Proposed tenure elongation and matters arising

TENURE ADJUSTMENT That our President is an intelligent man is neither under contest nor news. His knack for surrounding himself with arguably the best brains and hands attests to this.

But can same be said of his wisdom? Even so, are there differentials between these seeming dualities?

For the purpose of this discourse, cleverness shall be appropriated as smartness at learning / understanding. Intelligence is the use of cleverness.

And wisdom, the sagacious application of intelligence. A few examples will do.

IBB and OBJ are reputed to be clever. Awo, Zik, and Balewa were assessed by historical pundits as men of wisdom. It is therefore apparent that these categorizations and their lesser relatives are functions of the cerebral faculty, choice, content of character, etc. By inference, wisdom stands the tallest of these subjectives. Yet, they all seem fleeting. How? A wise man can by abnegation flounder into cleverness, and then ultimately into antithetical stupidity. Hence, self-discipline is one of the best watches given the ubiquity of sycophancy.

But are we ahead of our critique?

When the upward review of the Minimum Wage got to its crescendo, not too many Nigerians were in the third heavens (the writer inclusive). For one, all the tiers of government put together employ less than ten per cent (10%) of the employable populace. Then came the sincerity issue. The bulk of politicians having received their mandate suddenly realized in an after-thought of ‘righteousness’ that the nation was ill-equipped to honour her laws.

The elections that ushered in the present political dispensation received plaudits from the comity of nations. And rightly so. However, a singular election does not obliterate all the ills of a perhaps comatose society. For instance, what becomes of the arms and ammunitions allegedly brought in by political necromancers and their affiliate necrophiliacs ? What about the system made hapless by the present near unbridled wave of terrorism and kidnapping ?

Might is become right. Callous might is now a celebrity. The more mayhem a group is able to perpetuate, the more revered it becomes. Soon amnesty is contemplated. And what follows is a bloated compensation for destroying innocent lives and plunging their loci into backwardness. In time, impunity reigns and the comfort of their spoils gravitates them towards pharisaic holiness. Here, they attempt to give noble colourations to their crimes and criminality. The travesty is that while some agents of the law deal ruthlessly with petty suspects, they are overwhelmed by these terrorists.

Many in this country lament over the apparent dysfunctionality of the state that is so obviously well endowed. The National Anthem rather than provide a needed tonic for national consciousness, is a stark reminder of how far we have drifted as a nation from the nobility of our national heroes( that is, when we juxtapose the present scenario with their dreams and visions for Nigeria).

But do we ever learn?!

Is Nigeria in dire need of spiritual emancipation? Are our concerns beyond the realms of the physical?

Raph Uwechue’s ‘Reflection on the Nigerian Civil War’, and Adewale Ademoyega’s ‘Why We Struck’ are revolting commentaries on our collective woes. Even today, the ills embedded in our nascent Independence cum democracy are not only present and palpable, but have grown in monstrosity.

Nigerians are perhaps wiser than they are credited for.When an erudite scholar like GEJ speaks, it deserves attention. Now, what is the significance of any discourse on Tenure Adjustment in the face of the myriads of untended matters at hand? .

Is it a show of patriotism as claimed? Is it a diversionary tactic? Is it an attempt to play one of the scripts of Robert Greene’s ’48 Laws of Power’ as it relates to astute timing? Or, is it an Act from Niccolo Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’? May be it is an attempted libation that has unwittingly drawn closer Wole Soyinka’s ‘Abiku’ .

Intelligence can grow into wisdom. Conversely, it can also peter into cleverness which is proconsular to schemings. The end thereof is folly.

It may serve Mr. President well to esteem the huge political capital he currently enjoys. His is a date with destiny. Therefore, it is necessary to prioritize in view of the plethora of challenges. Tenure Adjustment pales by comparism with the pivotal issues at hand.

How many Nigerians are gainfully employed? How many can afford three square meals daily? How many are decently accommodated? How secured are Nigerians? What is the state of Power? Many basic questions. Welcome Mr. President to Basics 101!

(Written : August , 2011) by: Imoukhuede Moses Idehai Head Geologist and consultant , Potterfield Industries Limited, imoism@gmail.com