In the entire work and activity of human endeavours, change is the only element that is generally characterized and believed to be permanent. While every other things are regarded as being dynamic, change is constant and could occur at anytime, anywhere without much question.
Because it is dynamic, change could either be negative or positive and retrogressive or progressive but what the populace wants is practically a positive and progressive change, and anything short of this could be said to be disaster, unwanted and ofcourse repressive.
If a new wine is put in an old bottle, certainly it would loss its taste value. On the other hand when an old wine is refilled into a new bottle, ofcourse the taste value must also be loss, in either ways, these are done in other to promote sales of an adulterated wine, otherwise such contaminated or polluted wine remains unsold, unmarkable and forever a loss to its owner.
But to think of this, if not for wickedness, greediness, corrupt tendencies and quests for destruction of others, what on earth would have driven someone to contemplate sales of adulterated wine in whatever guise to the populace.
While the idea and contemplation of the sale of adulterated wine is condemned judging from its negative effect on the users, it is pertinent to note that those who patronize such rejected, unrecognized goods are those who are addictive to drunkenness, cannot do without drinking and also corrupt like this produce, sale of such poisonous drink.
Upholding to the rule and law of equity, it is expected that while you seek for uprightness, you must first be either upright or justified before claiming that which you wants to be done. For instance, say there should be no “unwanted baby in compound A”, the question to determine and strengthen that prohibition of unwanted baby in compound A would be, has any member of compound A ever engage in an illicit sex or who in compound A is innocent of illicit sex that would produce an unwanted baby?
The rule or law of equity holds that, “He that seeks for equity must come with clean hands”.
As it is improper and an abnormality for a dog to give birth to a goat, it is however an abnormality for a pastor caught in an act of adultery to preach against such act if he has not genuinely confessed and repented of it. In such scenario, it is either he would loss his members, attract unwanted opposition and retain only those like himself in that congregation.
A leader must be blameless of an act he condemns, either he was indulged in but later genuinely repented, he would not be seen to be doing the right thing and on the right track.
Indeed, for someone to profess “CHANGE” such individual must be seen to have changed or not guilty at all. As explained in paragraph two above, without mincing words, the much noise about change in the Nigeria polity is such from progression to retrogression.
Subsidy: Take for example, Nigerians negatively reacted when on 1st January 2013, the former president Goodluck Jonathan announced the increase in fuel pump price to N87 per litre in a bid to reduce subsidy on petroleum products
At least at the stability of the subsidy, all Nigerians are witnesses of fuel stability and an acceptable transport fare, likewise today, Nigerians can confess to the transportation difficulty between October 2015 to date as well as the queues in filling stations.
Furthermore, a truthful and sincere Nigerian can also testify on Obasanjo, Alhaj Musa Yar’adua of blessed memory and immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, the judiciary displayed a level of neutrality and independence where most elected members of the PDP were sacked by the courts and members of then AC were brought in without fracas in Nigeria. It is true that the PDP did not influence the courts or tribunals to do their bidings as visibly noticed even by a blindman today, can this also be termed as a progressive change?
Corruption: What did Nigerian scholars believe to be true definition of corruption and what is in the public domain in the name of fighting corruption? Issues Abattoir has discussed extensively on this evil called corruption in previous episodes, hence no room to dwell so much, however for emphasis, the English dictionary defines corrupt as “In a depraved state, debased, perverted; morally degenerate; week in morals. It also defines it as “with lots of errors in it, not genuine or correct, in an invalid state or “in a putrid state, spoiled, tainted, vitiated and unsound.
Corruption, however, according to the same dictionary simply means, “The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue or moral principle, the state of being corrupted or debased, loss of purity or integrity, depriving, wickedness, impurity, bribery amongst other definitions.
Ironically, what is in the Nigerian space now is nothing close to fighting corruption rather a vindictive measure not policy and comical tale where a kettle is calling the pot black.
With the present circumstance as witnessing by all, the Nigeria political space is worse than ever against the simple believe of being better than yesterday. What a country?
This calls to mind what a former principal in the community secondary school Agwut-Obolo, now returned, HRH Sir. Amakiri Michael Edeh-Ogwuile, Okan-Ama Ayama Agana town in the Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State once told his literature students as far back in about 1987.
Sir. A.M. Edeh-Ogwuile in one of the classes while exposing the contents of a book “The incorruptible Judge” admonished students to be worthy ambassadors of their time, shun bribery and corrupt tendencies as corruption is a killer, noting that in the corrupting world, only the incorruptible could speak the truth to move the country forward.
According to the erudite scholar and principled principal whom all that knows him bows with genuine respect, “because of corruption and lack of zeal for one’s country, education might be only for children of the rich.
Frankly, the admonition of the principal and a traditional ruler is in the present circumstance a great lesson to only those who could recall his teachings and perhaps put them into not only use but profitable use. May his days be long.
Corrupt minds have actually hampered the growth of Nigeria and it would require great minds to consider its restructure, reposition for greater development.
To restructure Nigeria and fighting corruption, the incorruptible judges and personnel should be at work as the present administration is neither fighting corruption nor developing the country.
The purported change ravaging the country today, is such that is not welcome by majority of Nigerians, and when such change is retrogressive in nature and against the norms of development peace, unity and progress of a nation then it is undesirable.
However, it is undesirable because leadership style of the present administration in the country seems subversive in nature.
It is likened to an old wine in a new bottle which ordinarily is a ploy to deceive the buyers that it’s a new wine while its content remain same as ever.
Let change be appreciated, adorable and welcome by majority, only then shall it be desirable and acceptable. ###
With James Mgboineme
