“...What is this that is
come upon the son of Kish?
Is Saul among the
Prophets?”-1st Samuel 10 vs. 11
Since the glorious exit of the
pre-colonial nationalist leaders, Nigeria has been in
search of a philosopher king. We have people who it wasn’t
their wish to rule, ruining the country. No leader of
Nigeria after 1966 ever wanted to rule yet unwilling to
leave. Some were gunning for a lesser post and the highest
post was conceded to them. Some fresh from prison,
brandishing born aganism and armed with a copy of Women in
the Bible, was given a stool bought by his brother’s blood.
I wonder why Nigerian politicians are shying away from
writing down their experiences and pontificate towards a
better Nigeria. Of all those clamped into deserved detention
by Buhari/iIdiagbon, its only Alex Ekwueme’s book I have
read, which is a mere clarification of NPN stand and not a
visionary way forward for Nigeria.
Against this background, I was
excited when the then governor of Enugu State Dr. Chimaroke
Nnamani started a lecture series. My desire to read a blue
print of how to reposition ndi igbo in the national equation
and arouse the sleeping giant called Nigeria, was quashed
when I saw through the lecture series as a mere political
rabble rouse, aimed at positioning the would be ex-governor
in a better bargaining slate in the quest for life after
government house. His hide and seek game with EFCC, puts an
indelible question mark on his intellectual activism as a
governor.
In deed wise men come from the
east. Another eastern ex-governor has arisen my interest,
with his publication-The Kalu Leadership Series- published
by the SunNewspaper on Saturdays. Governor Oji Uzo Kalu was
the executive governor of Abia State for eight years under
the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The
people of Abia can testify to the degree of development
under Kalu’s administration.
In March 15th
edition of The Kalu Leadership series titled Behold the
Fidel or Infidel?, Kalu commenting on the change of
leadership in Cuba, adduced conclusions that makes me
question his credibility as an emerging philosopher king.
According to Kalu, “the Cuban
people are tired of same system and same people, therefore
would have wished that the Castro system would come to an
end...the Cuban people are abreast of the fact that
communism has aggravated all Cuba’s basic material problems
to the point of desperation...”
The smooth transition of power
from Fidel to Raul, without the crashing in of Cuban exiles
from Florida USA shows that the people on the Island are not
tired of the Castro system. As an aspiring scholar, Kalu
should have known that in the revolution to oust Batista,
the big three (Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Raul and Fidel) played
an equal important role.
It is unfortunate that his
Excellency was misinformed on the person of Raul Castro.
According to Orji, “Therefore to have handpicked Raul as the
successor is a wrong move because at 75years, his age is a
liability, let alone his lack of charisma and inability to
command respect like his predecessor. Raul lacks the
strength of character and command his predecessor Fidel
had...” In as much as I agree that a revolution that has
spanned this long and survived the hatred Cuba had gone
through, the leadership would have groomed a member of the
younger generation to take over and pilot the activities of
Cuba in line with changing trend in the world without losing
the core of the revolutionary principles that gave birth to
the regime. Raul, is a steel, forged and tempered by
revolutionary life, lived in the jungle and not like the
bread and butter politicians in Nigeria, whose claim to
leadership qualities, is their hereditary membership of
Eze’s cabinet, or boot licking of the military and most
recently their selfish fight against their co-looter during
the third term debate.
Arguably, scholars believe
that had Che been alive, Castro would have handed over to
him, despite Che being an Argentine. This hierarchy was
established by blood on the battle field for the
emancipation of Cuba from American multi-national companies,
agent of imperialism and rouge puppet president. These men
put their lives on the line of fire for the nation and the
nation accepted their leadership, not based on the
manipulative strength of the ruling party or endorsement
from America, unlike in Nigeria. This are men who have been
consistent in ideology and Spartan life style, men who led
the revolution not from the safety of exile, but actively
participated with their less than 100 cadres through the
bushes to the triumphant entry into Havana. Their
credibility has never been in question. These are men of
courage, who wrote their will and farewell letters (as they
would rather die fighting for liberty than compromise)
before engaging the rampaging monster in Latin America
called humane-less American style capitalism. I shall
recommend Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life by Jon Lee
Anderson, The Bolivian Diary by Che, Castro: A political
Biography by Matthew, Herbert. In fact his Excellency should
commission one of his aides to google search Casrto, Che,
Raul and the 1959 Revolution. His result will show him that
Castro is a leader worthy of cloning and adapted into West
Africa to complete the good works started by Thomas Sankara,
Awo, Aminu Kano and Nkuruma.
