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I Disagree With Chinua Achebe, The Trouble With Nigeria Is Not Politicians, But - Politics (6) - Nairaland

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Re: I Disagree With Chinua Achebe, The Trouble With Nigeria Is Not Politicians, But by ogongogames(m): 12:06am On Feb 04, 2019
GreatrAnalyst:


You got me by the chicken and egg analogy, I first thought of it too when trying to analyse this post.
Thanks for believing in good values. But come to think of it, individuals come from families right? But you would agree that what a kind of leadership is, is what will make or mar the humans coming out of any family? We have both positive and negative examples all around us. Now apply it to society, society can do little where there are no sane authorities keeping human activities in shape and under control, even including the authorities themselves. The good news is that we have authorities and laws, the bad news, very bad news, is that the authorities are irresponsible with the law. Just like before you would blame a spoilt child alone leaving the progenitors out of the blame, so also is when you make the society blame-worthy, but exonerating the authorities meant to guide and nurture to a better society.
So bad it is that on the part of the authorities, they even bend the power and laws to their taste so as to perpetuate themselves and their kinds in the place of power! Before we blame the children from a family, can we examine first the parents, before we blame Nigerians, can we look back in history if we have ever had a leader so willing to let power go when people perceive him to be ineffective just by himself?

Interesting perspective. Nigeria is indeed a paradox. From my own personal research and conversations, I think the military regime of IBB further destroyed the Nigerian psyche. I think prior to this whilst corruption always existed (it happens everywhere around the world) but there was more order or sense of public service (Zik, Awolowo, Jakande, Ambrose Alli etc. So yes in way, leadership is definitely the key as your point staeted. If you look at the Edo State government of Godwin Obaseki today, there seems to be a huge change in the civil service attitude since he came in. The belief that I have always echoed is that we need better role models in every facet of Nigerian society. People that can show the average Nigerian that integrity, honesty and hard-work is enough to live a successful and fulfilled life which is not defined about the amount of money one has. I sincerely believe this is possible, it takes only a few people who are in influential positions to get this change going.

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Re: I Disagree With Chinua Achebe, The Trouble With Nigeria Is Not Politicians, But by Patclinic: 9:44am On Feb 04, 2019
Government will try to repair the road/ construct the road. Group of Nigerian thugs will gather themselves and kidnap the oyinbo contractors. Then we will say the Government are not doing anything. We are wicked in Nigeria.. wickedness is in our blood..
Re: I Disagree With Chinua Achebe, The Trouble With Nigeria Is Not Politicians, But by Deadlytruth(m): 11:54am On Feb 04, 2019
ogongogames:


Interesting perspective. Nigeria is indeed a paradox. From my own personal research and conversations, I think the military regime of IBB further destroyed the Nigerian psyche. I think prior to this whilst corruption always existed (it happens everywhere around the world) but there was more order or sense of public service (Zik, Awolowo, Jakande, Ambrose Alli etc. So yes in way, leadership is definitely the key as your point staeted. If you look at the Edo State government of Godwin Obaseki today, there seems to be a huge change in the civil service attitude since he came in. The belief that I have always echoed is that we need better role models in every facet of Nigerian society. People that can show the average Nigerian that integrity, honesty and hard-work is enough to live a successful and fulfilled life which is not defined about the amount of money one has. I sincerely believe this is possible, it takes only a few people who are in influential positions to get this change going.

As per the bolded above; Did Obaseki get to office by himself or by the resolve of the masses? Remember that in the election which brought Obaseki to power Ize Iyamu (an already tested and failed
candidate) was almost voted in by those whose choices were driven not by concern about issues or antecedents but purely by anti-Buhari and anti-Tinubu sentiments combined with resentment against Oshiomhole for rather egoistic reasons. But it took the resolve of the slight majority to vote with their heads rather than with their hearts. We all know that if those who wanted Iyamu just because they wanted Oshiomhole disgraced, had been in the majority thus had their way, all the good news being heard of about Edo today would have been very unlikely. But with Obaseki's glaring and compelling paradigm shifts in many aspects of governance in Edo State today, even those who rooted for Ize Iyamu in the build up to the election back then are now convinced that they would have caused Edo State to repeat the 1999 mistake of choosing Lucky Igbinedion over Lucky Imasuen. That is how good and principled followership brings about good leadership.

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Re: I Disagree With Chinua Achebe, The Trouble With Nigeria Is Not Politicians, But by sexiestharam(f): 10:31pm On Feb 18, 2019
SexExpert:
After reading only the upper half of your write-up, this is how I summarise your points:

1. Poverty
2. Lack of education
3. Religion
4. Tribalism

... are the major factors why real progress has continued to elude Nigeria.

From the above, 1 & 2 bother on capacity to make or hold on to an informed decision. From the little I know about sociology, psychology and participatory democracy, it is actually the duty of the government to empower its citizens to enable them participate rationally in inclusive governance. High rates of poverty and illiteracy will make this near impossible.

Have you ever heard of the millions of almajiris in Northern Nigeria? Do you earnestly expect them to make the sort of rationalisation you are suggesting here?

For 3 & 4, the story is worse because even those who are educated and financially capable still make decisions that are coloured by tribe and religion. For me, this is the biggest problem facing Nigeria. Who do we blame for this? Leadership of course! Decades of selfish leadership and segregation based on tribal and religious considerations has created a generation of Nigerians who think tribe and religion first. Indeed, majority of Nigerians probably never think Nigeria, like an American would think America.




Hi. I saw your mail and I replied.
Re: I Disagree With Chinua Achebe, The Trouble With Nigeria Is Not Politicians, But by krushdripper(m): 9:06pm On Mar 31, 2019
stanliwise:
As much as you are trying to express dislike for the action of Nigerian masses, your dislikes have now degenerated to hatred. like it or not, if the masses must work you need those people that you called mad and psychotic to make it happen. Your hatred isn't the way out. Why not Orient this smae people.
I understand that I'm not looking for the way out the way you think I should.

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