Dr Wale Omole is a medical practitioner currently resident in the United States. In this conversation with KUNLE OFEREMI, he speaks on the war on corruption, place of virile institutions in deepening democracy, politics, and religion. Excerpts:
AS a Nigerian in the Diaspora, how would you rationalise the decision by some states to shut down schools due to the fasting period.
Religion and education are two separate things. Nigerian constitution is not ambiguous on the secularity of the country. Shutting down the schools for religious reasons is a misplaced action. Aside the normal school holidays, the only reason why any state government can order a shutdown is if there is any form of threat to lives of the students and or school staff. This could be due to inclement weather conditions, war, clashes, political instability etc, and, of course, if the federal government deems it necessary.
This action is immoral and could be seen as an attempt to shutting down the future of the young ones. It is also a bad precedence for the country as it may soon become an annual religious holiday. Imagine all schools in the Southern, Eastern and Western parts of the country also doing the same thing for Ramadan and Lent!? The action amounts to taking religion too far. Soon, the Christians may begin agitating for similar holidays. This may lead to religious unrest. The Minister of Education and the state Assemblies concerned should have ruled against this action in the affected states. This was how they started Sharia laws that are regularly feeding the nation with disabled people. All reasonable educated people should criticise this action. It is not in the best interest of both religion and education. It does not benefit politics either. A majority of those who would support the poor action are likely to be political and religion hypocrites.
The Nigerian political class politicises everything possible. Many of them are illiterate. Only a few are soundly educated among them. When you put them together, they would reason differently as expected. They will see things differently as expected but now at unreasonable extremes. Many of them suffer from political sentiments, religious sentiments, ethnic sentiments and educational deficits. Like some diseases, Nigeria is suffering from political and religious diversity. Rather than separating politics and region, our politicians try to marry both together.
When leaders are doing what is politically or religiously bad, the led should be bold enough to tell the leaders that what they are doing could be done differently. The northern governors should look at other states of the country on the youth education. Can they not see that many uneducated northern youths are the ones begging for alms more in the length and breadth of Nigeria? With this shutting down of schools for Ramadan, are these Northern governors not encouraging their youths to be out of school? What future are these youths going to have as tomorrow’s northern governors and senators? Parents are just giving birth to untrained youths. Yet the ignorant governors are encouraging them to marry and begin the business of procreation
The buildup to subsequent elections in Nigeria has begun, with the opposition politicians regrouping to serve as a counterforce to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). To what extent is the quest for a coalition necessary and why?
Ganging up to form a coalition is part of politics. Let the opposition regroup. It all makes politics more interesting. But the prevailing scenarios in the camps of the opposition parties leave much to be desired. There are discordant tunes within the rank and file of the main opposition parties. All their chieftains want to lead. It is not possible. You cannot win all the time; you must give room for compromise based on sound principle, ideology and commitment to serving humanity. Of course, you cannot give what you don’t have. I can’t see any sign of the spirit of give and take among most of our politicians right now. Nigerians want to be convinced about the alternative the opposition has in store. They must get their act right, otherwise, the APC will swallow them at the appropriate time. Politics is beyond ganging up. Who among them understands the political game like President Bola Tinubu? What are the plans and agenda of the opposition to move Nigeria forward? How are they trying to market their programmes in order to elicit public confidence and trust? Our politicians should not continue to take Nigerians for granted on what the people truly deserve, desire and aspire to become as citizens of the country. Without prejudice to the strategies the opposition politicians may have for the next elections, I think Nigeria should return Tinubu in 2027. My candidate opinion is that all political gains of today will be lost if we are not circumspect on our choice at the next elections. The economy could derail. One United States dollar may sell for N5,000. Hunger will decimate the people in thousands and most politicians will flee to other lands.
Politicians, who have no political plans for the people, but are just looking for ‘goody-goody,’ will keep jumping from one political party to another until the 2027 elections are over. So, I will advocate that in the interest of the country, President Tinubu should be given support to complete his two terms to set Nigeria on proper political footings.
As a medical professional resident in the United States, you are in a vantage position to speak on the trend of democracy in that part of the world vis-a-vis what obtains in Nigeria, as It will soon be 25 years after civil rule was stored in Nigeria.
