Nigeria: A Government For Their Pockets (An Yours, If You’re Lucky) -By Oscar Ajoku

Nigeria, a country that has proudly held the undeserved title of “Giant of Africa” for as long as I can remember, possesses immense economic potential. Rich in valuable mineral resources and vibrant human capital, this nation was once projected to take its seat amongst the league of the world’s fastest growing economies more than a decade ago. Yet, here it lies, ten years after, the opposite of everything foretold; ordinary and on its knees begging for crumbs from its should-have-been global peers – an unfortunate woe that befell it as a by-product of its own poor structures of governance and failing institutional leadership.

When it comes to its political landscape, this giant seems to have mastered the art of turning the position of leadership into a system primarily designed to fill the pockets of those in power – both the assumed and the actual elites – while the average citizen watches from the sidelines, wondering if there’s a chance they’ll ever get their slice of the national cake.

At the heart of Nigeria’s political predicament lies a disturbing culture of self-interest, self-preservation and greed among its political actors. Far from serving as stewards of the public good, many politicians treat the government as their personal ATM, cashing out public funds with little regard for the people they were elected to represent.

While this may seem as a jab against political entities, it really isn’t entirely. On the contrary, it is actually a jab against the now corrupt Nigerian spirit, because it is with this same spirit and its adulterated virtues that these culprits act out their well-rehearsed self-centered plots on society, parasitically defiling all that was once good about this country and wrapping this careless assault up at the end of each of their tenures with a flourish to the detriment of the rest.

They will the machineries of politics to take the best without any remnant; but they do not stop there. They do not stop taking; they never do, because taking becomes their essence for living. Taking defines all they ever will to be.

By politics here, I do not intend to limit myself with what we describe as the three tiers of national government, rather I mean all forms of government. For instance, I’m clearly pointing my finger at the government in the workplace, in religious institutions; everywhere and anywhere political reasoning and displays have a chance to be brought to life. Regardless of where we find this, one thing is common: the urge to choose self above all.

The right of nature….is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature; that is to say, of his own life.

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan.

In my short time on earth, I’ve found legislative representatives who get into office weighing lesser than most of their constituent members turn out twice in mass less than a year later. I’ve seen those who came from rented apartments now own half a dozen houses in high-brow areas. I’ve found those who comment on every subject except that which they were elected to bring alive in the public arena of national discourse. I’ve seen leaders who don’t believe they were elected to serve but to be served. I’ve seen men who never see this opportunity as a privilege to fight for the fundamental rights and benefit of the many hapless ones but as a right to forever be rid of the infestation called poverty and lack. 

I have seen….

But that’s not the worst part – that comes later, which is the fact that a majority of us are exactly like that. We have embraced the same anomaly we publicly describe as abnormal. We just don’t know it yet, or maybe we do and deceive ourselves into thinking it right; however because the culture of our politics and inherent way of life defines power as an opportunity to escape misfortune, the very first thing that comes to mind when the desired or, in most cases, expected ascendancy happens is everything that involves us and ours going higher even if it comes at the cost of a sinking society and a dying ideology. An ideology that was created for the people, of the people and by the people, till there’s nothing left other than the sheer desire to get and keep getting for personal satisfaction, preservation and validation.

… I put for a general inclination of all mankind a perpetual and restless desire of power after power that ceaseth only in death. And the cause of this is not always that a man hopes for a more intensive delight than he has already attained to, or that he cannot be content with a moderate power, but because he cannot assure the power and means to live well, which hath present, without the acquisition of more…Competition of riches, honour, command, or other power inclineth to contention, enmity, and war, because the way of one competitor to the attaining of his desire is to kill, subdue, supplant, or repel the other

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

In recent years, numerous stories have emerged depicting Nigerian leaders and politicians caught in acts of flagrant greed. Take the examples of former heads of state, governors, senators and ministers who have been reported to have diverted millions in public funds to finance an extravagant lifestyle, including multiple luxury properties abroad, numerous lovers, lavish parties, and a fleet of exotic cars. Take religious heads who see it not as a thing of shame to own countless private jets and castle-like houses amidst a congregation whose only hope for a next meal lies in a prayer that might never materialize. Take corporate leaders who spend half the year on hiatus in some paradise while their employees overwork themselves to sustain a life fueled by indebtedness. Take common men in positions of power in their local communities who see the mandate as a means to exercise the desire to oppress in the same degree as they once resisted being oppressed.

Please do not see this as the outbursts of an enraged man, because it isn’t. I do not despise these fellows nor their quest for power and luxury, I despise the very abuse of their position in pursuit of power and luxury. For if leadership of all sorts is figuratively depicted as a case of the shepherd and the sheep, where the pride of the shepherd is greatly hinged on the welfare of the sheep, then it becomes an absolute absurdity that in this terrain the sheep is starved to death to assure the fattening of the shepherd.  

The question will always be “why?” the same way the answer from time immemorial has always been “why not?”

While hospitals, schools and other basic social amenities languish due to underfunding, these individuals prioritize personal wealth accumulation over essential social services and don’t even feel an iota of guilt in so doing.

