Politics and Morality

POLITICS AND MORALITY

Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant human and material resources, which has given it a competitive advantage over other African countries.  Despite its fortune, Nigerians have never enjoyed the wealth of its land because of the continuous circle of unrefined leaders that has held its economy in hostage for many years now. There is a missing link in Nigerian politics and governance which our leaders are taken for granted and until it is acknowledged and practiced in Nigerian politics, Nigeria will remain underdeveloped.

The statement “There is no morality in politics or governance” has become the philosophy guiding the Nigerian politicians. The above statement was made by the former governor of Rivers State; Rotimi Amaechi and was reported by Daily Post on November 4, 2014. Former Governor of Niger State; Muazu Babangida Aliyu made the same statement and it was reported by Naira Land on January 7, 2015. As if that was not enough, Malam Garba Shehu in a recent interview with channels T.V. on August 15, 2017 said again that there is no morality in politics. This singular statement has described the political atmosphere in Nigeria. No wonder people always say that politics is a dirty game. The zoo is let loose and wild animals have responded to freedom. Immorality has become the norm or culture of politics. We are defined by what we say, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. One of the things that distinguish human beings from animals is that humans are moral beings while animals are not. Animals have no shame; they eat anywhere, excrete anywhere at any time, they behave anyhow, etc. Come to think of it, some trained domestic animals even follow certain rules of conduct. If there is no morality in politics, it means that the political institution is an animal kingdom. Nigerians are tired of cannibalistic governance. There is need to sweep out the animals and sanitize the political environment so that the nation can breathe some fresh air.

Politics can be defined as the activities associated with the governance of a country or area. It has to do with distribution of power and resources, and management of resources. On the other hand, morality can be defined as conformance to a recognized code, doctrine or system of rules of what is right or wrong, and to behave accordingly. Judging by the above definitions, it is obvious that morality and politics are inseparable because a leader ought to lead by example and not make rules against bribery, killing, etc., only to be exempted from such rules. Immorality, the opposite of morality can be described as the quality of not being in accord with standards of right or good conduct. Acts like stealing, cheating, killing of fellow human beings, etc. are considered immoral. This is to say that majority of our leaders who believe that there is no morality in politics are actually liars, cheaters, killers, thieves, etc. To think that they even say it boldly on air should give us the clue that they not only believe what they say but want to impose the idea on their subjects and convert every one of us to animals.

The basis for Nigerian politics and governance is greed and selfishness and that is why only greedy and selfish people clamor for it. Peradventure Nigeria is one day favored to have a strong willed intellectual or refined leader as a president, who will bring morality to Nigerian politics at all costs, I bet you, majority of our today’s leaders will back out of politics because their motivating factors: cheating, stealing, killing, bribery, etc. must have been removed.

In his statement as reported by Daily Post of November 4, 2014, Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi also advised those seeking to find goodness or morality in politics and governance to look the way of churches instead. Moreover, in addition to his statement as reported by Naira Land on January 7, 2015, former Niger State Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu said that politics is all about lying and cannot be the way it used to be. He said that anybody who is talking about honesty or morals should become an Imam or Pastor, and that anybody who cannot lie has no place in politics. It is obvious that our present leaders and politicians cannot bring positive change because they don’t even belief that anything good can happen or come out of the political institution. They have concluded that political institution is an immoral place because they are mentally poor and cannot fight immorality, which has become a political canker worm. It is that serious. Immorality is an infectious virus and it is spreading fast. I plead with our today’s leaders to please back off before every Nigeria contacts the virus.

An Italian political thinker of the fifteenth century, Nicolo Machiavelli advised leaders to ignore morality if they want to be successful politicians. He said that the most important thing in politics is to grab power by all means; fair or foul, and retain it by all means. There is no doubt that Nigerian leaders derived their political ideology from that of Nicolo Machiavelli. Must we copy what is wrong? It is obvious that politics without morality is not working for us, so why can’t our leaders try it the other way round. All developed countries have political institution that developed them. If there is no morality in the politics and governance of America and other developed and progressing countries, then, Nigerian leaders should please adopt their own version of immorality that brought them growth and development.

Nigeria is tired of greedy and selfish leaders who don’t even believe that political or governance activities can be done without cheating, bribery, killing, etc. If our present leaders and political godfathers cannot address their immoral lifestyle, if they cannot discipline themselves for the growth and development of their own father’s land, if it seems difficult for them, then let them all step aside for the disciplined intellectuals to take over. If they are so overpowered by immorality and are helpless, we can understand, but they should please let others come in and change things.

I do not blame a group of people that has described Nigeria as a zoo. Their only mistake is that they generalized it. From my own point of view, based on the belief and comments of our political leaders and opinions of some intellectuals and professionals that has been interviewed at one time or the other, Nigeria is not a zoo but its political institution is. There are still men and women of integrity who can take this country to an enviable height. But they shy away from politics to save their heads from hungry, wild animals. The agitations from different groups are enough indication that everything is wrong with our political institution. The citizens are only yearning for a habitable Nigeria. Their yearnings should not be called hate speeches or be neglected and swept under the carpet. Enough is enough!

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi