By Sunny Ikhioya

UP until the mid eighties, the million was seen as an almost invincible attainment. A judge of the calibrer of Ovie Whiskey, who had served many years on the Bench and reached the peak of his career as a Chief Judge of the entire Bendel state, claimed thus; “If I see a million naira cash, I will faint”. That shows the value to which money was placed in the good old days.

Suddenly, we did not hear millions again but billions. This gained momentum during the regime of Sani Abacha. Initially, we thought it was a propaganda tool of the opposition to bring down the much dreaded regime but when the ‘Pandora’s box’ was opened, Nigerians were dazed.

Since then, it has become a billionaire’s affair. The millionaire in Nigeria today is not in the reckoning, it is a billionaire’s affair and it is stolen with mindless guts. The stealing has risen progressively since the time of Abacha, to the present day, such that past leaders who hitherto have had their own share of the loot now return with a claim to sainthood.

Nigeria as a country has been raped, bruised, sapped and abandoned by our leaders. We are just drifting, like a balloon in the ocean without anchor chain, tossed here and there according to the direction of the wind, ebb and tide and the human activities on the waters. Directionless; that has been the situation and we begin to wonder, how come, a country with so much human potentials, that has produced great scientists, lawyers, doctors, accountants, Nobel laureate, in fact, great men from all fields of human endeavour, how come, we are so blessed with miserable leaders? How come?

A country that has produced Chief Obafemi Awolowo, well known for his business management acumen and prudence in managing resources and men;Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, known for his political sagacity and interactive skills that cut across tribal and ethnic boundaries; Sir Ahmadu Bello, well known for his administrative skills in bringing together a united north, devoid of ethnic and religious bigotry.

Why has this country failed to replicate the footsteps of these men? Even at the regional level, all we have are leaders with selfish tendencies; like the sermon we hear from the pulpit says; ‘if you want to get the blessings of Jesus Christ, do and walk in the ways of Jesus Christ’. Some of us want to be recognized as the Awolowos, Azikiwes and Bellos of our time but we do not have the discipline, the selflessness, the liberalism of mind and the sacrificial traits that these men possess. That is the issue confronting our present leadership.

For me, having seen the example of late President Nelson Mandela, none of our past leaders qualify for any form of accolade. Instead, they should bury their heads in shame and ignominy, for the foundation they have laid in bringing the country and its destiny to this sorry pass.

I am not carried away by the chant of change that is currently going on at the various campaign rallies across the country. Indeed, it is all ‘sound and fury, signifying nothing’ –apology to Shakespeare. The real change will not take place with the recycling of old hands, with people who have held the forte before, now leading us. I cannot be carried by the wave, bandwagon and halo effects that are targeted towards misleading the populace once again. I do not see change, in wolves of yesterday, now coming out to be lions of today,that is not where change will come from.

True change will come when we start afresh, when the people will be bold enough to face the looters of our economy, beginning with the past leaders and force them to give account of their past deeds.

True change will come, if we let criminals be criminals, irrespective of their tribe or race, not because they are not my brother or sister or ethnic kindred. True change will come when we all collectively demand for openness in the governance of our affairs.

True change will come, when we have fresh brains, fresh legs, fresh hands, that are ready to tackle corruption in the land, irrespective of whose ox is gored. The change will come when we are ready to run our politics on a widely detribalised level, not on the basis of north versus south. It will come if every region decides to accord the other respect and give them their due. It will come when we all realize that this nation is a secular nation, where everyone must be allowed to practice his individual religion or faith irrespective of the part of the country he/she lives.

The change will come when all Nigerians are directed towards exploring our potentials in diverse fields and resources bestriding our lands; in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, oil and gas, commerce and trade. Truly, Nigeria has the human resources but we need a guide who will erase our collective shame, a fresh and new guide, not yesterdays’ men.

To begin the change therefore, we must take records of the activities of the leadership of the past and make them face trial for their deeds. The trial must be fair and open, anyone found guilty must be duly punished.

That will be the beginning of deterrence and it will lay foundations for a new set of leaders in the country.

*Mr. Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.