On available occasions to mark the 51stIndependence Anniversary of Nigeria, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan was widely and copiously reported to have said he does not need to be a lion, a troop commander, an Army General, a King like David, Nebuchadnczzar, or Pharaoh, to rule Nigeria According to him, that is not his style of governance.But the President has not told us who or what he would be like in the governance of Nigeria. Being like any of the personages he mentioned would have been a lot easier for Mr. President. At least, he would have had their style, history, virtue or weakness to covet or avoid. The question may now be asked: Is the president then a coward, a weakening, a neophyte or a tyro' Perhaps so. Otherwise, how do you explain his running away from Eagle Square on Independence Day Anniversary to observe the Day in Aso Rock Villa because MEND and Boko Hararn threatened to bomb Eagle Square' Part of the Constitution the President swore to defend is Section 14 (1)(b) thereof which stipulates that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.If Mr. President who ought to be commander-in-chief of the armed forces would run from the bombs of Boko Haram and MEND, what will Mr. President do if the Armies of Cameroon and Libya for example come invading' If Mr. President thought he has successfully responded to perceptions of weakness of his personality and style in his government of Nigeria so far, by his speech of child-like rhymed naivety, of simplistic banality and vapidity, of pure intellectual decolouration, he missed it.Mr. President said he was chosen by God to rule Nigeria at this' time. What a good time Then, rule like God. After all, God in his holy writ enjoined us to do the works he did. God ruled with rod and staff; stick and carrot God is a dictator and a benefactor. When the World became filled with evil, as Nigeria now is, God destroyed the Earth with Flood and recreated it. When Sodom and Gomorrah intolerably became corrupt, promiscuous and whorish, as Nigeria now is, God torched it.When Satan rebelled against God in heaven, God cast him out of heaven. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God's lawful orders in the Garden of Eden, God threw them out of the Garden. When Serpent trespassed into the Garden of Eden and beguiled Adarn and Eve, God amputated him and till today Serpent still crawls on his belly. When king Pharaoh hardened his heart and oppressed God's people in Egypt, as Nigerians are oppressed in other parts of the Globe, God hardened his word, massacred all first born of Egyypt and drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea.When his Son Jesus Christ became Sin for the World on the Cross of Calvary, God told him he was on his own and forsook him because God would not behold, tolerate or condone sin (corruption). When Jesus Christ, who is also God, entered the Temple and found people buying and selling , as civil servants and teachers do in their offices and schools, Jesus scattered their wares, overturned their tables and drove them out for turning the house of prayers to a den of robbers. When some maidens came late to the wedding, as most workers come late to work, Jesus drove them away and locked the door against them When Saul, renamed Paul, was persecuting and opposing God's evangelical work, God struck him with blindness and made him fall in line. When Moses; despite his stature and exploits, did not strictly carry out God's instruction, by sanctifying God in the Waters of Meribah, God sacked him from office and refused him entry into the promised land. When King Saul, who was the first monarchical president of Israel after the Theocracy, disobeyed God's instructions by not completely destroying the Amalekites (modern day terrorists, militants armed robbers, kidnappers, Boko haramists, bombers), God removed him from office. So at appropriate times, where necessary, God acts as a biblical dictator. He also acts as a merciful father.By your speech, you almost made me say, haba, what manner of President. A President Do Nothing' And I ruminated: does this man know the enormity of the demands of his office' Your speech was almost an endorsement of corruption or official irresponsibility.This momentarily brings me to Mr. President's postulations on institutions as panacea for development. But did Mr. President hear John W. Gardner when he said that all important thing to understand about any human institution is that it does not move unless pushed' The President's speech again brought to the fore and validated what I said and wrote about Nigeria 22 years ago on 24th November, 1989 under the general theme My Philosophy of Government and Governance in the article titled If I were the President of Nigeria which was first written on 2nd April, 1985 in response to an article written by one Idang Alibi on the same subject which appeared on the Tuesday, February 19, 1985 edition of the Daily Times. I wrote then and even so now.I see Nigeria's problems this way: that of a giant who has been crippled and is being, helped to rise by those who crippled it. You see that it will never rise. There is a group who knowing the cure for the giant to be painful surgery refused to give it because it would be too hard for them to bear. There is yet another group who knowing that surgery though painful good for the giant believes they must be satisfied first before giving the cure to the giant. You see that the giant will ever remain where it is. But the giant has to go forward, and it is eager and desirous to go forward. It either helps itself up and makes progress or remains where it is and be bankrupt. But whoever