JOHN MCCAIN: THE MAVERICK THAT MADE SENSE
John McCain, maverick politician extraodinaire. What direct relevance does the life and death of this quintessential American hero have for our fatherland, Nigeria? Senator John McCain lived a life of unalloyed service to his nation. As a naval officer during the senseless war of Vietnam, just about the only war the US have ever lost so woefully, he spent five excruciating years in Vietnam as a prisoner, when his fighter jet was shot down. His career in the navy should not have come as a surprise being a son and a grandson of highly celebrated US Navy admirals. His father and grandfather enjoy the distinguished honour of being the first father and son to attain the rank of four-star admiral.
Even while on his death bed, awaiting the call which inevitably beckons on every mortal, John McCain turned his ever sapping energy to “put pen to paper”. He expressed just how privileged he had been to serve his country for over 60 years. Privileged to fight for his people both in the time of war and in the time of peace. He then made an instructive reference to the fallibility of man when he admitted he had also made some mistakes. Unlike how we often perceive such gestures on this side of the world, such a confession does not in the slightest diminish us or portray us as weak but only serves to remind us of the great heights we can attain in life in spite of our shortcomings; and not because we don’t have any. Ironically, here lies our strength.
In his farewell letter to a grateful nation, he went on to admonish just how he felt his great nation should move forward, even when it was painfully obvious he would neither see nor share in the benefit his advice may eventually result in. Such was his love for his country. His primary concern was not if the tens of properties and sundry assets his position as a distinguished Senator had “afforded” him to acquire will suffice for his children and multiple generations of McCains yet unborn, even at the detriment of equally deserving countrymen. His burning desire was always to see his country, already arguably the greatest nation, occupying such a uniquely dominant space in the greatest time in history, fulfill its potential.
This great patriot painstakingly prepared even the most minute detail of his final farewell rites, putting partisan politics aside by requesting that both the Republican leader(his political party) and the Democratic leader in the Senate, jointly lay the wreath on his coffin, hereby breaking with past protocol. Republican Senate leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, while delivering his most moving speech at the memorial service in honour of Senator McCain held at Capitol Hill, revealed the very essence of the man when he said, “depending on the issue, you knew John would either be your staunchest ally or your most stubborn opponent.” What does this tell us? He fought on issues and he was guided by his jealously protected principles. His moral compass dictated which side of the argument he would perch on. He didn’t allow himself to be imprisoned by a primitive self-serving sense of party loyalty. No “family affair” for him but as should be the attitude of any true servant, let alone representative of the people, he perpetually recognised his responsibility to put the interest of the people first; not himself, not his party. Resulting in his monicker, the maverick, he would vehemently disagree with his own party if he felt it was in the best interest of his nation to do so.
No, the issues were never once reported to border on how to ensure the purportedly gargantuan take home pay of National Assembly members remain a national secret; even when the economy was on a free fall, resulting in the nation quite unabashedly boasting of the largest number of extreme poor of any country in the world now. At least as was told us by Mrs Theresa May, the British Prime Minister during her recent visit to Nigeria. Quite remarkably, 87 million Nigerians out of a total population of 198 million now live on less than $1.25 a day. At today’s rate of exchange, that amounts to roughly N450 per day or even more poignantly, less than N14,000 per month. Still N4000 shy of the stipulated national minimum wage, a minimum that most state governments are still struggling to pay.
John McCain was not foolish enough to argue about hiding any such information as any Tom, Dick or Harry in the US has unfettered access to such information by simply employing the services of Google via their smart phone. As we should. His joy? Only to serve the best interest of the people.