Nepotism: Buhari Is Just Being A Nigerian

Last Month, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo came out with the scorecard of the President of the Country, President Muhammadu Buhari. Unlike, conventional teachers, who would, rather, disclose the academic fate and rating to a student in private and treat such performance chart in confidentiality, Obasanjo showed his rating of the president’s government to Nigerian and to the world. The former president, without minding how damning this report would be for the president’s political trajectory, gave the president an essentially bitter dose of his impression of the performance of his government. One area in which the Former President gave Buhari a hard knock, in his special press statement titled “THE WAY OUT: A CLARION CALL FOR COALITION FOR NIGERIA MOVEMENT” is for his poor knowledge of the volatile nature of the Nigerian politics arena and importantly, for nepotism.

Taking a cue from the former President, an elderly Nigerian, who had experience the civil war firsthand, stated that the president is towing the same path the leaders of Nigeria towed five decades back that led to the horrors Nigeria experienced during the Civil War. Nepotism, which, according to him, was the root cause of the war, has also been the undoing of the Buhari’s government. His claim no doubt holds water, when you consider the fact that mutual suspicion and unhealthy competition among different tribes, religious affiliations and political groups in the country have created room for Nigerians in position of power to unduly favour people who are not qualified for such favours.

The reality of Nepotism in Nigeria goes beyond the act of showing special favours to relatives, it also include undeserved favours shown by a person to his or her tribe’s man or woman, or a show of prejudice against a person who does not share an affiliation with you. Nepotism entails the subjugation of merit and quality for mediocrity and sentiments. In other words, Nepotism in Nigeria encapsulates tribalism, religious sentiments, cronyism and other show of undue favours or bias.

Past Nigerian Leaders, even the idolized ones, are in one way or the other culpable for nepotism. In fact, they laid the foundation for this social vice. Nigeria’s early Heroes, during the early years of the country, made the interest of the people of their regions their priority rather than the fate of the country.  Over the years, Nigerians have watched and learnt the act of nepotism from these historical figures. In no time, Nepotism became an unofficial custom in the country.

In his Special Press Statement, Former President Obasanjo accused the President of Nepotism. According to him, “President Buhari has come out more glaringly than most of us thought we knew about him. One is nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court…” President Buhari, in his good conscience, have not refuted this allegation. He may have, obviously, penitently, acknowledged in a way, that he may be guilty of all these allegations as stated in the release.

The allegation of nepotism against the president has been predicated on the appointments he has made since he came into power in 2015. There is the general believe, especially by the Christian southerners, that the President is out to favour a part of the country by appointing the northern muslims into juicy position in his cabinet and other federal agencies.

Also, the perceived political favouritism shown by the president in dealing with corruption’s cases has tinted his once immaculate image. The reinstatement of the Nigerian Health Insurance Scheme boss, Usman Yusuf, despite the N919m misappropriation case against him, raises doubt.

Nathaniel Akhigbe of Business Day Newspaper, posited in his analysis that 81 per cent of those appointed by the president as at November 1^st 2017 are from the North. The lopsidedness in these appointments has given voice to those who believe that the president is, in fact, the president of Northern Nigeria only. The appointment of Buhari’s nephew as one of the Resident Electoral commission has even dealt more blows to the purportedly fair reputation of the president. Nigerians who can see, cannot overlook the fact that the President is tilting towards the north.

Although it seems that the President is the only person guilty of tribalism and nepotism, because of the position he occupies, the truth is that the president is just being a Nigerian. With all fairness to the president, Nigerians, of all tribe, religion, region, clan and culture, drink, eat and sleep nepotism. The thoughts and actions of must Nigerians, if not all, are selfishly tailored to favour people they share demography realities with. The Igbo man, the Yoruba man, or the Hausa man in a federal parastatal is more likely to assist anybody who can speak his language.

Some families have made the government of their state a family business. In Kwara State for example, the family of the sarakis have had the state locked down for a long time. Just as the Governor of Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has recently anointed his son-in-law to succeed him as Governor. He also appointed his sister as the commissioner for the Ministry of Happiness and Purpose fulfilment. Not that there is nobody else qualified enough to fill that position, but because governance is seen as some families’ birthright. Every Nigerian in such situation would be tempted to do such a thing if the opportunity is staring at him.

As a result of the mutual suspicion arising from the competitive interactions among the different affiliations in the country, Nigerians wear their cultural identities like a garment. Like the president, every Nigerian is first and foremost interested in his/her identity as a member of an ethnic group and religion, before he regard himself as a Nigerian. This consciousness has affected and divided our loyalty to the country.

Nepotism is not exclusive to Buhari’s government. Past leaders, under the military and civilian rules, have been attacked and accused of nepotism. Maybe, not as much as we hear of, under this government, however, every government has had to confront the allegation of nepotism. Jonathan lost the southwest, initially, because of the sentiment that his government left the region out in his distribution of appointment for relevant political offices. The Military Heads of State and leaders also have indulged in this act too. Stories abound as to how some military Head of State promoted military men from their tribe and religion, ahead of their seniors.

President Buhari set out to bring nemesis upon corrupt office holders, past and present, when he was voted into power in 2015. He was portrayed as the saviour the country needs to nip corruption and it cancerous effects in the bud. However, if indeed, his motive for what he does is nepotic, his struggle to rid the nation of corruption can only be likened to a man who decides to spray an expensive fragrance while he is using the toilet. This in essence, means that if a corruption crusader like President Buhari is guilty of nepotism, his campaign to rid the country of corruption would continue to fail. Nepotism is the father of corruption.

Nepotism runs in the blood of Nigerians. Corruption subsists because the country and her people keep putting round pegs in square holes. Politicians are elected into positions of power not because they merit the position, but because of the sentiments that endears them to the electorate. Most young people don’t see the importance of hard work anymore, because they think they can get what they want, courtesy the powerful folks they know, who can pull strings to get them what they want. The Nigerian society is in disarray today, because important positions are handed over to unqualified folks, as a result of their connections. Most Nigerians, if not all, like President Muhammadu Buhari, are guilty of nepotism in one way or the other. Nigerians, therefore, need to examine themselves to remove any iota of nepotism in their daily dealing before they can muster the moral audacity to speak against the vice.

While I am not trying to normalize or reduce the implication of the allegation of nepotism against the president, who made the acclaimed statement “I am for everybody, I am for nobody”, I believe that we as Nigerians need to check ourselves to be sure we are not also guilty of Nepotism as we claim the president liable for.