esere826

Introduction
In politics,especially the nigerian one, it is almost impossible for saints to ascend on high
we are therefore left with a situation were in Nigeria, we we have too many bind and one eyed elites at the top,
(apologies to anyone with a disability)
While the 'saints' 'seemingly' stay outside this dirty playground and critique to their hearts content

But if you step back and take a look at this whole scenario,
you would see a viscious tug of war for the soul of the country
one that the saints because of their inherent simplistic disposition are sure to loose
I'll go ahead to characterize each of the three players.

esere826

The blind and develish
This group have no visions for Nigeria, all they are concerned about
is the appropriation of power to themselves as an end in itself,
embezling money for themselves, bedding all the ladies they can lay their hand on,
and hiding their money in overseas territories.


They lack the ability to envision Nigeria as being a great country.
Their psychological disposition is one that we could easily call wicked, but they don't think that they are.
These ones would readilly sell Nigeria to a foreign government if it would make them eternal rulers of the slaves.

Left for them, they will steal money from the coffers of nigeria without bothering to be intelligent about it,
and tell the rest of nigerians to go to hell. T
hey compromise the very pillars of what make they country exist in the first place

These types, are evident in folks like Lucky Igbenedion, Babangida, Adedibu........fill in the rest

esere826
the one eyed sinners

These ones have some midiocrum of vision for Nigeria.
However, they can be extremely comfortable with the blind if they choose to, and sometimes side with them depending on the circumstance.
They break rules, steal money with style and are also comfortable meddling with the saints.
In some saner climate, their type would be considered extremely evil, but well, this is Nigeria.

Though they have investments abroad, they look for opputunities to invest in Nigerians
(not just rent seeking, but actual developmental oppurtunities).
They are intelligent and despite their k-leg tactics, they'd like to see Nigeria as a great nation.
When given the oppurtunity, they do make some measurable attempts at doing so.

Their achilles heel is that they have skeletons in their cupboards that can be used against them (by their perceived enemies)
when they go against a cartel of the seriously blind.

My examples of people in this group includes Ribadu, reuben Abati, Soludu, El Rufai, Donald Duke
........you can fill in the rest

esere826

The good saints
In Nigeria, this category is less about individuals and more about a once-in-a-while characterization,
a desire for sanity we tend to adopt when we find suitable.

The saints when they are not yet in power, player hate anyone who dares get cossy with the government of the day.
They scorn their former colleagues who have been 'invited to chop' and are not sharing with them
and by so doing, push their former colleaguse into the arms of greater darkness (everyone needs a support base).

I hate this group soooooo much (although I am also a proud part of it sometimes).
All they do is bay for blood. They are easily whipped up by the political devils against the political Sinners
(and yet, these political sinners are the ones more likely to push Nigeria into progress).

The Saints are always on the look out for the speck in the eyes of others.
They love the thought of Nigeria being an elorado nation, but lack any real strategy to acheive this.
They are extremely simplistic, and stupidly believe that it is best if fellow Saints dont get into government.
The stupidity of this argument is that if good guys dont get into government,
how do we expect evil at the top to be diluted and finally eliminated.
They do not see shades of grey, and feel everything should be either black or white .

They do have their exceptional usefulness. Like the vultures that rid the earth of decomposing flesh, they constantly scan and critique the political space ensuring that politicians attempt to do the right things or at least cover their tracks

Wole Soyinka seems to understand the powerlessness of this group,
hence what I perceive is his increasing desire to encourage the one-eyed ones

...Examples of the Saints are Reuben Abati b4 getting into government, Gani Fawenhimi (God blesshis soul) and the man starring at u in the mirror

Now, let us use Ribadu as a case study.

When Yaradua wanted to get rid of him, his (yarduas) government provided enough 'legitimate skeletons' to do so
They included :

1) Ribadu was required to go to a certain college in line with his promotion
.. although this appeared true, but I am certain that if he was in their good books, they wont have required this to happen

2) Ribadu's promotion was rescinded as it was determined that his promotion was irregular. To show that the government was
not being biased, it also demoted some other officers including Yaradua aide
...common, ....Yaradua's own brother was promoted above his superiors in the army to become Obasanjo's deputy

3) Ribadu was accused of doing selective hounding
..Yep,...but this argument was extremely simplistic. I will also give a simplistic response to it. A mango tree that is full of ripe juicy fruits will definitely complain of selective harvesting by the little boy that ispicking its fruits.
You cant get the same complaint from an old mango tree that produces maybe one or two fruits

PapaBrowne: Saints as vultures! It doesn't get more intelligent than this! Excellent piece!

And why is it incomplete? I want more!

Feraz: Very interesting. Hope you won't abandon it just like that of externalising your problems?