Unfortunately now that they have been embedded into the foundations and the very fabric of our politics , there is nothing much that we can do but mentor a new generation to build new foundations . We need to build new foundations based on competence , equity and justice .
We cannot talk about a rotational presidency when it favours one group and then ignore it at other times . We cannot talk about a Muslim / Christian ticket to balance things out at one time and then disregard it at other times . These parameters should never have been allowed into our politics to start with .
We therefore need to be very careful about what foundations we are building today , be it in our families or our businesses or as a nation . We need to remember that foundations are seeds that will grow . Harvest time will come . Even though the foundation serves your purpose right now , will you want to live with the consequences of the foundations that you are laying today ?
So , let ’ s go back to the Nigerian Bishop that cracked me up . While delivering his sermon he asked the congregation if they were all set to vote and if they had their voters cards to which they all answered in the affirmative by a show of hands . He then prayed for them . It was not one of your usual kinds of prayer . He said , ‘ May your children and children ’ s children develop the character of the person you are voting for .’
Not one person said amen . Not one ! In fact , people were very angry that the Bishop could say such a prayer . And that , dear friends , is the consequence of a foundation not based on competence but on tribe , religion and personal interests . These same people will pray for God to do something in Nigeria but when they had the opportunity to do something through their votes , ancient foundations hijacked their logic and there was nothing they could do about it . Next time you pray to God to do something , first look inwards and ask what foundations are dictating the proceedings in your head .
So , as the nation prepares to go to the polls in February , the tension is at an all time high . In my now too regular musings about the land of my birth I imagined being asked to present a thesis on the state of the nation since independence in 1960 . I would aptly title it - How the Elite destroyed a nation and killed the dreams of generations .
To start , I would have to do a synopsis
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Competence must rule the game from concept to the consumer . If at any point of the chain there is a break , it will affect the entire chain and brand disintegration can still happen . In essence , if you have A list strategists , A list technology people , A list marketing people and then you settle for D list sales people , you are a sitting prime target of brand disintegration .
of three generations - My grandfather ’ s generation , my fathers generation and my generation . Before I begin my rant , I want us to remember the quote by G . Michael Hopf the post apocalyptic novelist who said that “ Hard times create strong men , strong men create good times , good times create weak men , and weak men create hard times .” That said , I can now begin my rant .
My Grand Fathers Generation
My grandfather ’ s generation was the generation that was born between 1900 and 1930 . They grew up under colonial rule . They saw their country ruled by people who they had no clue about and who had no regard for their culture and traditions . They saw the north and the south of the River Niger which were totally different people with different cultures and values lumped together into one entity by the then governor , Lord Lugard . They saw the entity given the name Nigeria by his partner Flora Shaw . They went through the loss of dignity in their own land and they rose up and fought . They rebelled against the status quo . They started their own newspapers and began to reshape the narrative and they eventually secured independence for the nation in 1960 .
They were a generation of nationalists and they were pro development and gave themselves to it . Under their leadership and with no money from crude oil , we built the first skyscraper in West Africa - Cocoa House in Ibadan , one of the first dual carriage roads , the first TV station in Africa - Western Nigeria Television ( WNTV ) in Ibadan and yes even the first stadium in Africa - Liberty Stadium ( Now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium Ibadan ) as well as the first teaching hospital - The University College Hospital ( UCH ) in Ibadan where the Saudi Royal Family used to travel to for the medical needs .
My Fathers Generation
Then came my fathers generation . They were the children of the fighters and they reaped big from the struggles of their parents . They were western educated and came back to Nigeria with Harvard , Oxford and Cambridge degrees . They were the new elite . They were employed even before they graduated from these universities . Many had house or car loans given to them on day one of their new jobs . They were beneficiaries of the good times created by their strong fathers .
These intellectuals and captains of industry did not fight for anything and so they lacked the capacity to keep what they did not fight for . In January 1966 the first coup in Nigeria took place and this changed the Nigerian landscape forever . The northern elite were eliminated . Because the leader of the coup - Major Kaduna Nzeogwu was an Igbo man from the South East , the coup was labelled an Igbo coup . In July 1966 a counter coup was staged by the then young northern officers of Hausa extraction and this coup wiped out not just the Igbo military head of state , General Aguiyi Ironsi , but led to mass killing of Igbos in the North and this was one of the things that led to the civil war . Indeed 1966 was the year that changed Nigeria forever .
Now what did my fathers generation do with all their intellectualism ? They aided the military and those who did not would sit in their clubs discussing the state of the nation with their big English grammar . Somehow they always knew what everyone
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