There is no basis for comparison between the developed and under-developed nations. Nigeria is a third-world country. It is an under developed nation. Politically, Nigeria has not emerged. Twenty 25 years in politics only qualifies Nigeria as a kindergarten scholar in politics. Great nations of the world like the United States of America, Britain, among others that have practised democracy for centuries have politically emerged. They have established functional democracies with all the complements of transparency, accountability, visionary leadership and patriotism. They have built institutions that have continued to stand the test of time. They are subjected to the vagaries of the time, antics of the so-called powerful and influential individuals. There are no sacred cows. A sovereign state makes sure that it fulfills its functions and obligations the citizens deserve under the constitution and international charters. The leadership is not just accountable and transparent, but it is equally subjected to consistent scrutiny by the people. So, those individuals that have resolved on their volition to abandon their comfort zone to govern do not appropriate the common patrimonies of the state or country.
There is no doubt that Nigeria is still incubating on that score. I believe she will get there. However to hasten her political journey certain devourers like corruption, greed, avarice and lack of patriotism need to be addressed. There is need for moral rearmament, social engineering and renaissance. We should do away with the culture of impunity and allow due process and the rule of law to subsist. More importantly, the governments of all great nations value and treasure education. They respect and value their children. There is no amount of money a great nation cannot spend on education and the health of their young ones. They see their future in their youths. So, they don’t joke with their health and education. None of the governors in other climes would order a shutdown of schools for reasons based on a religious festival. That’s why I said the shutting down of schools, is like shutting down the future of the youths and the nation.
No individual or group of politicians can toy with certain established policies in a developed nation. These policies have been there from generation to generation. In Nigeria, a governor can come up with a personal agenda to score cheap political points. You remember a former governor of Osun State, who singlehandedly altered many policies on education in the state. There are hundreds of such instances in Nigeria by the past military and elected leaders.
Our journey in politics is still far and the road appears tortuous because most states in Nigeria are governed by illiterates. So, the situation is akin to a government of the illiterates by the illiterates for the illiterates. Examples are found in some states where the state revenue allocation is being used to sponsor youth marriages or where schools are shut down for religious purposes. Yet, these youths die of diseases, ignorance, self-afflictions and so on, whereas these youths can be properly prepared for the future of the country like other great nations do. Can’t we not borrow a leaf from the [books of] advanced nations?. Go on YouTube to see where the Chinese educate their children. You’ll be amazed! The Chinese educate their youths as producers. In contrast, many Nigerian states make a lifetime consumer out of every child.. Isn’t that sad? Many state governments in Nigeria have no plan or budget for any child. Money voted for the youths advancement or empowerment only appears on papers. When a hungry child steals food, such leaders prefer to cut off the hands that stole. Will America or Germany or France or China cut off a child’s hand? So, where is the correlation or comparison with Nigeria?
Are you saying there is no semblance of patriotism in the conduct and action of the average Nigerian politician?
The majority of politicians in Nigeria are not patriotic. They see politics as where you can continually reap when you sow nothing. Such politicians keep amassing wealth and stashing billions away at the expense of the future of the Nigerian youths. Many of such political leaders (military and civilians) have died leaving huge stolen money in foreign accounts that no one could access again in life. They used their deaths to enrich other countries and impoverish their fatherland. Many of those alive among the looters are old or sick. They keep acquiring more and more wealth. Their greed gives no room to ask for ‘when they are going to spend these monies and where.’
The gross abuse of office, especially among politically exposed person remains high in spite the war against corruption? Would you recommend capital punishment to stem the tide? Note that some countries have not dropped such and tough actions in the war against the hydra-headed menace.
Well, I am aware that corruption occurs more in high places. Tell me which political past leader in Nigeria is not stupendously rich? The fight against corruption in Nigeria is an effort in futility. It will remain a hydra-headed for as long as the culprits have the luxury of enjoying their loot. Can any politician loot in America, Korea, France, Saudi Arabia or UAE? Why are these countries not having the same magnitude of corruption like in Nigeria? Until the looters in Nigeria are similarly treated like the looters of these other countries, corruption will remain the order of the day and lack of patriotism will deter economic growth, development and prosperity.
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