Another notorious incident involved members of the National Assembly who audaciously padded contracts and awarded themselves abusive allowances. The scandal was so blatant that it sparked widespread protests and calls for reforms, yet accountability remains elusive. Similar misbehaviors haven’t been in short supply in other institutional entities, such as is evident in churches where most of these clergymen live as lords and the congregation as paupers, or in the workplace where superiors leave a bulk of their personal tasks to the underpaid staff members only to award themselves incentives for jobs they never did. Thus creating a capitalistic form of life that is said to be progressive yet having at the head of its wealth pyramid political and religious self-centered leaders, with hundreds of millions of the ordinary citizenry struggling at the very base for whatever crumb might be spared them.

He that is to govern a whole nation, must read in himself, not this, or that particular man; but Man-Kind.

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan.

Unfortunately, nothing ever happens no matter how many times these ordinary ones complain or ask for a probe, because these are vices witnessed every day amongst regular citizens. Even among those at the base. Vices many have been found guilty of in the civil service who are in a position to put these lots in check, in Law Enforcement agencies who are supposedly in the position to investigate these excesses, in the judiciary who have been vested with the authority to execute justice, and in religious institutions who were put in place to promote the teachings of morality. Vices we are all guilty of as a nation. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it’s said, which best describes this situation. And they, these corrupt politicians and leaders, are apples shaken off this tree to represent even the best of us. Simple ambassadors of the worst version of ourselves as Nigerians.

My aim with this piece is to make you think, and afterward realize that the problem with this country and its solution begins with you and me. Until we change at the ground floor of society, there can be no realistic change at the pinnacle. Because everyone at the top started where the rest of us currently are; perhaps not literally, status-wise, but still in that raw desire to evade the tight grip of unfavorable probabilities as it pertains to securing a better and sustainable means of livelihood. They are purely a reflection of our innate selves once we’ve been stripped of the cloak of hypocrisy by the reality of wielding unending power.

…it is one thing to desire, another to be in capacity fit for what we desire.

Thomas Hobbes, Man and Citizen

Then there’s also the case of our democracy as a nation or might I say monopoly. Our electoral circus, sorry the electoral process, intended as a means for Nigerians to choose their leaders, often feels more like a theatre of illusions. With reported occurrences of vote buying, ballot box snatching, and intimidation, elections become win what you can contests rather than fair competitions. This compromises the very legitimacy of the democratic process and by extension perpetuates rule by the self-serving elite.

During past elections, videos surfaced showing politicians distributing cash and gifts in the millions of naira to curry favor with voters, while also getting endorsed by thought leaders who once described them with the vilest adjectives and certain nouns not ideal for public use. In other areas, vigilante groups sponsored by political candidates were accused of intimidating opponents and securing their masters’ victories through force. 

The result? 

Leaders who prioritize keeping their seats (and its dividends) above the welfare of the people.

This diversion of public resources into personal coffers seems to be standard operating procedure for the Nigerian political class. Funds earmarked for infrastructure, healthcare, and education often vanish into private accounts with the aid of silly explanations or are spent on vanity projects that do little to improve the daily lives of the average Nigerian.

One glaring example is the case of monies allocated to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board being swallowed by a fictitious humongous snake that still hasn’t been found and never will be. Another example is that of a single road project estimated at a cost of over a trillion naira. Almost twice the amount earmarked for education in the current national budget, raising questions over project justification and cost inflation. Citizens have expressed outrage, but as usual nothing will happen because nothing ever does. 

Here in Nigeria, corruption sits in the high heavens and when on terrestrial plane walks about like a free man enjoying the view of a beautiful sunset on a paradise beach. Unperturbed and numb in the face of the urgent need to flee. It sort of seems like we are used to this form of callousness and misbehavior as Nigerians, and possibly might have even accepted it, with each individual just waiting for that lucky moment when they are given similar access to the same cookie jar. That moment when it dawns on them that they are no different.

But just to be clear, these greed and corruption entrenched deeply in our society have far-reaching consequences. Beyond the immediate theft of resources, it undermines economic growth, worsens poverty at all levels, and deepens inequality. People’s trust in the government, systems and processes will continually erode, fostering apathy, cynicism, and in some cases, unrest; all symptomatic of the result of a style of governance designed to benefit a few at the expense of many.

Despite the bleak picture, there is also a growing awareness and resistance among Nigerians increasingly shining a light on these excesses and demanding reforms. Some leaders have also pledged to champion transparency and accountability — though action still lags behind rhetoric. Nevertheless, with social media serving as a megaphone to expose abuses and mobilize citizens, Nigerian youths have embraced this tool to demand better governance, breaking through traditional barriers to political engagement.

Ultimately, Nigeria can only fulfill its promise if the culture of self-interest among its people gives way to genuine public service. If only our present pattern of the symbolic Leviathan gives room for the ways of the green earth whose aim is to continuously give with all that it gets. But this requires systemic reforms, personal reflections and rehabilitation, strengthened institutions, active citizenry, and leaders willing to place the public’s interests above personal gain.

I’ll end with this. The current state of Nigeria showcases a sobering reality. For many, the country, with its many opportunities, is simply a vehicle to enrich one’s self. This self-centeredness has transformed all existing kinds of government into an exclusive club where power and wealth are hoarded. One where individuals are defined and treated based on what they have and who they know but never what they know. One where there are no good or bad people, just the rich, the poor and the thick impermeable line between both. One where we are nothing till we are a part of them. Hence, for Nigeria to truly flourish and reflect the needs of its people, it must confront this culture of greed head-on. Until then, it risk being a government for their pockets alone – and for the people, if at all, only on rare, fortunate occasions.

Oscar Ajoku is not a writer, he just thinks he is.