New Hearts for a New Nigeria

by 

Prof. Obaro Ikime

THE Obasanjo administration has entered into its first "New Year" which also happens to be the beginning of a new millennium. The 2000 budget is also Obasanjo's first full year budget. Mr. president has also, as part of the new year activities granted reprieve to persons sentenced to death but who twenty years after the event, were still awaiting execution. Yes, indeed, we are in a New Year, and we expect many new things to happen, many new initiatives to be taken. As I say "Happy New Year" to my readers, I make bold to say that this year and the years to come will bring no permanent good to us as a nation unless we receive new hearts from God, hearts that will fear Him and flee every appearance of evil.

How has Nigeria welcomed the New Year? Mr. President has doubts as to whether the funds released for the millennium celebrations were judiciously expended. He fears that some government functionaries may have pocketed some of the money. The matter is to be probed. A federal Permanent Secretary is alleged to have authorized the expenditure of over N400 million, and to have refunded N100 million of this. There is talk that his arrest may not be unconnected to certain conflicts between him and his Oga. What is clear is that something is out of point in the Ministry of Defense. From one of the states comes a report that the state Governor has had to convey to the House of Assembly millions of naira in a bullion van so that the House can pass his budget! In that same state, so the report goes on, civil servants who appeared before the law makers to defend their allocation were required to bring along varying sums of money before they could be heard. A New Year indeed; but it is a New Year heralded by old habits borne out of the old hearts.

From the Niger Delta we have read reports that there has been set up anti-piracy groups to counter the activities of those who prey on water transport and kidnap oil company workers for a ransom. These anti piracy groups, armed with sophisticated weapons, are now killing the bandit pirates on the waterways of the Delta. One of the traditional rulers of the area has hailed this development as a herald of peace. Some peace, won't you say? And in Lagos, a similar development would also appear to have taken place. Some organization has set up and anti-armed robbery squad. This squad has killed series of "armed robbers" and torched quite a number of houses. Presumably the burnt houses belonged to armed robbers! In Ibadan an accident involving a trailer was the signal for fighting's and killings as Yoruba and Hausa tested their daggers, bows and arrows, machetes and charms. A new year, but the same old habits.

From the Presidency comes an announcement that N10 billion is to be used for a poverty alleviation programmed. "Poverty Alleviation" - a cliché that has become all too familiar. From Babangida to Abacha we say poverty alleviation projects that even won awards for certain First Ladies who bestrode Africa like the proverbial colossus. In those years many a Nigerian woman, including some I thought were respectable and decent, sucked it to the first ladies, made their pile and certainly alleviated their individual poverty! As for the much vaunted poverty alleviation in the nation, we are still awaiting the statistics that can tell us just how effectively we have beaten back poverty. Now, behold a new poverty alleviation thrust. Have I a right to be skeptical? a New Year and old strategies? No?

In the realm of sports, we are again watching helplessly as our preparations for "Nigeria - Ghana 2000" - the African cup of Nations soccer fiesta -  reveal the same old problems. First, it was getting an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles. In less than one year we have had to hire one such adviser, fire him and hire another. In other parts of the soccer world, in those countries who win the World Cup, coaches are appointed at the end of one competition to prepare the team for the next. In Nigeria we always wait till a few months before the actual competition and then expect the coach to perform miracles.

In other areas of sports, it is always when we have but a few weeks to go that we are told there are financial problems! Yet the sports calendar is always known well in advance. The various associations appear to the observer to be massively incompetent when it comes to planning and fund-raising. Without a shadow of doubt, we have abundant talents in various sports for us to be world beaters. Thus far, however, our achievements have been limited by lackluster sports administration and planning. We have now stepped into a New Year and a new millennium. Is there any hope of new strategies, new men with new visions?

Thirty years of corruption and worship of mammon; thirty years of graft and greed have created a nation with hearts of stone. People's thoughts about and attitudes to office holding are so warped that one wonders whether we will ever again produce men and women who will eschew evil and corruption.

Mr. President says he will seek to do precisely that. But from what we see and hear, many of his aides and office holders think he is wrong, very wrong and they are doing their best to frustrate him. Most of us are agreed that we need a change. That change cannot come unless and until hearts of stone become hearts of flesh and begin to bleed! That is my prayer for our nation this year: that God will give us new hearts as we seek to build a new Nigeria. 

Let old things be gone; let all things become new. So help us God.