Kleptocratic democracy in Nigeria

By Livinus Ukah

Many people in Nigeria believe that we are practising democracy. It is just a hashtag, mimicry of the real democracy obtainable in other countries. In the real sense, what is in practice in Nigeria is kleptocracy.

According to Wikipedia, Kleptocracy (from Greek kléptes, “thief”, klépto, “I steal”, and –kratía from krátos, “power, rule”) is a government whose corrupt leaders (kleptocrats) use political power to appropriate the wealth of their nation, typically by embezzling or misappropriating government funds at the expense of the wider population.

We need a new political system to change this terrible political equation. What has been happening pushes people into poverty because of our economic contraption. Many countries like India and Indonesia came to learn something good we ignored here in Nigeria and became economically viable.

Can you imagine India that was the poverty headquarters of the world can now raise a voice in the global world due to competence in Information Technology (IT)? How can Nigeria develop a political system to make things work? Since after the selfless sacrifices of our founding fathers, collective political selfishness came on board and Nigeria lost its political bearing.

Those who took over meandered to chase after money instead of building strong political structures that would lead Nigeria to a political height like other emerging countries that are creating a voice in the political world today. It is collective efforts and decisions that led them where they are.

Our nearest neighbour, Ghana has gone far and Nigeria is still staggering and crawling politically and living in a state of political limbo of uncertainty and unable to meet the rest of the world.

Even though Nigeria is blessed by God with many mineral and human resources, she cannot use those resources to build and better the lives of the citizens.

Nigeria cannot respond to the yearning needs of the country but political monopoly and where you come from create a problem of acceptability.

Easy access to wealth has destroyed Nigeria’s aspiration to greatness but individual greatness is the order of the day.

Money bags in politics have become synonymous with Nigerian political system. Politics in Nigeria has become a market place of shopping with Ghana-must-go bags while poverty is ravaging the citizens.

Looting the treasury has become a daily phenomenon in Nigeria.

The so- called democracy has become a worn-out system and kleptocracy has dominated the Nigerian political system.

Nigeria is worse than Lebanon whom the whole world is gathering to bring back to political sanity and development of the people and not swimming in the pool of corruption and neglect of the people.

In Nigeria corruption and incompetency have become the cynosure.

Many things are clothed in secrecy among those in power and yet Nigeria expects something new in the life of the nation.

You can see mass killings and manhandling of the citizens especially when people protest against what is happening.

Nigeria has rubbished education. Those with tremendous education have been made to feel that education does not matter but what matters is physical cash.

How you get it does not matter.

There is lack of economic empowerment among the youth who are creative and colossal wealth of knowledge is unused.

This can lead to quest for easy way of making money and also become a veritable tool for politicians to use now in their “politricks”.

Political polarization is another aspect of Nigerian polity which leads to the poor development of the people.

Appointments in Nigeria are wishy-washy and tilted only to a region thereby making decisions onesided and lack oxygen.

Merit is undermined by demographic consideration where the estimated population of one region influences benefits to be accorded to them.

Following this, census can be manipulated to accommodate this arrangement and other regions are consistently sidelined. Meritocracy is drowned by kleptocracy and can’t breathe in Nigerian politics. Political dominance and creation of family dynasty is the order of the day.

Political leaders rotate in power till death. In some states the exiting governor carves out what he would be getting while out of office not counting the fabulous largesse he has piled up as a sitting governor.

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A typical Nigerian governor, after completing two tenures of eight years would still move ahead to the federal level to become a senator and enjoy the largesse of both an exgovernor and a current senator at the detriment of the poor masses.

Many still serve as ministers after several years of enjoying the largesse of a governor and senator.

The myth that some are born to be rich while others poor is noticeable in Nigerian politics.