Ok, I am still not over the election. Nigeria isn't either. The last article received a good reaction, so here is another. It is from a site called Nigerian Muse, published on November 12th.
Obama and the Nigerian Dream
In the past few weeks I have found it difficult to put pen to
paper. With Obamamania and the message of hope and change
rising in crescendo against the suffocating gradualism and
annoying hypocritical realities of the Nigerian state, I chose
to proceed on a self – imposed intellectual exile. I lapped up
the historical drama unfolding in North America and indulged
in some reminiscences on the Nigerian Dream. The Nigerian
Dream? Yes, the Nigerian Dream! That was the title of an
article I wrote in my column in September 2007. In that piece
I examined the Nigerian Dream in contradistinction to the more
popular global reference point: the American Dream.
Until the gangling forty – seven year old senator from
Illinois, Barack Hussein Obama, trounced tight – lipped fellow
American senator, John McCain, and broke a 230 year old jinx
on November 4, 2008 to become the first person of African
descent to be elected as President of the United States of
America, the idea appeared audacious and partly illusory.
Today, Americans have brought home to us in living colour the
reality and the power of that fortress of hope called the
American Dream. Now Nigerians at home and in Diaspora have
saddled themselves with a new jigsaw puzzle: can Obama happen
in Nigeria?
In the past few weeks I have found it difficult to put pen to
paper. With Obamamania and the message of hope and change
rising in crescendo against the suffocating gradualism and
annoying hypocritical realities of the Nigerian state, I chose
to proceed on a self – imposed intellectual exile. I lapped up
the historical drama unfolding in North America and indulged
in some reminiscences on the Nigerian Dream. The Nigerian
Dream? Yes, the Nigerian Dream! That was the title of an
article I wrote in my column in September 2007. In that piece
I examined the Nigerian Dream in contradistinction to the more
popular global reference point: the American Dream.
Until the gangling forty – seven year old senator from
Illinois, Barack Hussein Obama, trounced tight – lipped fellow
American senator, John McCain, and broke a 230 year old jinx
on November 4, 2008 to become the first person of African
descent to be elected as President of the United States of
America, the idea appeared audacious and partly illusory.
Today, Americans have brought home to us in living colour the
reality and the power of that fortress of hope called the
American Dream. Now Nigerians at home and in Diaspora have
saddled themselves with a new jigsaw puzzle: can Obama happen
in Nigeria?
Nigerians of all shades of opinion and, I dare say, on all
sides of the moral spectrum, have striven to proffer an
opinion on the possibility of an “Obama” emerging within the
Nigerian context: that is, whether it is possible for a
simple, well – educated, visionary person brimming with ideas
and charisma plus a large dose of the gift of the garb to
present himself for election into a leadership position in
Nigeria - and for such a candidate to be elected on the sheer
strength of his popularity or public acceptance of his
candidature.
The answer to that question seems pretty obvious. With
opportunism, mediocrity and nepotism holding sway, many of
those vested with public office in Nigeria seem to be persons
anointed by all kinds of pretenders that masquerade as
‘leaders’ and political godfathers. When Harold Robbins titled
his famous novel “Dreams Die First”, he probably never even
heard of Nigeria. But those words depict the Nigerian reality.
Nigeria is a country where the party, the government in power
and the electoral umpire advertently and inadvertently combine
to scuttle dreams and kill visions. At each election, they
mouth empty promises of providing “a level playing field for
free and fair elections”. At the end, the playing field is
hardly level and the elections are neither free nor fair.
Political parties in Nigeria have an unflattering record of
including only those they want in their primaries: other bona
fide members of the party are excluded for no apparent reason.
For aspirants, obtaining, filling and returning nomination
forms are a nightmare. During the campaign process, violence
is common, popular candidates run the risk of being
assassinated, deported to some country to which their ancestry
is suddenly traced or simply rigged out not through any
scientific ingenuity but through crude allocation of voting
figures.
If there is anything that Barack Obama’s victory has done, it
is to bring to the fore the stark difference between the
American Dream and the Nigerian Dream. It has become axiomatic
that, in deed, America and Americans are fascinated by the
power of ideas! On the contrary, Nigeria and Nigerians are
captivated by the idea of power. They seek it viciously, cling
to it ferociously, flaunt it shamelessly and by the time they
realize how illusory it all is, they are saddled with many
enemies that they ought not have made in the first place.
Those who are captivated by the idea of power become captives
to power.
is to bring to the fore the stark difference between the
American Dream and the Nigerian Dream. It has become axiomatic
that, in deed, America and Americans are fascinated by the
power of ideas! On the contrary, Nigeria and Nigerians are
captivated by the idea of power. They seek it viciously, cling
to it ferociously, flaunt it shamelessly and by the time they
realize how illusory it all is, they are saddled with many
enemies that they ought not have made in the first place.
