Nigeria is truly dire strait, but Abba Moro’s leadership quality represents hope by James Ibechi

Nigeria is in dire straits!

What is happening in the country is so tragic in its absurdity that all of us should be weeping.

Yet, here we are laughing away our sorrows. But what else is there to do in our tragic circumstance? Go into depression because of collective failure of leadership that borders on callousness? It would be double jeopardy.

So, what do we do? Laugh at the folly of the rulers of this country.

Take the issue of the palliatives provided by public-spirited Nigerians in the private sector which were stolen in some LG (Oju) and found somewhere in far flung Kano where they were on sale before police arrested their dealer.

Back in the state, the government is playing discordant musics. The governor, rattled by the outcry over the theft or looting of palliatives in Oju, set up a high profile probe committee to address the situation. The governor told the recent presidential briefing by Sen. George Akume the minister of intergovernmental affairs that all was well with the distribution of what he received as palliatives except in Oju and that he would mete out appropriate sanctions on the palliative offenders. He also briefed the minister that he handled the recent youth protest well, which I think is correct. But while the governor seems worried by the Oju grisly palliative situation and his probe panel is working to fish out the culprit(s), Madam Commissioner for information added a ludicrous new dimension to the whole shame that the Benue (Oju) palliatives in Kano were taken to that state by Wurukum market traders and that the items were their own share of the relief items meant for the poor people.

While this can be dismissed as barefaced lie, Madam is also guilty of contempt of the SSG–led probe panel which is yet to file its report of findings. There are a lot of variables in Madam’s press briefing that gives a lie to the new dimension of the palliative story in Benue, but to avoid contempt or prejudice of the probe committee there is less we can write for now.

But all tapers down to failure of leadership be it in some states or the country in general.

Elsewhere in Nigeria the failure of the system is glaring too. The palliatives are stacked away in secret warehouses all over the country.

So overwhelmed was one Nigerian at the quantum of food items kept away from abjectly poor, hungry Nigerians begging for the same food that all he could do was shout “see food ooo!”

Now, the most lucrative business in town is palliative hunting. Many Nigerians have become overnight palliative hunters. All that is needed to endanger any property in Nigeria, whether privately or government-owned, is to allege that such a facility is warehousing palliatives.

But most ludicrous is the excuse given by Nigerian governors for hoarding the food items. They claim that they hoarded them in anticipation of a possible second wave of COVID-19 epidemic. What a wonderful bunch of kind-hearted, benevolent and altruistic people our governors are. But of what use will palliatives be during the anticipated second wave if all the people die of hunger during the first wave? Did it ever occur to these governors that most of those food items are perishable? In any case, these items were donated by public-spirited Nigerians who appreciated that in a country classified as the poverty capital of the world, with over 80 million citizens living on less than $1 a day, the palliatives are lifesaving. Were they consulted before the governors took the decision to hoard?

There is much worry to write about the failure of Nigerian leaders at every turn. And certainly all not in this piece.

However, there seems to be one Senator, Abba Moro, of the Benue South who distinguishes himself in leadership. He is a man to watch by all Nigerians. I understand that he also has robust media aides who are very good at what they do. But it is first the Senator who has made the aides’ job easy by being a good leader in the first place.

Kudos to Senator Moro and all his aides. May the good God enthrone your kind of leadership in Benue and Nigeria at large.