The (Old) Road toKigali was the title of some old pages of the press in Nigeria, when, at critical
times in history, unpatriotic writers preferred the darkest hours of Rwanda’sgenocide of 1994 to some challenges facing Nigeria then. Both countries are atdifferent times and conditions in their annals today even though Uhuru is still way ahead for both.Rwanda now shifts past its darkness to industrialisation and Nigeria trailsbehind – after having its own sheds of innocent bloods – travelling to a stageof its own mount to greatness to come, soon.I am back on the offensive today, not for the sakeof it, but to remind us about the possible path of destiny the God of Rwanda mayput Naija onto The (New) Road to Kigali. I have watched and reada number of afghanistanist’s campaign videos and pieces about the abuse ofdemocracy and prolonged stay in office by African leaders. They still cycle. Maybe they saw this coming. The new Rwanda, however, is a place every Africannation would want to travel.
Kigali is the main city of Rwanda where Paul Kagamelives as the President; where genocide happens and the results brings in Paul whostill lives, 25years now, and doing great things for the country. First, hechanges the orientation of the people and makes society’s dogma, abuse, hatredand indolence to tolerance, forgiveness, peace, love and hardwork.
The result is an amazing productive society, onethat has just manufactured its first car and first mobile phone. It createsjobs by the flourish of industries and development of human skills throughyouth empowerment, education, women liberty and empowerment and all that. Tenyears back, Paul is hated for all that angers many in Nigeria today. One ofthem is closing boarders and revives of institutions.
It is a process that begins with difficulty, enduresthrough the stages with hardship before it produces the wanted. Kagame did allthat with strained relations with the west, neighbours and internal resentsconflicts and cries. And he prevailed, alone, as one determined man. Today, noRwandan cares who is President again, today, tomorrow or next decade.
Those still counting him among the prolonged leaderswho do nothing for their countries are some Nigerians only, the minors of thecurrent socioeconomic system. They do it on purpose, and the purpose is, ifNigerians begin to see the good in ThisLevel, they will ask for AdvancedLevel. And that is normal in a human society. The man that marries yourmother is your father, for the food you eat now comes from his efforts.
The problem deceptivists have is that the ignoranceand gullible people of Nigeria are shifting faculties in thoughts for apositive posture, and the campaign of prolonged leadership in democracies andthe inclusion of Rwanda without care for the result of sustained leadership, isto counter the striking awareness PMB has brought home.
Democracy remains a means to an end, and whateverdemocratic studies and political scientists will say, with a good end, we canbypass some of the terms of democracy to get to it like Rwanda did. Theacademia and the pulpits in Nigeria fail the country. The ideas some bringforth countering the good policies they know for national consolidation, areshameful.
If it is ever said anywhere that rules have someexceptions, there is every reason to make exceptions to the democratic terms inoffice that only changes leadership in batonpass of recycled leaders who takeoffice only for the service of ego and socioeconomic status, and not for theenhancement of national productivity or changing the indices for nationalgrowth.
The supporters of the current system do know that ifwe know any good such leader next to the incumbency, none of us will even thinkso. All we see for five years is the denials of the good things that happen; disruptionof the process leading to more good and attitudes and behaviours that arevultures in wait for PMB to finish so they can take power back to the darkdays.
How can sucha long journey of construction of damages be just allowed to crumble for thesimple ambition of one man to be President and for their supporters to accesscheap, indolent economic status at the expense of, and to the detriment of themajority who sacrifices so much to get here? Justice is no more a cheat inNigeria. We know this by the number of times they tried and failed.
But then all that happened to Nigeria in the lastfive years has been the wish of the Almighty and not the decision of PresidentBuhari himself, nor the wish of his immense supporters and their votes. Nor wasit the prayer of those who wished anything Buhari did not happen, nor thatBuhari should not be here still, this year, this month, now. This why even ifhe breathes, it is a matter of public offence.
It is the will of the Majesty of God that prevailed,and it will stay as long as He wishes. What will be, will. Reason: the kind ofpeople we are and the disservice we do every day to the Nigerian society, evenwith the great signs that we witnessed half a decade past. Believe is relativebut what is prevalent is tangible and should be sensed by human senses andshould be acceptable.
Sotoday I am going to make it easy for you. If you know that Nigeria will begreat if it is meant to be, third term will be a matter of time. It doesn’t matterwhat anyone says or does. It doesn’t matter what happens. The decisionregarding public interest is not Nigerian, not with any one of us. It isdefinite something from God. Social science disagrees but it cannot counterthis in any way we know.
The good that is meant to be for Nigerians that bore all the brunt of human cruelty and those that lost blood and lives, from 1950 to date, for whatever reason, will certainly be the water that will clean the way for it to happen. Get ready for it with a prepared but submissive mind, or do your best to counter it if you can. But what will be, will.
Hassan Alhaji Hassan can be contacted on 08032829772/08050551220 (text only with full names and address)a[email protected]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
