Two-Way Traffic of Change
The responsibility of changing the country for the better rests on all - the leadership as well as the followership, argues Emmanuel Ojeifo
“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”
Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said it many centuries ago that the only permanent thing in life is change. As it stands now, “change” has become the buzzword on the lips of Nigerians across the socio-political spectrum. No one will doubt that with the general elections now over, there is a tangible feeling of excitement in the air, a conviction that with this election Nigerians have brought about a virtually bloodless political, social and psychological rebirth, saving themselves from ruin in the nick of time. Many of those who represent our country’s frustrated conscience – human rights campaigners, lawyers and civic leaders – have been eclipsed by the euphoria of this 180-degree change in political direction. Perhaps for the first time, there seems to be a consensus at the international level that Nigerians have collectively set in motion the political machinery for lifting their country from the doldrums.
After May 29, we hope to see how this mass happiness blended with communal relief will help us to forge a sense of national purpose. We hope to see how this collective elation will inspire in all Nigerians, from top to bottom, an incurable impatience for the old ways of doing things. In other words, if this whole mantra of change is not to collapse into empty optimism and illusory hopes, all Nigerians, without exception, must adopt a new set of attitude to life. It will be foolhardy for anyone to imagine that the desired change will come about when the generality of Nigerians continue living in the same old way while they expect the handful of politicians and those who control the apparatus of government to do things differently. If the change we have foisted on ourselves is to bear fruit in national pride and prosperity, it must run down from top to bottom, from the leadership to the masses, and from the communal and corporate axes to the personal and individual levels.
Those who will govern our nation from May 29 must adopt a new set of ideals and attitudes to governance. Nigerians know that they are not going to see the emergence of an entirely different set of political elite. Our present class of politicians is the same people who in one way or the other have been ruling our country since the fall of the First Republic to date. Many of them were staunch members of the defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the better part of the party’s 16 years hegemony in power. Some of them are the same people who have corrupted the paraphernalia of statecraft. Now that they have found themselves afloat in a new political boat, the onus rests upon them to stop the art of dancing on the precipice and to bring the country back to centre of political and economic prosperity. This change of attitude to governance is what is required to inspire the people’s confidence in government.
The generality of the Nigerian people must also adopt this new set of attitude inspired by hard work, honesty, creativity, dedication to duty, patriotism and sacrifice. General Muhammadu Buhari will not go into every government office to supervise what civil servants are doing. He will not be on the road to apprehend drivers who break traffic rules. He will not come into our homes to see how we manage our affairs. He will not set up detectors in government offices to catch public servants who resume work late and leave before the official closing time. He will not be at roadblocks to watch out for law enforcement agents who take bribes. He will not be in our schools, hospitals, markets and offices to ensure that we all discharge our duties with diligence and patriotism. He will not be in our churches and mosques to monitor what our religious leaders preach. These are the zones of personal and individual responsibility. If we truly desire positive change, then we must all approach our individual and corporate responsibilities with a new mind-set. This new mind-set has its basis in the individual and collective resolve to do what is right and just whether one is being supervised or not. This is the only way we can feel a sense of responsibility for the outcome of our democratic progress.
For a successful political revolution to take place, it is not enough that there is popular discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice, necessity and importance of political change. Everyone knows that the political process does not end on Election Day. The people need to stay involved in the process by continuing to pay attention to the political conversation and holding the leaders accountable for the decisions they make. Revolution is about the need to re-evolve political, economic and social justice and put power back into the hands of the people. I believe that the strengthening of democratic institutions could go far towards bridging the current gap between the Nigerian people and their rulers, thereby opening the door to redressing the consequences of generations of bad government and lack of development.
No doubt, a lot of responsibility lies on the shoulders of General Buhari. He will need a heavy dose of courage, stamina, vision, discipline and the will to institute a revolution in ethical leadership that can take on vested interests and challenge anti-democratic practices. I honestly hope he does not disappoint the millions of Nigerians who have banked their hopes in him. On the other hand, Nigerians must appreciate and make maximum use of the historic opportunity that this battle cry for change has afforded us to turn around the fortunes of this country. The whole point of this exercise, as Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah wrote in his Oputa panel book, Witness to Justice (2011), is “with laying a foundation, creating a moral mirror by which our citizens can constantly look at themselves and reflect on their duties and responsibilities towards seeking the attainment of the common good.”