By Talemoh Wycliffe Dah
PROF IBRAHIM GAMBARI: A PATRIOT WITH RARE OPPORTUNITY
You were born there. You saw it all. For seven and a half decades you witnessed everything and for the same length of time you loved some of the things, hated many and wished they were otherwise. You saw the wished ‘otherwise’ in other climes and have some of them in the gutters of your cerebral gyri. You thought your sun was setting so you set up a tool to use to influence things from the sidelines not to assuage your not- so- much- of- a- guilt feeling but to feel you at least did something. Then, remote from a touted list, you emerged as one to have the king’s ear, be his confidant and, by what you’re your predecessor did to the seat, be the ultimate censor of happenings; so chosen because of your track record, experience and integrity.
You came at a time when your taste buds for distractions are dead. So ‘bottom power’ is powerless, gold is tinsel, bigotry is loathsome and material acquisition is foolish to you. You’ve learnt to ignore or forgive both your enemies and flatterers. You have no godfathers. You do not owe any electorates the fulfilment of any campaign promises. You were not chosen to represent any group, tribe or religion. You know you were not brought to be helped but to help.
You know where your mother gave birth to you (forgive and ignore my insolence). It was a medical facility because of your royal privilege. By now you expect all new borns to become Nigerians by being born the same way but not all are delivered safely in facilities. You’ve found appalling the state of health facilities and have been somehow scared what will happen to you should you need care after you returned from New York. You have wished they were like those in New York.
You went through the educational system. Now you have noticed that your elementary school is better than the elementary schools of today in spite of their generational mutual remoteness. You wish our educational system is better than what it is. You probably have asked the question why it is only people like you who have had a stint at learning at universities abroad that seem to have better opportunities. The rest feel inferior and are seen as such. The place of our universities in world ratings makes you frown.
Other sundry infrastructural deficiencies have ached your heart. You have spent executive time waiting for delayed flights. You have wondered why roads seem to be smoother half a century ago than now. How many times have your online meetings been interrupted while you were in Nigeria because of power failure or internet fluctuation? You have felt people will not understand you but rather accused you that you were part of the problem so you have kept mute instead of venting your frustrations.
Corruption in our country was your point of shame when you oversaw international meetings. Other countries will officially complain and you have to adjudicate over it, giving your own land her rightful blame, only to get to your house and muse about how bad the day was for you. You are one of the people who first saw reports on corruption indices and you have always been disappointed at the position we occupy. When you listen to our budget estimates you always know that the bulk of the money will go down the stinking drain of graft. You have been pained that despite our multiplicity of anti-graft agencies we are still the same.
You have had agitations for restructuring of the country and are worried that the calls are because of selfish reasons, both of the agitators and because of the actions of those in power. Why our diversities cannot breed glorious variety that will propel the nation forward is what you cannot understand.
You have seen conflicts, violence, crime and criminality distributed in every nation but have not seen any nation where they are so concentrated as in ours. You’ve wondered why simple solutions are not applied to solve them but rather you often hear of government complicity instead.
The untapped potentials of our human and physical geography have not ceased to surprise you. You have felt the energy of our youth could be tapped for progress but rather they are used for conflicts and are prey to social ills. You know we could export so many things but rather we import even our food. Our unmined mineral resources have made your heart beat fast, knowing that sooner or later the world may not need them.
It has been a thing of grave concern to you that the seeming good intentions of your principal never got translated into reality. Knowing some of the reasons, you have probably wished things were done differently, but have not been able to express your feelings because your higher sense of responsibility will not allow you. Like you, some of us feel that your principal would have been exasperated and frustrated by now, seeing that all his efforts are being frustrated by none else but people in his company.
Sir, your opportunity is rare and unparalleled. With no fear (except for God Almighty), use your position to help right things as much as possible. Sing nationalistic tunes to this ear that you have. Let every discussion be channeled at finding the right solutions. Advise, discuss and make him dream of every good thing for the country. Block every bad thing as much as possible. Bring to his notice every scent of good as well as every odour of bad ideas, moves and intentions.
Bring out the Buhari of the 80’s out of him. Make him realise that systems fight corruption not just looking backwards at looters. Strengthen every system and make them nearly corruption-proof. Nigerians are ready and eager to be led to do the right thing. Make him hold people he put in position accountable. Let him periodically point the searchlight on ministries, agencies and organisations so that everybody knows his turn will come.
With genuine intentions you will attract God’s help in terms of wisdom, good health, strength, favour with men; and for your principal, protection and direction. Our hope has been reignited with your appointment.
▪ Dah, an Abuja-based medical practitioner, sent this via WhatsApp