The sound of my country as the most populous black nation
in the world, largest producer of Crude Oil in Africa, second largest deposit
of Bitumen in the world, 2nd largest exporter of Cocoa, largest
exporter of Cassava and some many other encouraging pedigrees, paints the
picture of a very economically and politically stable country. Also as at when
Nigeria gained independence, we were foreseen to be one of the greatest
countries amongst the former British colonies, but with the prevailing
realities on ground, that projection is still a future to look up to. Growing
cases of corruption in diverse forms, bad leadership, increase level of poverty,
high mortality rates, and increased insecurity has bedevilled this nation,
leaving the developmental pedal on a standstill or, to be a bit generous, a
“snail speed”.
The level of corruption in the nation is alarming as the
canker has eaten deep into almost every facet of the nation’s fabric. Every day
we hear different types of manipulation, embezzling and doctoring of accounts.
Ethnicity and nepotism have beclouded the sense of reasoning, of choosing of
leaders and different people for different positions. Nigeria is ranked 139 out
of 176 countries in Transparency International 2012 perception index, tied with
Azerbaijan, Kenya, Nepal and Pakistan. The problems affecting this nation are
numerous, ranging from corruption to bad leadership, ethnicity, to nepotism e.t.c.,
but the focus of this piece is on the “who
you know” syndrome which can be tied to majority of the other problems
facing this great nation.
This issue of “who you know,” which could be expanded to
include nepotism, tribalism, ethnicity and favouritism, is one of the major
problems affecting this nation. And my
fear is that the younger generation are gradually being oriented to think that
it is the way the society is meant to be. From top government officials giving
appointments based on those with the longest leg (who know people),
defrauding merit and character, to teachers giving better grades to students
that are ‘closer’ to them instead of grading based on efforts, to elections,
even, into religious offices, to universities not adhering to the set rules for
admitting students, employing ethnic and religious bias in the process-some
schools quickly come to mind). The matters arising from this concept or, should
we term it practice, are so much, so numerous, that it is gradually becoming
the norm; the right way looking like the wrong way; because when you do not
participate, you are thought of as a fool. Hence, the ‘if you can’t beat them,
you join them’ formula is running rent-free in our public lives.
I
beg to emphasise that a country that runs on this concept will never develop
because, it, most times, will result in cases of round pegs in square holes in
the corridors of power. The right people for the Job will not get it and the wrong
people will not do it well; the consequence of it not done well spreads and
that is the beginning of a damning end. To be very realistic, the prevailing
situation in this nation fully supports the “who you know” syndrome but I will
like to inform that the best way for things to be done is working and making
decisions based on merit. Citizens of this nation should begin to work hard to
get results and not always try to want to cut corners; students should read to
pass and not know someone to pass; employment should be given to those that
seek jobs based on merit and not bias; government should employ the right
people for the right jobs; citizens of this nation should be ready to vote in
the right person to do a job and not look at political aspirants from the eye
of tribalism. The “who you know” syndrome has done more harm than good to this
nation and its citizens and should be highly discouraged.
However, it is one of those concepts that, when fuelled
with positive energy, can be used to enhance growth, but it must go along with
merit and equity. Dear Nigerians, let us strive to be the best we can be in
every ramification of our endeavours and not rely on ‘Long leg’. Let us come
together and make this nation great again; let the noise of our merits and
abilities wake up the sleeping giant, teach the young ones to work hard and not
look for short cuts....KICK “WHO
KNOW WHO SYNDROME” OUT OF NIGERIA
