Barely two weeks ago, Nigerians prayed that 2004 would usher in a new era and breathe a life into Nigeria. But no sooner had they finished praying than the heaven began to come loose in the society. The ID-corruption scandal popped up and the Anambra crisis, which was briefly extinct, erupted again. Are these bad omens? As usual, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has adopted his Ostrich leadership-style and remained mum in the matter, despite public criticisms. He displayed his Ostrich style of leadership when the Sharia crisis erupted, when the politicians were slaughtering each other in the run-up to the 2003 politics, during the six-month ASUU strike actions, during the fuel price crisis, and so forth. When there are problems in a society forward-looking and proactive leaders would immediately probe the issues and proffer solutions. But Chief Obasanjo’s Ostrich leadership-style has turned the nation into a society where sociopolitical and economic problems remain unresolved. That has been his biggest blunder; and it is threatening the nation’s nascent democracy.

The President would be lying through his teeth if he were telling the world that he is not in any way connected to the Anambra crisis. If not, why should he provide private police protection to Emeka Ofor and Chris Uba (the two political godfathers in Anambra)? It was even reported recently that the police are guarding the properties of Chief Chris Uba while the people of Anambra are without adequate police protection. As a leader of the nation, he must not take side or become a passive observer in the Anambra crisis. His silence shows that he is either in support of those working to destabilize the state, or that he is not interested in the welfare of the people of Anambra and the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. As it were, ‘silent is golden.’ If the President cannot say the truth in this micro matter, why should the leadership of entire Nigeria be entrusted upon him? As Albert Einstein noted, ‘whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.’ Many other actors may have contributed to the mess in the state. Was the Senator Wabara’s peace initiative for Uba and Ngige at Owerri a true reconciliation or deception? Granted that Governor Ngige is not a saint, but no sane person will justify the evils going on in the State.

The crisis in Anambra has exposed the dark side of Chief Obasanjo, because he does not seem to value democracy and all it stands for. Stifling freedom and denying the people the right to choose whom their leaders would be is a desecration of the principle of democracy. And stripping Governor Ngige of his security apparatuses, which hampers his ability to govern the state, is a political blunder Obasanjo and his IG would not easily explain away. That they are acting on a court order is not enough excuse, after all, a court had earlier issued an injunction to arrest Chris Uba, but the order was not implemented. However, political observers have been wondering why the President who takes interest in political issues in far away Sao Tome and Principe and in protecting the life of a deposed dictator and murderer, Charles Taylor, should refuse to restore sanity in a troubled part of his constituency? The President cannot any longer feign ignorant of the problem in the crisis-torn state, and it is not enough for his bunch of sycophants to tell the Nigerian world that he is not fueling the Anambra crisis. It is certain that they will not accept their involvement in the shifting tides of battle in the state even if one puts a screw in their head. But they should convince the world that the President is innocent by calling his ‘boys’ and ‘political gangsters’ who are fomenting the trouble to order. How many more plots will they hatch before leaving Governor Ngige and the people of Anambra alone? His inability (or refusal?) to control the sociopolitical crises in the country has confirmed the people’s believe that he does not posses what it takes to lay a good foundation for democracy to thrive in Nigeria. Leadership is not hiding away from problems or making promises that are never implemented. It is about meeting the needs of the people and solving problems. Nigerians are tired of listening to polished speeches that cannot solve their problems. They want promises to be translated into action because action speaks louder than words. When there are problems in a society, a forward-looking and proactive leader would immediately probe the issues and proffer solutions. But that is not the case with Obasanjo!

The political godfather phenomenon is not new in Nigeria. It started during the First Republic when the forefathers of the nation (Zik, Awo, Tafawa-Balewa, etc) influenced and controlled political activities in Nigeria. However, there are lots of differences between the ideological godfatherism of the First Republic and the crude form that is currently in place in Anambra. The problem of crude political godfatherism facing Anambra is a big challenge that should be resolved before one could put forth plans to sustain democracy in Nigeria. The happiness of the people of Anambra is the happiness of the entire nation!

The Anambra imbroglio has exposed the negative impacts of crude political godfatherism in Nigerian politics. Like other forms of political corruption, it is a big threat to Nigeria’s democracy-experiment, because it prevents the people from participating unfettered in the political process. The crisis has left a lot of fingerprints are on the political wall - the credibility of the judiciary and police have been stained, as the diabolical actions of Mr. Raphael Ige (AIG), Mr. Tafa Balogun (IG) and Justices Egbo-Egbo and Nnaji show. This is because the godfathers always employ them to achieve their devilish political purpose. Thus crude political godfatherism perverse justice, liberty, and causes insecurity to live and property. The Anambra crisis should teach Nigeria a life lesson. Stripping Governor Ngige of Police protection shows how dangerous a very powerful Central Government can be; and it also shows that the Federal Police (as it is in Nigeria today) are not working in the interest of peace or to sustain democracy in Nigeria. For that, State Governors should fight for the institution of a true federalism in the nation. This will give them the power to control the Police in their domain for proper protection and governance. In other words, the enormous power vested on the IG and the Federal Government must be reduced. To avoid crude political godfatherism from subverting Nigeria’s democracy-experiment, all the tiers of government must prosecute any person found plotting to destabilize any part of the nation in any manner. It must also curtail the influence of money in politics by controlling individual contributions to political campaign. Some of the dramatis personae in the ID corruption scandal are now claiming that they sponsored the PDP with their loots. As one commentator noted, without curtailing the influence of money in politics, money will definitely curtail the people’s rights to participate in the political process. If nothing is done now, I fear what may chance in 2007!

The President should rise above politics and talk honestly about the issues facing the nation. He can move the people from their chronic hardship to a healthy state by taming corruption and the power of political godfathers and strengthening the social institutions that are pivotal to the economic well being of the nation. And the laws of the land should be enforced. There is too much ruin in Nigeria! As Adams Smith noted, "there is much ruin in a nation." But with political will the leaders can stop the powers-to-be from further desecrating the Nigerian democracy and move the nation from its present chaotic state to a peaceful and truly democratic society based on true federalism. This will certainly transform Nigerians into a truly happy people and save the Nation from further mockery and ridicule.

Jan 2004