etc, we change them because they are not meant to last forever. In Engineering they tell us that everything has a life span including life itself and that we do not use machines to destruction.
Framers of constitutional democracies all over the world made provisions for change in leadership by providing for two-party system or multi-party system. The framers put this very important clause in place to make way for change when there is need to do so. When there is one party system, the possibility of change is no longer there. What you have is one party system and at once we all call this dictatorship and dictatorship breeds fear, tyranny, oppression, suppression, repression, intolerance, political assassination, brutality, stunted growth, corruption, political irresponsibility, impunity, greed, hatred, arrogance, wickedness, sufferings etc.
Nigeria is supposed to be a multi-party democracy where change is inevitable if things are not going on well as they are now. But the ruling Party (PDP) has held the nation hostage since 1999. The Party leadership has effectively used the wealth of the nation not for productivity and economic growth but to muzzle and stifle opposition. They have effectively used the nation’s wealth to help themselves, their wives, their children, their grand children, great grand children and even generations yet unborn. Every attempt made by the opposition to come together to challenge the octopus has met with ruthless obstacles put in place by the ruling party. They use our money to corrupt our hard earned democracy and to democratize corruption. As if that is not enough they tell us that their party will rule Nigeria for 60 years whether we like it or not. This is impunity simplicitta! This is arrogance being taken to a primitive level. This is a celebration of political brigandage, so to speak.
In 2015 Nigerians deserve change of leadership, change of attitude, change in ideas, change in character, change in strategy, change in approach, change in plans, change in focus, change in conducting the affairs of state and in conducting the business of governance. Nigerians deserve new ways of doing things, new thinking in the art of governance, new men and women in the seat of government, and 360 degrees turnaround in transforming a country endowed with both human and material resources.
Everything that needs to be done to bring about this change is being put in place right now by committed men and women in ACN, CPC, ANPP, APGA and others. Twenty-four hours and seven days in a week they work themselves to bones to get the desired result. You can see the challenges they are facing just to get APC registered. Two fake and faceless APCs being driven by political rogues have been trying to be cogs in the wheel of progress of the real APC. All kinds of political grenades and mines have been buried on the way of the real APC but how far these people can go is yet to be seen.
All things considered, I know that APC leaders are determined to take this project of giving Nigerians an alternative to a logical conclusion but the biggest headache is INEC. Is INEC fully prepared to provide a level playing field this time around? Will INEC be an unbiased umpire this time around? Will INEC conduct free and fair elections in 2015? Does INEC have the capacity to do things right? Will INEC live up to expectation? Will INEC disappoint critics this time around? Will INEC redeem its battered image this time around? Will INEC save Nigeria ? This change is inevitable now in Nigeria’s troubled history. If we cannot claim the rights to reclaim Nigeria now then we have no reason to live.
The people get the kind of government they really desire. Change comes because the people really want it and they go extra mile to get it. Change in a political setting like Nigeria is not going to be secured on a platter of gold. Men and women, young and old must gird their loins, remove the kid gloves and jettison the timidity to conquer. Our country has been stolen since 1983(30 years) when the Military took over power from civilians, and time has come for us to say no, enough is enough.
The struggle to reclaim Nigeria is going to be a serious battle because we are dealing with people without conscience, hearts, minds, souls, heads, eyes and brains. Primitive accumulation of wealth without work has rendered them hopeless, helpless, wayward, arrogant and silly. They need to be taught a lesson that no power in the tongue of any man can resist an idea whose time has come.