By Richard Tosanwumi

HUMAN societies are governed by human beings who have limited understanding of human nature and the forces that control the earth’s environment, including the climatic conditions. Consequently, they are yet to find adequate and lasting solution to many problems that plague the societies in which they live. This is credited almost entirely to the endowments granted to human beings when they were created by Almighty God.

Life on earth can be divided into two major components, namely: The spiritual and physical (material) components. While God rules the spiritual aspects of life, allowing human beings only snippets into the world beyond, he has given humankind the responsibility of administering the physical aspects. Issues concerning the physical world are the objectives of this piece.

On account of divine pronouncement, the factors that influence the environment in which we live are determined by the actions and inaction of government and the governed in a country. Evidently, God is not expected to come down from Heaven to provide social infrastructure for the people to enjoy good, quality life.

The provision of shelter (houses), good roads, schools, hospitals,  electricity and pipe-borne water, adequate food as well as jobs for the citizens are the responsibilities of the people who hold the reigns of power in government. Of course, democracy is still the best instrument of governance for achieving these goals, when properly practiced by the citizens of a country.

Therefore, it will amount to self-deceit for a nation to brush aside the imperative of instituting good governance and expect to achieve her desired developmental goals. By this, it is meant that the members of the political class, particularly the ruling group, must understand what it takes to run the affairs of their country. Unfortunately, the political class in Nigeria is acting and living under a large dose of self-deceit, pretending to be addressing the physical aspects of the lives of the Nigerian people.

Amazingly, the electorate has remained docile and only expressed lamentations at best in the face of the unimaginable corruption and mis-use of the nation’s resources by their rulers who constitute less that 0.5 per cent of the population. Why have Nigerians not been able to demand good governance from their rulers? Why do they condone such acts of irresponsibility and impunity?

Whether they like it or not, Nigerians are suffering under suffocating poor governance only because they deserve it. Do they not see how the people in other countries demonstrate against bad governance from their political rulers? One is tempted to posit that the Nigerian people have given up on the attainment of good governance in their country.

A towering colossus in the struggle for good governance in our country, Chief Gani Fawehinmi died a few days ago. In our characteristic manner of self-deceit, the print media daily report the encomiums poured on his untiring and dedicated efforts to unlift the living conditions of Nigerians. The eulogies are still pouring in, yet the physical environment in which Nigerians live today is worse than when Gani started his crusade for a better Nigeria.

Shamefully, it is the same people who not only despised Gani, but also ensured he was gagged, humiliated and imprisoned over 40 times who are now singing his praise. Does this not amount to an undisguised act of self-deceit? If he was such a good man, why did they not accede to his demands while he was alive?

Before Gani, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo invested all he could muster into the fight for good governance in our country, Nigeria. After his death, the political opponents who rubbished every move he made went to town to sing his praises to the high heavens. Chief Emeka Ojukwu, ex-Biafran war-lord, even described Awolowo as the “best president we never had”. Is it in our culture to reject the good and embrace the bad? Do Nigerians not know what is good for themselves?

Since 1999, corruption has been the bane of good governance in the country, yet little has been done to reduce its influence. It is not only shocking but an affront on good governance for the persons responsible for these brazen acts of corruption to be walking free on our streets. EFCC and ICPC are nothing but toothless bull-dogs, while between the law courts and the lawyers, the cases brought to court are treated with levity. Nigerians are rudely exposed to thorough discourses of self-deceit in the way President Yar’Adua purports to be fighting corruption.

Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi, has started another crusade of sanitising the 24 banks operating in the country. Good as the exercise may seem, will it not turn out again to be another national act in self-deceit? President Yar’Adua promised electoral reforms soon after assuming office, but he has virtually shut down the report of the Uwais’ panel on this matter. Does this not showcase the acts in self-deceit going on everyday in our country? The expected amendment of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly is going the way of another act in self-deceit in our country.

To crown it all, the entire democratic process Nigerians are subjected to is nothing but a grand act in self-deceit. The country is governed as a unitary state and we call her a Federal Republic. We say we are practising multi-party democracy, as the country is on a straight road to a one-party state. Elections are rigged with reckless abandon and injustice celebrated.

For how long shall we continue to see white and call it black? When will Nigerians accept the truth and denounce lies? All Nigerians are guilty, from top to bottom of the malady and the anxiety now is that things may fall apart sooner than later as we persist in acts of self-deceit in how the country is governed. May God help us!