A MODEST PROPOSAL
By Osayande Aghaze
Yes, is possible to end stop Nigerian’s greedy politicians from looting Nigerians’ future for their self centered gains in 90 Days. You may wonder how, well my solution is effective, cheap to implement, and self sustainable. In fact, this ultimate solution is notonly guarantee to end corruption amongst our politicians, but also can discourage greedy politicians from ever running for office.
Religion in Nigeria and throughout Africa constitutes an inextricable part of the entire society. As such, political and socio-economic activities are often flavored with religious expressions and rituals. But whilst Africans are steeped in religiosity, corruption amongst African politicians are routine, and in almost all cases, there are no accountability nor any deterrence. Thus poverty and corruption are rife on the continent, in spite of its religious fervor.
Some have argued that Christianity and Islam have contributed to the culture of corruption in Africa, as pastors and other religious leaders developed their own web of exploitation, thus givenimpetus to poverty and more corruption on the continent.
My ultimate solution draws it strength from pre-colonial Africa. By using the concept of African spirituality and practices as a means of holding corrupt politicians accountable, Africans will be using authentic African solution for African problems.
So going forward, all Nigerian politicians within the next 90 days will be summoned before our traditional elders to take an oat at every ancestral shrine located at each state and localities. Our senators, ministers and governors will all be summoned to take this simple buy yet most effective oath before our traditional elders and in the presence of God and our ancestors. This traditional oath taking ceremony shall henceforth be part of the swearing in ceremony for any position in Nigeria that involves the administration of public funds.
Presently, police arrest, and the Kangaroo court systems have failed and will never deter our greedy Nigerian politicians. The only true oath that demand for immediate atonement and has been proven to deter corruption and ill vice in Africa is African spirituality. If this modest proposition is implemented effectively, it will open a new chapter of accountability that will no doubt contribute to moral, socio-political and economic transformation in Africa.
Now. I can see some Nigerian politicians’ wife trembling, because they know that African-ancestral oaths are real, effective, and in most cases does not only punish the thief, but its entire family and generations. So I hope that you will put your current religion aside, and let’s adopt for once an African solution to Africa’s problem. In fact, the use of traditional oath taking ceremony is not strange in Nigeria. Many cultures and communities in Nigeria use the medium of traditional oaths to deal with criminality in society as evident by the recent King-Oba of Benin’s intervention to stop human trafficking. At this juncture, all options to stop corruption in Nigeria has failed, and its obvious that this wanton act of corruptions are not sustainable. So this simple and most promising solution may just beAfrica’s last hope.