It’s a show of lack of
understanding of communism for the ex-governor to opine that
communism is responsible for the desperation of Cubans which
have led many of them to embrace the shark infested sea in
search of Eldorado in Florida. Since the botched Bay of
Pigs, the successive American government has made the fall
of Cuba the centre of their foreign policy. There is no
trick in and under the books America has not tried to
collapse Cuba. The desperation Kalu wrote about, is the same
American propaganda that has made Nigerians sleep at
American Embassy in Lagos, in a bid to get Visa to wash
corpse in NY, drive cabs in Washington and deliver
newspapers house to house at the heart of winter. Will it
then be proper to say that democracy has failed in Nigeria
and have driven Nigerians to desperation of dying in Libya,
Canary Islands, or acquiring multiple refugee passports of
war torn African nations? If Nigeria were 90 miles off the
coast of America, I am sure a good number of Nigerians would
have swarm to America.
Communism as an ideology is
one of the best system of governance. According to Karl
Marx’s definition of scientific socialism, no country has
attained Communism. What happened in Russia in 1917 was
Leninism and subsequently Stalinism which was an aberration
of communism which Marx said will emerge from the gradual
collapse of capitalism due to the inherent contradictions in
the system. It is the understanding of this that has made
many western countries to introduce welfare measures to calm
ruffled nerves from exploding. Even the United States, is a
fertile ground for recruitment of communists and indeed had
a communist party.
Kalu in a bid to demonise
Castro and parrot CIA propaganda, failed to acknowledge the
role of Cuba in the liberation struggle in Africa. This was
the reason behind Nelson Mandela’s visit to Havana after he
was released from prison. I shall recommend to ex-governor
Kalu, a copy of The Nation Newspaper of Friday, February
2008, especially page 13, for a balanced view of the change
of power in Cuba and the achievements of Cuba under Castro.
A copy of BBC Focus on Africa Magazine of April-June 2006
especially page 60, is a bird view of the role of Castro in
Africa’s quest for liberty and right to direct her affairs
which neo-colonial forces made sure Africa got only paper
independence that did and still does not worth the ink they
were executed with.
Let me do Castro a disservice
and compare his Cuba to Nigeria. But can you compare the
glory and majesty of the Sun to the fluorescent tube without
provoking the Sun?
Fidel’s Cuba and Nigeria.
According to Kalu,
“little wonder the people of Cuba were unhappy because they
could not contribute to how they are governed” This is pot
calling kettle black. We know how PDP governors since
inception of the party have been capturing party tickets. In
Nigeria, nay in Abia under Kalu, did the people contribute
how they were governed? How many Deputy Governors served
under Kalu? It took the intervention of the federal might
for the Bakassi boys, who became an instrument of terror in
Abia, to be dismantled. Did the governor listen when people
cried about the arbitrary murders committed by these
miscreants?
Every ant in Cuba knows that
it is a dictatorship of the proletariats, with its internal
democratic selective process. The Cubans as is the case ever
where in the world, careless if it’s one family ruling, so
long as the basic needs are met. America’s strongest alien
in Middle East, is still ruled by one family, why hasn’t
America preached open democratic selection of leaders in
Saudi Arabia? Even in the almighty America, a family has
produced two presidents within one generation, yet nobody
has had of the Bush dictatorship.
Was PPA primaries free and
fare? Must the founder of the party be Chairman Board of
Trustee? If Kalu feels he should midwife the party, why
won’t Fidel safe-guard the revolution and hand it over to a
trusted comrade? If the just concluded PDP convention is the
best form of democratic selection process, most of us would
rather be a Cuban, living under Castro and remain a faithful
party member and our time will come.
In Nigeria, how many out-going
governors handed over to their deputy? Even in Abia, an
awaiting trial inmate (ATM) worn an election. A prior feat
had been achieved in Osun State, where a murder suspect was
elected senator.
In Cuba, which ex-governor
Kalu wants us to believe has been run aground by Castro,
life expectancy and quality of life is far better than in
Nigeria. Cuban’s healthcare is one of the best in any
developing country. Their patriotic sports exploit exceeds
the money induced performance by Enyimba. Nigeria had had to
employ a boxing coach from Cuba.
Fidel’s Cuba and
corruption.
At the last count, about 600
(six hundred attempts have been made on Fidel’s life. All
these numerous assassination attacks on Castro, none was
master minded as a result of corruption or enriching himself
with state fund. Can same be said about Nigeria? How many
ex-governors are free from EFCC? Even the kindergarten
governors whose rigged elections are being challenged are
not better off. At the last check, Ikedi Ohakim of Imo
State, had a check in at Scotland Yard over some euros found
in his hotel room. Has such ever been heard about Castro,
Raul or any member of the Cuban revolutionary movement,
especially members of the July 29th Movement.
Since patriotic Nzeogwu struck
on January 15 1966, all government in Nigeria have been
given the boot due to corruptly enriching herself. The
successor becomes worse than the predecessor. The filth
oozing out of the power sector, is a nightmare unheard of in
Cuba. I need not to tell Kalu that if it were to be in Cuba
and one is drunk enough to loot the treasury and take light
while the el comandante is delivering a speech, (as was the
case when Yar’Adua was addressing the Northern zone PDP
delegates to the just concluded PDP Bazaar) when he is
sober, will commit hara-kiri. But in Nigeria, such a thief
is glorified with chieftaincy title and a civic reception
organised for him.
