By Ugochukwu
Ejinkeonye
During the governorship and
states’ houses of assembly elections that took place in Nigeria
Now, apart from any hapless individual who was “accidentally discharged”
by some habitually reckless and trigger-happy cop or someone caught in the
crossfire as rival political groups clashed and unleashed violence on each
other, all the others killed during this election while fighting “political
wars” died for nothing. They died for nothing because they counted themselves
as nothing, hence they could waste their precious lives fighting for mostly
common thieves or glorified thugs striving to become governors or “honourable” members
of the house of assembly so that they can plunder the resources of the state
and cart away as much loot as they can before their tenure expires.
What beats me is how a human being
could devalue his life so much that he could expose that life to serious danger
by agreeing to undertake a violent activity on behalf of someone who may not
even be informed if he is killed – someone who does not even know him or care
whether he lives or dies. Sometimes, all it takes to motivate these misguided
combatants would just be a few crumpled naira notes, some bottles of beer or
gin and poorly produced T-shirts bearing the faces of the fellows who they have
been hired to fight and die for. Most of the time, he does not even have the
slightest hint of contact with these
his “ardent supporters.” Or if he does, it may just be to come out in front of
his house or step out of his luxury car at some other place to address and
charge them to be prepared to lay down their lives to ensure that only the
“credible candidate” (himself) wins the election “for the good of the
state”.
Meanwhile, he had taken care to
ensure that his wife and children are far removed from the theatre of battle
where he is urging some deluded Nigerians to shed their blood to secure for him
and his family a life of limitless luxury. He would only bring them back to
join him to wallow in boundless comfort when the battle is won – after some
fools had died and gone to hell while fighting to ensure he was rigged into
office.
*Buhari
Of course, we know that whenever
Nigerian politicians threaten that blood would flow, what they always have in
mind is not their own blood or that of their children and wives. Even their distant relations and friends do
not figure in their calculations. What they have in mind is the blood of
grossly impoverished Nigerians (people totally unfamiliar and unrelated to
them) whom they believe they would always be able to easily brainwash and
deceive with dirty naira notes to unleash violence and sometimes waste their
lives. And only a thorough fool will allow himself to be deceived.
Indeed, it is time these Nigerians
realized that they have been fooled and debased for so long now. It is time they
placed great value on their lives and nudge themselves into the edifying
awareness that these politicians that move them into the streets are in no way
superior to them. In fact, they may even possess more dignity and even better
intelligence than those politicians they are worshipping and dying for.
When the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega said that
Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has won the presidential
election, it was reported that not less than 25 people died and
several others were wounded while madly celebrating the announcement. Like many others before
them, these, too, died for nothing. As they ran about and indulged in several
life-threatening displays, some of them fell off motorcycles and cars where
they had perched carelessly chanting the name of a man who is not even aware of
their miserable existence or would even see, let alone, mourn, their corpses
after they have foolishly wasted their lives. Some others were crushed by
vehicles that rammed into them as the wild reveling was stretched to very
dangerous extremes.
But as these fellows of very low
self-esteem rejoiced themselves to death, the man whose accomplishment they
were wildly celebrating was in his comfortable house in Daura calmly savouring
the joy of his sudden elevation and transformation and surrounded by his
family, and, perhaps, new fat leeches who were busy negotiating themselves into
the corridors of power from where they would, like their predecessors, suck
Nigeria pale. And it is possible that only a few hours earlier, those same
people were lying prostrate at the feet of President Jonathan licking his feet.
That is the enduring character of Nigerian politics and politicians.
*President Jonathan
Now, despite all I have said here now, some fellows will still elect to die for nothing in 2019 or during some of the governorship elections that would come before then. But if they are wise, they would choose not to. Indeed, it is within their power to decide to avoid this grossly unprofitable game of death. They can boldly tell any politician threatening that blood would flow not to count on them to help him accomplish that. He should instead start with his own blood and that of his wife and children. Yes, these Nigerians can refuse to be the ones to die for nothing.
By the way, who is this noisy
politician urging you to die for him? When stripped of all the pomp and flowing
gown, he may just be another scum out there merely looking for a meal ticket.
And that is bitterest part of it.
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*Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye is a columnist
with Daily Independent newspaper.
His column
appears every Tuesday on the back page. scruples2@hotmail.com
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