To everything in life, there is a time and season. A time to lament and a time to laugh. Now that the presidential election has been fought and won, the time to laugh has come. We have had enough of lamentations. A number of good and virtues things must come on board while quite a number of obnoxious things must give way to sanity. The time has come to restore all that the political locusts, cankerworms, and caterpillars have eaten. The time to rise up and build is now and we must strengthen our hands for the good work. The time also has come to turn the reproach of the political lunatics in our midst upon their heads and give them for a prey in the hands of law enforcement agencies without fear or favour.
Many of our politicians have ruled and ruined this country and today are departing the political scene without being desired because God recompense good for evil. It is a time for woe to be unto them that have managed the affairs of this country by unrighteousness. A terror to themselves they shall be and to all their friends and they shall not fail to fall by the sword of their own enemies; except they stop to walk in lies and refrain from strengthening the hands of evildoers. They need to repent of their iniquities to behold the good which God shall do for this country in the next four years and beyond.
The hearts of leaders whether political or otherwise are in the hands of God. Like the rivers of water, he turns them wherever he wills. I am inspired and convinced that God will put his law in the inward part of the incoming leaders and write it in their hearts. I trust God will make them sharp threshing instruments having teeth that can thrash the political mountains in this country and beat them small and make the hills of corruption as chaff. In the next four years, I believe the throne of our leaders will be preserved by mercy and truth and false balances in any form and shape shall be an abomination. We shall have a sigh of relief neither because of APC nor PDP but because God will do a new thing, make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert and then we shall remember not the former things and neither the things of old shall be concerns anymore.
Where we are today as a country is not edifying but we can begin to engage reverse gear and be faithful in our stewardship to get to the desired destination. There are examples in history once cast in the same mold as ours but the situations were turned around for good and achievements began to speak for themselves. For instance, the Athenian Statesman, Pericles (c. 490-429 BC) rose to power in 460 BC. He ensured that all those dealing with public funds were carefully watched to avoid the temptation of fiddling the accounts. Besides, all others who served in his government had their background examined to see if they were qualified to serve. Favoritism and nepotism had no role to play in appointment to offices and thus, there was no one with any itchy fingers in his cabinet and none also to ill-advise him. We can replicate this in Nigeria. But the questions is: who bells the cat? By the time of his death in 429 BC, he had adorned Athens with beautiful legacies that speak till this day. There was also Henry VII who was king of England between 1485 and 1509 and was said to be the most astute businessman ever to sit on the English throne. When he assumed office, he found the Royal Treasury almost empty and without lamentation left it in 1509 with several millions. Could it be because the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Paris Club and the African Development Bank (ADB) existed not at the time! No. He was violently in love with integrity.
As we move into the next phase of our political life as a country, we look forward to a reign of progress devoid of odious political leaders with an ulcerated and revolting sense of honour and manhood. We look forward also to the absence of men and women political advisers like Strafford Thomas Wentworth (1593-1641) who, as the Chief Minister to Charles 1(King of England 1625-1649) was responsible for many of the king’s deadly actions. We look forward to a reign where sentences against evil works and actions would be executed speedily so that the hearts of the sons of men will cease to always be fully set to do evil. We look forward to political appointees at all levels who will appreciate that ‘better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues without justice.’ What more! We look forward to un-amputated Judicial and Legislative arms where diverse weights are considered an abomination and dishonest scales a crime against humanity. Finally, we need a President and we already have one in action and in waiting whom we expect to be courageous, far-seeing, intelligent and sensitive and would not mind whom he attacks in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. The President has the chance and power to reform Nigeria and cure the ills in the next four years. The current wretched and unworkable system must be consigned to history.
Prof Iyoha is of the Department of Accounting, Covenant University
Email: [email protected]
