Letters As Distraction

Over the past month or so, a public feud has erupted between Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's former president, and the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan. The battle defining the feud has been waged with letters on the pages of Nigerian newspapers. In every case, each letter has taken on a life of its own, with supporters of either camp taking sides in a battle the backstory of which most of them probably know nothing about. Such is the stuff of which grand distractions are made.

While those Nigerian leaders are busy throwing mud, many events are happening across Africa that would normally require the large presence of Africa's giant. After all, "to whom much is given, much is expected".  But not this time, and not in the near future. Iconic Mr. Mandela is dead and buried without the Nigerian President on any ceremonial podium to give a speech despite Nigeria's role in the anti-apartheid era; war is raging in the young West African nation of South Sudan; Mali is in trouble; Egypt is in turmoil; the Democratic Republic of Congo is in tatters; corruption continues to ravage Nigeria at levels never before known; the national unemployment rate is at 22% and going higher, security in many parts of Nigeria is at crisis levels due to kidnappings and armed robbery - not to mention murders on religious grounds. To maintain respectability, a country has to rise to its calling. Instead, Nigeria is lowered to the stature of its woefully poor leadership.

So, while Nigerian leaders are busy showcasing their manhood through letter writing, the country is increasingly a no-show in the international scene where reputations are built and solidified and Nigerians are distracted from matters of major personal and national significance. Nigerians ought to demand more from their leaders. This is a responsibility of citizenship. It is also a responsibility that no generation of Nigerians has ever seriously taken up. Those who are fortunate enough to find themselves in positions of authority over others must know that with authority comes responsibility. Unfortunately, this is knowledge that Nigerian leaders have rarely, if ever, demonstrated.