Who are those responsible when are a country goes FRANTICALLY CORRUPT and who are the casualties?
In order to address the greed AND the intoxicating effect of power and guarantee true followership, political analysts have come up with different forms of government. In all, democracy appears to be the most suitable system that will be called a soothing balm to oppressed souls. It is commonly defined as a government of the people, by the people and for the people.Howbeit, even in democracy is corruption and deprivation found. There appears to be a problem still. According to Lord Acton,“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
It becomes easy to point accusing fingers to the culprits of a failed system-the leaders. But then, there are the accomplices which we most often forget to accuse as well or apportion blames to-the followers. In the designing of democracy, are checks and balances put in place, and the separation of power. Power is shared among the leaders and the followers. This is so because the followers have power on their leaders just as their leaders have same on them. The power and strength of the followers lie in their choice and decision of who to vote for on the day of election which ideally would have been a Judgment Day for leaders who failed in their first term in office but wished to assume office the second time.
THE EDITORIAL: THE BEAUTY AND BURDEN OF DEMOCRACY
Also, it would have also been a day to reward great ideas and performances over the years of individuals who would want to assume office in other to be in a better position to carry on with their help to the people. Why then is this not so in Nigerian and Africa in general? Why do we in most cases, especially keep having a continuum of failed and power drunk leaders? Why does the failed system of government keep recurring? The answer is not far-fetched, as there are wicked leaders who capitalize on the weaknesses of morally retarded electorate.
So, the craftiness of the leaders and the gullibility of the followers give birth to vote buying and selling, the purchase of truth and justice as cheap commodities, preferential treatments of politicians and their family members, the all too obvious senseless looting of public funds, which all sum up to make a failed system.
Who then suffer in all of these? Who are the casualties? The casualties of a failed system are not only the poor little children who die of starvation and diseases. They are not only those who cannot afford quality education, healthcare and three square meals for themselves and their children. They are not only the innocent ones who are forgotten in the dungeon for a crime they know nothing about. They are not only the hungry petty street thieves who are mobbed and lynched because they stole cups of garri and cubes of sugar. They are not only those who die in the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in their anxious strive for greener pastures. They are not only the poor citizens who are repeatedly denied visa abroad because they are victims of circumstances. They are not only our brothers and sisters abroad who cannot for shame publicly say they are Nigerians because of the nefarious attitude their country is tagged with. They are not only those who fold their arms and watch evil prevails.
The casualties of a failed system are also the greedy leaders and their children who cannot freely live among their people because of the insecurity their voracious gulping of public funds have created. They are those who will on their deathbeds take a stock of their lives and the State of the country before and after they came him to champion its affairs, and despite the ill-gotten wealth they have amassed over the years regrettably say, “I have not lived.” They are those whose evil will ever hunt even to their graves; because of those they have caused their untimely deaths, whose tears and blood continually call out for justice. A popular Nigerian music artiste sang in one of his songs: One day bush meat go catch the hunter. We are all casualties of a failed system.