Those who are captivated by the idea of power become captives
to power.
The average Nigerian politician who relentlessly pursues or
tries to ensconce himself in a position of power sees power as
an end in itself. He sees it as a position of self –
enrichment and self – aggrandisement. Often, the typical
Nigerian public office holder, as a result of the process
through which he emerged in the office, has little or no value
to add to the system or to the improvement of the living
conditions of the poor masses whose interests he is supposed
to protect. Instead, he struts around like an ostrich and goes
to any level to satisfy his obscene appetite for luxuries and
personal acquisitions at the expense of the people. The
Nigerian elite generally, to say the least, are guilty by
association. The Nigerian public, paralysed by poverty,
weighed down by the rat race for survival, or confused by a
warped value system that glorifies impunity grumble a bit and
go about their business with suppressed angst.
tries to ensconce himself in a position of power sees power as
an end in itself. He sees it as a position of self –
enrichment and self – aggrandisement. Often, the typical
Nigerian public office holder, as a result of the process
through which he emerged in the office, has little or no value
to add to the system or to the improvement of the living
conditions of the poor masses whose interests he is supposed
to protect. Instead, he struts around like an ostrich and goes
to any level to satisfy his obscene appetite for luxuries and
personal acquisitions at the expense of the people. The
Nigerian elite generally, to say the least, are guilty by
association. The Nigerian public, paralysed by poverty,
weighed down by the rat race for survival, or confused by a
warped value system that glorifies impunity grumble a bit and
go about their business with suppressed angst.
Only in America can the son of an African immigrant rise
through the social and political ladder to be elected to the
highest office in the land. And no one is going to court to
use some procedural, legal, immigration, or electoral
oversight to snatch the victory! With over $600m USD, Obama’s
campaign war chest was hefty. But most of the money reportedly
came from over three million small and large donors – not from
one or two political tin-gods as we frequently have in Nigeria
who would later turn around to grapple with the candidate
after victory is won over appointments, allocations and other
perks of power.
through the social and political ladder to be elected to the
highest office in the land. And no one is going to court to
use some procedural, legal, immigration, or electoral
oversight to snatch the victory! With over $600m USD, Obama’s
campaign war chest was hefty. But most of the money reportedly
came from over three million small and large donors – not from
one or two political tin-gods as we frequently have in Nigeria
who would later turn around to grapple with the candidate
after victory is won over appointments, allocations and other
perks of power.
It is commonly said that nothing can stop an idea whose time
has come. Indeed. It may be said that a man of colour in the
White House is an idea whose time has come. But everyone knows
that Barack Obama won the 2008 US Presidential Election more
for the power of his ideas and his personal charisma than the
colour of his skin. Even if every single brother and sister
was registered as a voter, all the African Americans in the US
could never muster the numbers to single-handedly make Obama
or anyone else President. Obama won because he is Obama – an
idea whose time has come. It is that simple.
By their reactions to the historic election of Barack Obama as
President of what is undisputedly the strongest country in the
world, Nigerians at home and in Diaspora have expressed
disdain for elections that produce outcomes that show the
unseen hand of the piper or the man that pays the piper. In
spite of the seeming discordance, most Nigerians, deep down in
their hearts, are clamouring for a Nigerian Obama: a man of
ideas with a pleasant personality who will fizzle with
brilliance and dazzle with his eloquence. Nigerians hunger for
a man whose campaign will be transparent and based on issues
all the way and the outcome of whose election will truly
reflect the wishes of the people. To that extent, Obama is the
Nigerian Dream.
has come. Indeed. It may be said that a man of colour in the
White House is an idea whose time has come. But everyone knows
that Barack Obama won the 2008 US Presidential Election more
for the power of his ideas and his personal charisma than the
colour of his skin. Even if every single brother and sister
was registered as a voter, all the African Americans in the US
could never muster the numbers to single-handedly make Obama
or anyone else President. Obama won because he is Obama – an
idea whose time has come. It is that simple.
By their reactions to the historic election of Barack Obama as
President of what is undisputedly the strongest country in the
world, Nigerians at home and in Diaspora have expressed
disdain for elections that produce outcomes that show the
unseen hand of the piper or the man that pays the piper. In
spite of the seeming discordance, most Nigerians, deep down in
their hearts, are clamouring for a Nigerian Obama: a man of
ideas with a pleasant personality who will fizzle with
brilliance and dazzle with his eloquence. Nigerians hunger for
a man whose campaign will be transparent and based on issues
all the way and the outcome of whose election will truly
reflect the wishes of the people. To that extent, Obama is the
Nigerian Dream.
uchebush@yahoo.com; 0805 1090 050
Uche Ohia contributes articles to NigerianMuse.
Uche Ohia contributes articles to NigerianMuse.
