At our level in Nigeria, the swearing in of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Governor of Edo State after a prolonged legal battle is also evidence of the shaking that is going on even here. Since the decimation of the progressives following the demise of the Second Republic which led to the seeming south- westernization of progressive politics through the Alliance for Democracy earlier in this Republic, it had seemed like that group was an endangered species. It had seemed like it was a matter of time for “the last state standing” to fall. Given the twist and turns being experienced at the tribunals and the inexplicable delays at the appellate level, even the most incurable of optimists had begun to give up. And the establishment must have concluded they had it sewn up. But here we are; the khaki combat-suit wearing erstwhile labour leader now occupies the Government House in Benin. Truly these are times of “shaking all the shakeables.”
First, I like to apologize most sincerely for going awol (military term for absence without license) from this page for two consecutive weeks prior to the last. It was due to an inexplicable communication breakdown between the writer and his editor, with the writer erring on the side of assumption, which as you probably have heard is the lowest form of knowledge. In the event, what you read last week was indeed meant for two weeks earlier which explains why it wasn’t exactly hot and fresh. Forgive me please.
Interestingly, however, even the hottest pieces of news nationally and internationally validate our theme. Everything that can be shaken is being shaken, big time!
Take the epochal election of Barack Stephen Obama as the first African-American President of the United States of America. It has blasted many previous “givens” to smithereens. It is therefore safe to say that nothing will ever be the same again, not in America, not anywhere in the world. The “yes, we can” message will reverberate through the generations, for as long as the Lord tarries. Glass ceilings, wherever they existed, have been shattered, and like good old “humpty dumpty” can never be put together again! The man of colour, the women and other hitherto disadvantaged people groups, are never again going to sit on their hands and accept any kind of restrictions to their aspirations.
I congratulate all Nigerian “Obamaites”, whose vision of a great new frontier led them to support him, pray for him, and even contribute ideas to his campaign strategies. In this latter respect, my dear sister, Rev Mrs Uche Biosa was particularly active. Readers of this column would remember her exchanges with me over the suitability of Obama for office, in which she canvassed her convictions with such great passion. She and others like her deserve their season in the sun. Incidentally, also in this group is my centre pastor, Rev Jibola Oluyede, who is also passionate about Obama and what he represents for the child of God.
Joyful as I am that I can look at the story of a first term Federal senator, (though he had been in the Illinois Senate), with no executive experience and no godfathers, from an historically disadvantaged group who became President of the most powerful nation on earth, I do not share the ecstasy, the euphoria of the majority. But let’s not spoil the party; let’s leave that for another day.
At our level in Nigeria, the swearing in of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Governor of Edo State after a prolonged legal battle is also evidence of the shaking that is going on even here. Since the decimation of the progressives following the demise of the Second Republic which led to the seeming south- westernization of progressive politics through the Alliance for Democracy earlier in this Republic, it had seemed like that group was an endangered species. It had seemed like it was a matter of time for “the last state standing” to fall. Given the twist and turns being experienced at the tribunals and the inexplicable delays at the appellate level, even the most incurable of optimists had begun to give up. And the establishment must have concluded they had it sewn up. But here we are; the khaki combat-suit wearing erstwhile labour leader now occupies the Government House in Benin. Truly these are times of “shaking all the shakeables.” Being an unabashed supporter of Oshiomhole, I have no difficulty in joining in the revelry even as I congratulate all Nigerians for this victory.
One of the truly interesting aspects of the unfolding scenario, however, is the return of a debate that many thought had been completed, concluded and settled for ever. We put it like this in the concluding paragraph of last week’s piece: “Interestingly, this crisis has led to a fresh new debate about the continued viability of capitalism, the conqueror of socialism and communism. Fukiyama’s dance on the grave of communism is today being touted as hasty…”
The picture is like this. George Bush, a Republican Party president of the United States of America found himself resorting to a so-called bail-out programme to prevent the crash of the biggest capitalist economy in the world. By that programme, he was to use public fund to stabilize private institutions. Although this is being revised, the very contemplation of it is sacrilegious! But he didn’t just think about it, he approached Congress and got its approval to do whatever he thinks fit with a whopping $700billion. Now, shorn of all the verbiage, the world’s erstwhile model of capitalist purism was resorting to a socialist tool to tackle its problems!
Next Americans voted in by a landslide, a president that the Republicans are already characterizing as the first socialist president of America ever! He won election on the economic platform of wealth redistribution through a progressive tax regime. Now in a world where China has become capitalist and Russia is beginning to embrace the market system, this, to put it mildly, is ironic.
And back home in Nigeria, you have a comrade in one of the Government Houses! That, in Nigeria, where IMF/World Bank policies rule the roost, where the sing-song had been there’s no alternative to complete deregulation; where Obasanjo had wanted to stay in power till death do them part just to keep watch over the elaborate free enterprise system he had laboured to construct.
(Continues Next week).
No comments:
Post a Comment