No country, no nationality as a whole has been able to erect a formidable enough defence or develop any form of herd immunity to the ferocious onslaught of this virus, as it traverses borders effortlessly, afflicting countless unsuspecting victims in its path. Citizens of superpower nations and banana republics alike are fair game. By sheer providence, some people manage to escape it while for others, it becomes a lifelong partner. As for vaccines, they have always been available. Character and Service continue to come up trumps and they remain our best hope.
I’ve said, time without number that our biggest problem is selfishness. Selfishness breeds greed, lack of empathy, lack of trust and a dog eat dog environment where every man is for himself only. As long as he’s okay, everyone else can jump into the sea for all he cares. This virus of all viruses afflicts the entire demographic spectrum of our land, rendering helpless the leaders and the average Nigerian alike. It therefore goes without saying that governments filled with individuals hampered by this ailment, can never succeed in their duty to serve the people.
If we were less selfish and more considerate of others, many things would automatically fall into place. Our leaders feel no guilt about the things they do (despite all the criticism) because they believe if the tables were turned, the average Nigerian may even do worse, I’m inclined to agree.
Perhaps the most damaging strain of this virus called selfishness is what you’ll always find at the heart of corruption. Corruption kills millions of our people every year without shooting a single bullet but by doing that which benefits a few, at the expense of everybody else.
The average motorist who stops in the middle of the road to greet a friend or patronize a hawker doesn’t feel he’s doing anything that you wouldn’t do. The average employee who uses the time his employer pays him for, to pursue his own private business and still expects to receive his salary at the end of the month betrays the same mindset. The attitude of, “shebi I’ll just move to the next job if the business crashes” is selfish, plain and simple.
Truth is, you really don’t need to wait until someone’s in a leadership position before you see their true self. Power and wealth just amplify their traits but make no mistake, they were always there. If you’re observant, you’ll know a person from his or her everyday actions and knee-jerk response to situations. The little things they do or don’t do, give them away i.e. fighting for the rights and interest of others when it doesn’t directly affect them either way; or by a simple yet telling gesture like keeping the door open for others. Both of these connote a mind that doesn’t think he’s the only one who matters. A person of such mindset would carry the same attitude into leadership and the difference between him and others would be as clear as night and day.
Perhaps the most damaging strain of this virus called selfishness is what you’ll always find at the heart of corruption. Corruption kills millions of our people every year without shooting a single bullet but by doing that which benefits a few, at the expense of everybody else. When it comes to corruption, the majority always lose. That’s what makes it corrupt. Corrupt people never favour the majority. It’s because of selfish driven corruption that our hospitals lack modern equipment and adequate provision of drugs, causing so many of our people to die needlessly.
Selfishness is also the reason why our roads are death traps; the reason why many government schools lack functioning tables, chairs and ceiling fans and classes are sometimes held under a tree; it explains why National Assembly members sternly refuse to cut their humongous pay package, asking the Executive to do so first, while our teacher’s and policemen’s take home barely covers their transport. It’s also why several state governors signed into law huge pension packages for their “tireless service” before leaving office, even while owing huge salary arrears to civil servant. Sometimes as much as ten months! The “me, myself and I” syndrome is so prevalent across the country, causing individuals to justify their actions by saying theirs is not as bad as that of Lagbaja. But like I pointed out in an earlier article, it’s in the nature of man to take after the authorities that govern him.
Uncle Donald’s actions have shown us that human beings are essentially the same the world over, whether American or Nigerian. The behaviour of the crowd will largely depend on how they see the one leading them. Let me illustrate. President elect Joe Biden refused to call mass rallies during his Presidential campaign because he was concerned about the spread of Coronavirus. He wore masks and so did his supporters. Uncle Donald on the other hand did the opposite and loyal to the end, so did the majority of his supporters.
This difference of attitude reflected in the method of voting used by the two sets of supporters too. Where the larger percentage of those who voted via mail-in ballots were Democrats, those who voted Republican generally cared less about the risk of Coronavirus, and predominantly voted by physically queuing up. In the same vein, the Trump supporters protesting the election results and subsequently arrested in Pennsylvania for allegedly planning to resort to violence to get their own way, were merely reflecting the “win at all cost” attitude of their candidate. Carrying on with the same selfish attitude that has driven their candidate, they obviously thought it better to “dabaru” everything than to accept defeat.
I have to say that it’s both gratifying and a relief that in the end, character mattered. Decency, civility, honesty and compassion came through to “trump” falsehood, bullying and generally unscrupulous behaviour. The voice of unity won over the voice of division and reason won over pampering to the whims of an uncouth political base. For four years, the aura of the US Presidency was slaughtered on the altar of blind and selfish ambition but this time around, selfish lost.
True to type, some of our leaders, after successfully pushing half of their people out to seek greener pastures, have started telling the world how proud they are of the new “African” Vice President of the US, Kamala Harris; a victory they had no hand in. Some veteran autocrats even go as far as eulogizing the benefits of democracy because it respects the will of the people. Wonderful! Speaking like a true “African” leader, uncle Donald insists he won the election, even when all available evidence says otherwise. If there’s anyone our leaders should feel close kinship with, it’s uncle Donald, who like a diligent student, has perfected their art of putting personal interest far above that of his nation and calling it patriotism.
Changing the nation…one mind at a time
