No permanent enemy, no permanent friend, but permanent interests has permeated the psyche of most politicians who now change colours like chameleons and without personal principles or party ideology.

But whose interest are these politicians fighting to protect or attain? Most of these politicians don’t base their career on principles, ethics and manifestoes of political parties, nor even have regard to human lives lost in defense of their political interest by the less privileged.

One wonders where the slogan got its origin as it has succeeded in corrupting the definition of politics and democracy in the minds of the greatest number of Nigerians, who now see politics as a curse and a channel through which one can reach the national treasury termed “National Cake” to take their share.

This is the most wicked and vicious thing that the leaders of a country would do to their nation. For what purpose was this unwritten and unauthorized postulation institutionalized in the sub-conscience of most Nigerians?

To the best of my knowledge such slogan is never found in the Holy Scripture or postulations of Karl Marx, Azikiwe and Mandela. Neither found in Political Science nor the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended nor in any of the Electoral Acts.

It is a fact that great leaders mould and sharpen the psyche and thinking of their subjects and fashion them to fit into the frame of a progressive vision of a society whose collective interest is placed any individual’s just as John F. Kennedy of America said, “Think not of what your country will do for you, think of what you will do for your country.”

This fact is not in the minds of Nigerians, they prefer; think of what your country will do for you, and not what you will do for your country. The average Nigerian on the street will tell you that if they happen to be in the corridor of power, they will fetch the slices of their share of the national cake. There is much lip service and cry of patriotism, impunity in the execution of unpatriotic project in Nigeria today is the in thing.

Our situation is so bad that it can be likened to a man running away from a lion that reached the bank of a river but saw two twined vine plants that went down the river and quickly climbed it for a chance and went down. Only to get close to the river to see a huge crocodile with its mouth wide opened and ready to feast on him. He then helplessly and quickly climbed up and hanged at the centre of the vine and again was confronted by the lion waiting for him at the river bank and the crocodile in the river. While hanging between the crocodile and the lion two biting mice came chewing the fragile vine upon which the distressed man was hanging, that describes the helplessness of the Nigerian masses.

Kennedy’s postulation is really working for America and it has greatly contributed in making it a super power today. This agrees with Zik’s position on patriotism, he posits “the existence of a state depends on the goodwill of the people for the state, just as the existence of the people depends on the goodwill of the state
The abridged seven commandments of the animals in George Orwell’s book, Animal Farm, which propounded that”All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” clearly paints a picture of the Nigerian situation.

The desperation to cut from the “national cake” has bastardized democratic norms in the country and any person that calls for a military coup is seen as “one eyed Sunday” an enemy, outcast, disgruntled and unpatriotic element. Severally we hear the politicians using America as an example, saying it took Americans 200 years to attain their status quo unlike Nigeria whose foundation after independence was laid on Vander Waal’s force, the founding fathers of America laid the foundation of America on collective interest with priority given to the nation rather than any individual or summarized group of interest.

While the likes of Nelson Mandela viewed freedom of South Africa as a sovereign nation with many responsibilities, Nigerian politicians see our nationhood as avenue for sectional or better still some parochial interests. Mandela once said: “I have travelled that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that, after climbing a great hill, one finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious visa that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.

One wonders where the slogan got its origin as it has succeeded in corrupting the definition of politics and democracy in the minds of the greatest number of Nigerians, who now see politics as a curse and a channel through which one can reach the national treasury termed “National Cake” to take their share.

This is the most wicked and vicious thing that the leaders of a country would do to their nation. For what purpose was this unwritten and unauthorized postulation institutionalized in the sub-conscience of most Nigerians?

To the best of my knowledge such slogan is never found in the Holy Scripture or postulations of Karl Marx, Azikiwe and Mandela. Neither found in Political Science nor the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended nor in any of the Electoral Acts.

It is a fact that great leaders mould and sharpen the psyche and thinking of their subjects and fashion them to fit into the frame of a progressive vision of a society whose collective interest is placed any individual’s just as John F. Kennedy of America said, “Think not of what your country will do for you, think of what you will do for your country.”

This fact is not in the minds of Nigerians, they prefer; think of what your country will do for you, and not what you will do for your country. The average Nigerian on the street will tell you that if they happen to be in the corridor of power, they will fetch the slices of their share of the national cake. There is much lip service and cry of patriotism, impunity in the execution of unpatriotic project in Nigeria today is the in thing.

Our situation is so bad that it can be likened to a man running away from a lion that reached the bank of a river but saw two twined vine plants that went down the river and quickly climbed it for a chance and went down. Only to get close to the river to see a huge crocodile with its mouth wide opened and ready to feast on him. He then helplessly and quickly climbed up and hanged at the centre of the vine and again was confronted by the lion waiting for him at the river bank and the crocodile in the river. While hanging between the crocodile and the lion two biting mice came chewing the fragile vine upon which the distressed man was hanging, that describes the helplessness of the Nigerian masses.

Kennedy’s postulation is really working for America and it has greatly contributed in making it a super power today.

This agrees with Zik’s position on patriotism, he posits “the existence of a state depends on the goodwill of the people for the state, just as the existence of the people depends on the goodwill of the state
The abridged seven commandments of the animals in George Orwell’s book, Animal Farm, which propounded that”All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” clearly paints a picture of the Nigerian situation.

The desperation to cut from the “national cake” has bastardized democratic norms in the country and any person that calls for a military coup is seen as “one eyed Sunday” an enemy, outcast, disgruntled and unpatriotic element. Severally we hear the politicians using America as an example, saying it took Americans 200 years to attain their status quo unlike Nigeria whose foundation after independence was laid on Vander Waal’s force, the founding fathers of America laid the foundation of America on collective interest with priority given to the nation rather than any individual or summarized group of interest.

While the likes of Nelson Mandela viewed freedom of South Africa as a sovereign nation with many responsibilities, Nigerian politicians see our nationhood as avenue for sectional or better still some parochial interests.

Mandela once said: “I have travelled that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that, after climbing a great hill, one finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious visa that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.

Dr Mrs Nkemdi C. Mordi Kenneth