Obasesam Okoi|2 February 2016|6:25am
Good Morning Nigerians:
I've been away for important reasons. But I must confess that I miss you all. It was important that I left Facebook momentarily to connect with God, and then to work on a few conference papers including a proposed publication on corruption and illicit oil trade in Nigeria, which I've been contracted to write for the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD) Expert Forum on Tackling Corruption in the Global Economy.
At the same time I've been educating myself on the art of "Predator Governance", that is, how predators exercise governance in order to exert substantial influence in the animal kingdom. The implications for the governance of human societies has been understudied, yet it remains a subject of growing importance in the scientific exploration of leadership and nation building. This is exactly the reason I've developed keen interest in the process and outcome of Buhari's anti-corruption crusade and what we can do as individuals to support the war.
In my intellectual exploration of Predator Governance, I discovered that the battle to free the oppressed and oppressors alike cannot be won with mere intelligence. This is not to undermine the power of human intelligence in social transformation but to argue that intelligence alone is not enough to rebuild Nigeria. What makes a difference is our attitude to national rebirth.
Of course, society is full of intelligent people. Yet the past 16 years have been tragic! We saw how our commonwealth was loot by a tiny political elite who conspired to deprive millions of Nigerians of access to food, jobs, good schools and healthcare. What else do we expect? We entrusted our political destiny to men with criminal dispositions. These are people who stole elections, bought the future, and used intimidation to silence our voices.
Amidst this contradiction is an opportunity to make a difference. Attitude matters, and it matter a lot. With the right attitude one single Lion can lead an army of Sheep to conquer an army of Lions led by Sheep. That's exactly what Buhari is doing. It's not dictatorship that is making things happen but Buhari's attitude to the fight against corruption.
Chief Okoi Obla has published very sensitive information about corruption in Cross River. We've written extensively about the deplorable state of the Ikom-Calabar highway and never got any response. Instead we are bombarded daily with lies. But the truth is beginning to reveal itself through the efforts of active and courageous citizens like Chief Obla.
Should we sit back and merely read or discuss these taboos? Or should we support Chief Obla in the struggle to uncover corrupt practices and bring perpetrators to book? I have also demonstrated that with sincerity of purpose we can reject corrupt money and instead seek justice in the interest of the suffering masses.
It is no longer the fault of corrupt politicians but our apathy, that is, the apathy of incorruptible citizens who turn a blind eye to injustice and oppression. Therefore I stand with Buhari's- anti-corruption crusade because it is the only light we need to achieve national rebirth.
Obasesam Okoi
Is a Cross River-born Canada-based Academic