helps the giant up even at the risk of his own life would have saved his generation and others a round of slavery.''Sir, you said you are a transformer. I hope you are not like the PHCN transformer in the area my mother-in-law lives ill Benin which merely sits and looks like a statue beaming darkness. Transformation, which you say is your Governmental Agenda, requires more than a Lilliputian be-at-ease style or the melancholic stereotype of a Robot, or the jolly good fellow All-rounder of no enemy no friend lifestyle. Transformation is radicalism. Transformation is dictatorship. Dictatorship borne out of conviction, purpose, self-belief. vision, mission, superior ideas, altruism, justice, law, duty, rights and the well being of the people.In transformation, you must dictate, insist, demolish, bulldoze, pull down, reconstruct, renovate, rehabilitate, invent, subdue, dominate. This kind of transformation is a God Mandate. If God has truly called you to rule Nigeria as you claim, then do what God said in Genesis 128. God said you should replenish and subdue the Earth. God said you should exercise dominion over everything that moves on the earth. Being President of Nigeria is by Grace. That is, unmerited favour. It is a blessing from God to you. But be not only a beneficiary of the blessing. There are also duties to perform.Dictatorship does not necessarily and primarily mean tyranny. Dictatorship is a regime of right and insistence on right. On what is good and just according to God, the Constitution and Law. Mr. President, contrary to what you were reported to have said, dictate and insist that Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors and other workers and appointees must resume work at 8 am and must close at 4pm. Dictate and insist that PHCN must provide electricity non-stop everyday. Dictate and insist that there must be good motorable roads across the Country. Dictate and insist that corruption at all levels must stop. Dictate and insist that Boko Haram must be subdued and overcome. Dictate and insist that bombings across the country and other terrorist activities must cease forthwith. Dictate and insist that every Nigerian and resident in Nigeria must pay taxes. Dictate and insist that there must be employment for all Nigerians. Dictate and insist that refusal to heed these dictates must not go unpunished.God, as a dictator, insists that his Word as contained in the Holy Bible, analogous to the Supreme Nigerian Constitution, must be obeyed. God dictates and insists that the soul that sins shall die. God dictates and insists that the wages of sin is death. Therefore, like God, dictate and insist that those who violate and plunder the Nigerian Constitution and Economy must pay.God dictates and insists that the (NEPA or PHCN) must give light always and it does. God dictates and insists that the Moon and the Stars (Street Lights) must shine at night and they do. God dictates and insists that the Angels (Military, Policemen, Security Operatives) must be at Red Alert at all times to ensure all-round security of life and property and they are. God dictates and insists that the rains must yield waters in its seasons and that the Rivers (taps) must flow with waters all the time and they do. God dictates and insists that the Earth and the fruit trees (agriculture) must produce food always and they do. When Jesus was hungry and found no fruit in the fig tree, he cursed the fig tree and the tree withered. When Jesus got to a Garden and found a particular tree that has been unproductive, like some public and political servants, he asked the gardener to cut down the tree asking why the tree should be allowed to continue to occupy the ground (his office) when it cannot produce fruits.You cannot transform without dictating. My City, Benin, used to be called the Ancient City of Benin. Now, it is called the Modern city of Benin. That is transformation. An authoritative case study in transformation as a fundamental objective and directive principle of state policy is Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the Governor of Edo State. Mr. President would do well to learn from the Governor of Edo State what I call the Dynamics of Transformation by Dictatorship. It is true you may not have got to power the way Comrade Oshiomhole did. You got power on a platter of providence. Oshiomhole got power on the sweats of battle but however gotten power has the same objective: the good of the people.To transform Edo State, Oshiornhole had to dictate to everyone, including the political, traditional, spiritual and financial godfathers, in Edo State. He did not allow them dictate to him. Oshiomhole dictated his own style and philosophy of governance and dictated that everyone must adopt same, at least while he is Governor. Oshiomhole dictated that taxes must be paid and the amount to be paid. The Comrade Governor walked, ran, jogged, the streets of Benin and the commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors, politicians of the stock of his Political Party, political appointees, all began to walk, run and jog along with the Governor. The governor was up and doing and so every one was on his and her toes. Oshiomhole was not just satisfied with hearing. He also went to see things for himself. Then, things began to work in Edo State. Public schools were renovated and came alive. Hospitals came alive, roads became motorable, street lights started to shine, traffic started to move, two lanes became six lanes, villages became towns.(To be continued)Austin Osarenkhoe, a legal practitioner, wrote in from Benin City: (08035302022,08053311022).
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