Fidel’s Education and
Nigeria’s leaders.
According to Kalu,
“Notwithstanding his below average performance in school,
Castrol had a distinguishing similarity with some former
dictators here in Nigeria, primary is “remarkable memory”.
The remarkable memory of remembering those who offended you
while in school and taking revenge on them one after the
other, when you are in a position to serve the country”. I
wonder where Kalu got this information. Throughout the half
page article dragged and supported by adverts to give the
impression of a full page, Kalu never acknowledged any
author or sited an authority to buttress his claims. It is
obvious that Kalu has never been to Cuba, never did an
independent on the field research on Cuba, and so what was
the source of Kalu’s information on Cuba? It would have
enriched the reader if Kalu gave examples of the witch hunt
by Castro. Hear him, “Historians would agree with me...”On
what basis? Scholarship is about seeking the truth and
questioning the truth, for Kalu to sit in the comfort of his
Igere country home and dish out what cannot pass as a WAEC
easy on Castro’s Cuba is the height of intellectual
laziness, in this era of internet services and pyramid of
information.
Kalu shows his little
understanding of leadership qualities. In Nigeria, the
minimum qualification as entrenched in the 1999 Constitution
for the highest office in the land is primary six. Before
Yar’Adua, no graduate has ruled Nigeria. In the 2nd
Republic we had intellectuals in political parties. Our dear
late Chike Obi, Bola Ige, Chinua Achebe threw in their
cerebral strength in shaping party manifestos. What do we
have now? Money bags who were beneficiaries of the rape of
Nigeria by the military in the helm of affairs in a good
number of the political parties.
Our own Kalu was a University
of Madugri drop out and questionably finished in Abia State
University when he became governor. Apart from being a
businessman engaged in import and export, what was Kalu’s
qualification? According to Machiavelli, in The Prince, the
means of acquiring power may be ruthless, but once power is
acquired, it must be exercised morally. Did Castro do well
as a leader? Did his lengthy speeches fire up patriotic
feelings and heroic acts by Cuban? The emergence of Hugo
Chevez, is a reminder that as a leader, Castro did not fail
in mentoring others. Can same be said about the leadership
class in Nigeria? Which leader do Nigerian youths look up
to? Apart from the pre-colonial nationalist Nigerian leaders
across the ethnic nationalities, Nigerian elected leadership
class is a bunch of chaff, an orchestra of fraud that no
composer can keep in one accord. The stench oozing from the
Probe in the Power Sector by the House Committee is nothing
compared to other sectors that the government has kept a
sealed lid on. Yar’Adua for close to a year, has been the
Petroleum minister, to save Nigeria from embarrassment, I
hope the hunter will not become the hunted when the rot in
NNPC will be exposed.
Since 1959, Castro has been
consistent, despite the dismantling of one of his
benefactors the Socialist Soviet Republic by imperialist
America. Can same be said about Nigeria politicians, whose
stock in trade is fair weather and stomach driven political
alignment? If not, how will one justify an ex-governor in
control of three (3) senatorial zones scrambling to be a
senator? What other service will he render that he couldn’t
when he had uninterrupted revenue both from the federation
account and internally generated? How many ex-his
Excellency, seek Medicare in the hospitals they built while
governors? Castro the Kalu took pains to run down, has been
ill for over a year, yet he has not been flown abroad for
treatment. Cuban Medicare is fantastic, leaders do not have
to fly to Germany to amputate their legs, cure common cold
or trim their corruption bloated stomach, nor do they keep
their wives in a sanitarium, employ psychiatrics to cure
their children from substance abuse and deter them from
copying the kleptomaniac genes from their father. People
should be reminded that those who live in a glass house do
not throw stones.
Inconsistency and dearth of
political ideology in Nigeria has been held responsible for
the hydra-headed corruption in Nigeria. Chinua Achebe’s
classical pamphlet on leadership-The problem with Nigeria;
Arthur Nwankwo’s The Igbo Leadership and the Future of
Nigeria, clearly point out that the absence of ideology is
the bane of Nigeria’s leadership crisis. A particular
ex-governor at the heat of passion, promised to expose the
corrupt practises of former president Obasanjo. Up till
date, apart from a kangaroo panel that indicted Yar’Adua,
nothing has been heard of the dossier on corrupt practises
of Obasanjo. Castro has survived many American presidents
and his message has not changed.
Let me conclude with Kalu’s
conclusion if it was Kalu that wrote the piece. “The answer
remains that our continent is still battling with true
leadership. True representatives of the people and until we
get them right, unanswered questions would persist”
Interesting hypocritical conclusion from a man who imposed
an awaiting trial inmate, who never campaigned on the
people.
