The APC obscurantism — By Tochukwu Ezukanma
The Webster English Dictionary defines the word obscurantism as, “opposition to education and popular enlightenment…” Despite its lacklustre governance, the People Democratic Party (PDP) cannot be accused of obscurantism. For the most part, it searched out enlightened minds as its political candidates. Even our imperious, and sometimes, obnoxious baba, with Messianic affectation, Olusegun Obasanjo, is an aficionado of knowledge. With his deliberate edification, he levitated from a rough-hewn ex-soldier to a scholarly, world-acclaimed statesman. Dour and reticent, Umaru Yar’Adua, cut the image of an aggrieved high school teacher, but his education was not in doubt. The then emergent president, Goodluck Jonathan was homespun and uncouth; he looked like a marginally successful petty trader attired in his Sunday-best, but was adorned with an academic diadem: a doctorate degree.
On the other hand, the All People Congress (APC), in its choice of political candidates, has routinely demonstrated its hostility to education and enlightenment. The first APC president, Mohammadu Buhari, has no verifiable secondary school certificate. Then came the undecipherable enigma rapped in a riddle, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With his life teeming with question marks, no one can attest to his alma maters or academic qualifications. Most recently, in a glaring disdain for education and enlightenment, the APC foisted Monday Okpebholo on Edo State.
The power, influence and consequences of leadership are so enormous; they are actually all-encompassing. By their words and actions, leaders shape, and, even, define a state, people, country. They can bring about peace or war, poverty or prosperity, rule of law or anarchy, etc. It was the words of a leader, an arrogant and delusional narcissist, Donald Trump, that awakened the barbarism and viciousness of his supporters; and like Amazon bush fighters, they fenestrated decorum and every iota of propriety; and desecrated the ultimate citadel of American democracy, the US Capitol.
Similarly, following the 2015 presidential election, the words of a leader, Goodluck Jonathan, brought out the best in Nigerians; it engendered the triumph of the rule of law over barbarism. His words restrained his crestfallen, agitated and battle-ready supporters, and stunned his elated, but apprehensive opponents. And, inescapably, peace reigned in the vast scene of confusion, Nigeria, renowned for its dysfunction and anarchistic propensity.
Evidently, leadership is momentous. Therefore, we must paid sedulous attention to, and meticulously scrutinize, the qualities of men and women we elect to power in every stratum of government. Leadership is more of an art than science. There is therefore, no iron-clad rules and theories for leadership. However, there are some basic desiderata for it. They include a sense of mission, vision, courage, strong will and knowledge. However, it is knowledge that underpins and guarantees all the other qualities and attributes of good leadership. Without basic knowledge, a leader is rendered totally ineffective. As such, to finagle a totally ignorant man, Monday Okpebholo, on the people of Edo State in 21st Century Nigeria is criminal.
In his illiteracy (irrespective of his supposed academic qualifications), he lacks the basic knowledge of the English language. Thus, following his gubernatorial election victory, he could not give his acceptance speech. It was his cantankerous, imprudent and incendiary godfather, Adams Oshomole, who spoke for him. An acceptance or inaugural speech is important, because, with it, the newly elected official sets the moral tone for his administration, and defines its objectives and goals. Since, after the 1st Republic, the generality of the Nigerian politicians, engrossed in their ravenous, hedonic, muddled-up pettiness, lack intellectual depth and oratorical suave. Consequently, they are not known for articulating their thoughts and expressing them with penetrating lucidity.
However, although we do not expect Ciceronian oratory from them, as they win elections and assume offices, it still behooves them to address the people. Throughout the campaign, Okpebholo was shielded from speaking in public. On one occasion that he was mistakenly allowed to speak in public, he exposed his terrifying ignorance. He repeatedly told his audience: I know what you want. You want insecurity, I will give you insecurity. That a gubernatorial candidate, and now the governor-elect cannot discern between security and insecurity rends the heart.
Some might argue that lack of proficiency in English should not really matter; and should not be the grounds to disqualify a gubernatorial candidate. Well, in the Nigerian context, English is not just another foreign language, like French, Spanish, etc. It is the language of education, that is, the intellectual language of Nigeria. Thus educated and enlightened Nigerians unavoidably speak English. Moreover, English is the Nigerian our official language. All official and administrative documents: correspondences, memos, budgets, statutes, etc., are written in English.
Therefore, lack of basic knowledge of the English language is tantamount to illiteracy, which is demonstrative of the absence of the fundamental capacity to govern a state. Okpebholo is not even qualified to be a local government counsellor. To foist such a man on any state of Nigeria, under any pretext, is reprehensible and inexcusable; just downright criminality.
Tochukwu Ezukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
tezukanma@gmail.com
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