Nigeria and the growth of political parasites

WEDNESDAY COLUMN BY USSIJU MEDANER  

info@medaner.com, justme4justice@yahoo.com

It is obvious that after 62 years, the nation Nigeria is yet to get itself right on many fronts, and more predominantly the driver of other  factors – politics. There have been attempts to pin-point the root causes of the gross non-development of the country, all to no avail. I have come to the conclusion that Nigeria’s problem would not be found outside the corridor of power but in the hands of men and women who have been trusted with power and those who are desperate to access positions of power. These elements, rather than becoming benefactors to the country, have turned around to become parasites that feed on the nation without giving anything significant back in return. These men are not restricted to any political organisation or party; it is a general problem of the country, and the perpetrators found across the country, across parties and walks of life. 

This week, I am deeply moved by personal experiences to address the consequences of political parasitism and its induced political corruption within the Nigeria political system that have massively deprived the country of achieving political stability over the decades and have resultantly shortened socioeconomic expectancy of the population of Nigerians and the country at large. It is undeniable and can be roundly argued that this vice, which has become a norm among politicians across the board in the country is a major contributing factor to the political backwardness of the country as much as it can be proved that there is a very high correlation between the same and the gross political, economic, social and insecurity pathologies the nation Nigeria is seriously exposed to and is suffering from.

Comically, the concept of parasitism and existence of parasites reflect an utterly worthless, fit for nothing but yet existing creature. This has become the best explanation of the generations of Nigerian politicians and a key term for understanding the dilapidating and destructive game of politics as played in the country overtime. The word parasite brings to mind nasty creatures such as lice, living off the robustness of others while they do not give anything beneficial in return. In some cases, the outcome of this unhealthy relationship might only be a minor loss of energy by the host, in others it will be its death, devoured by its sponging guest. No matter which of the two is the case, though, as long as a relationship is parasitic – as opposed to mutualistic or commensalistic – it implies a fundamental unfairness and inequality. The word might also bring to mind humans acting in a similar manner, trying to get more out of society than they give back. Nigerian politicians acting this role are legion, be they greedy PDP members or APC members who are in it all for fame and wealth. From this, we certainly conclude that the only thing the two positions have in common is the view that the parasite – no matter where it is found, whether in animal or human shape – is a useless creature whose only contribution is of a negative kind, draining the health of its host organism. 

Unfortunately, that has been the condition of Nigeria politicking and the part played by a host of practicing politicians in the country. We actually have had a misrepresentation of the endemic corruption that has belaboured the country and deprived it of real growth and development since independence; the corruption that has given birth to all other corruptions and has prepared the base for all others to thrive in the country would remain the political corruption orchestrated by these political parasites. The grand objective has always been to misappropriate the resources of the state for private gain, to the extent that they would go to any length to play the games that feed only their selfish desires at the expense of the citizens and the country that is drained of its developmental resources.

The only reason why democracy and politicking have continuously failed to work in Nigerian and for Nigerians is not because the concepts is inapplicable for the country, but rather because the country has been unfortunate to continuously have political elements in the corridors of its democratic practices, whose agendas are never to contribute to the development and growth of the society but to get as much as they can pilfer off the society without any shred of remorse. This is the singular reason why political office holders in the country literally complete their tenure without adding values to the system they govern, and boldly propagate themselves as having performed satisfactorily, showcasing constructed dilapidated roads, boreholes and several other unbelievable achievements as track records. 

This is the reason why political parties in the country literally are tending toward the same destination; becoming more of an aggregate of parasitic members who are not interested in party ideology promotion and maintenance, party rules, internal democracy or whatever it is that prospers a political organisation. Political parties now feature more of members who have no interest in collective aspiration but are interested in the party only as platforms for realising personal objectives; and would change ship at any point they consider the party platform no longer fit for the propagation of their egoistic ambitions. 

Same reason why internal party discords have become the norm rather than an exception in the country. The conglomeration of party men who would roll and move anything to have their way in the party, and are prepared to turn everything upside down at will if they could not get things done their ways. These parasitic elements, who were responsible for all emanating and prolonged party internal rancour and would prefer the reign of discords to perpetuate their relevancies in the game of play within the system.

They are desperate power seekers across the country and are non-believers who created the notion of a non-working political system in the country because they are going all the way to overshadow the genuine, committed and patriotic party men and women. You see them, practically oozing rebellion and mutiny against party rules, principles and orderliness; if it is not favouring them, then it is not working and should not favour anyone else.  These are men who ignite fire in the system, hire mobs to stage false protests against processes that are not favouring them. They clamour for and seize control by undermining the effort, credibility and positions of the upright and reliable elements in the system.

By the presence of these legions of parasites in our system, it thus appears that the country Nigeria is running democracy without a sizable population of democrats to make the system count. That has been the bane of the country’s democratic journey. Since independence, and till now, Nigerian politicians have shown undiluted egocentrism; and it has become synonymous to walking in a dreamland and being naïve to contemplate that these political parasitic population would ever become interested in serving and expending themselves for public good.

The high desire to meet personal ambition ahead of national interest or party goals has turned these unscrupulous, parasitic and desperate politicians into harbingers of violence at all level of the national democratic system and politicking. Definitely, they are responsible for the recruitment of political thugs to foment trouble during party primaries, campaigns and elections. They would literally stop at nothing to become relevant and win elections or assumed positions both at the party level and others; they would kill, maim and induce as much as they have the means to, to undermine sacrosanct processes and established systems. 

Having been in the political corridor for a few decades and having maintain a provable party affiliation consistently overtime, I have seen enough, to the base, the acts and projections of these political parasites and the reckless harm they have inflicted and still inflicting on party structures, wellness and national anticipated development and cohesiveness. 

GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!!