AMERICA’S VISA THREAT

When the United States of America’s Secretary of State, John Kerry, threatened that masterminds of election violence would be denied visas to America, I was caught between laughing and crying. I really felt embarrassed that this was the best that they could do. I suppose it is not their place to threaten us with the ICC, as they have not signed up to it. More importantly, he succeeded in highlighting to us how charity does not start at home over here, as our politician’s playground is overseas and the only way to punish them is to threaten like one would do with little children, “if you fight, I shall not give you sweet.”

We really should hearken to the advise of our erstwhile Finance Minister, that we should cut down on foreign trips. Mr. Kerry exposed our leaders’ love for foreign travel where they can conveniently spend and stack their looted funds in banks and on premium properties abroad. He understands that denying them this visa is like snatching “akara” from a toddler.

A Yoruba adage says a deity who cannot improve one’s lot should at least not compound it. I listened to the KOWA Party presidential candidate, Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya, making her case during the signing of the Abuja Peace Accord. The wonderful woman chastised the audience for washing our dirty linen in the presence of Western observers. We were behaving like children; our presidential candidates were called together to sign a treaty that they and their supporters would not resort to violence. But we hear calls to violence daily. Supposed elder statesmen like Edwin Clark, Walter Ofonagoro and thugs like Tompolo and Asari-Dokubo are swearing fire and brimstone if their son, the president, does not win the election. Are we in a democracy and why is the president answering such incendiary utterances with silence?

It is not a co-incidence that while Kerry was prescribing his hilarious visa punishment; President Barack Obama was in India to attend the country’s Republican Day celebrations. The photo-ops and body language of Obama and the Indian Prime Minister show America’s diplomatic directions. We really are the worlds circus and they would all be laughing if people were not dying daily in this country.

The effectiveness of the Chadians and the Cameroonians in combating Boko Haram and protecting the lives and property of their citizens and ours is a spot light on the failure of our leaders to protect us and is a clarion call to the Western powers that we are children who do not understand the folly of our ways and are in capable of understanding the consequences of our selfish actions. We are showing clearly that our leadership is not fit to lead. It is costing us dear and reflects on our diplomatic relationship within and outside our shores.

Meanwhile, colorful political campaigns go on. Thank God, the world is now privy to the ongoing massacre in the North East and watches those who should be rolling up their sleeves and strategizing on how to purge us of this evil, instead dance in half empty stadiums in a show of ill prepared elections which in itself testifies to our unserious immature persona. Less than two weeks to the elections, and INEC has not distributed permanent voter’s card (PVC) to a third of the voting population – that is some 30 million electorate! The PDP, the party in power, is asking that the presidential polls be suspended even though INEC has had 4 years to prepare. I think the questions that we should be asking are: why they are not ready and who is losing his head over the poor show?

An African adage says when a big calamity befalls a giant; hitherto dwarfed challenges would seem insurmountable. We need capacity, we need change. We cannot keep making excuses for poor leadership and roll with the punches anytime something else goes wrong. Our candidates in this election stand, as symbols of a broken political system, which makes all our problems seem even more intractable.

I think it is fair to say that whomever we end up with will preside over a very difficult period in our nation. Much damage has been done to the country in the hands of these same players. My sadness is that I am one of those who do not have PVC but if I did, I would vote for Buhari, as I believe that with his humility and genuine love for Nigeria, he may be able to in the most difficult circumstances, introduce the type of discipline that will save us from fracture. This is not the army, mind you, and he should be prepared to fight a different fight. This time he must deal with politicians.

For those of you who are lucky enough to have that PVC, make sure you go out there and vote for Nigeria.  Politicians and supporters of the PDP and APC should eschew violence during and after the elections.  DO not leave your PVC unclaimed. Travel to get it if you have to; for it is the surest means to end the disappointment and insults that we receive daily by being Nigerians.