RANDOM REFLECTIONS WITH PAUL INYANG

My father the late Knight Paul Inyang years ago told me to stay away from politics. Much to my chagrin I have at times ignored this advice to my detriment especially as it relates to commentary. He described politics as a game, akin to playing football in a ditch. Sooner or later one is bound to break an ankle or a leg, regardless of the joy that is felt by playing the game. I am inclined to believe that he was right given what is happening today in the Nigerian polity. It seems the stakes are higher than it ever was and some people are playing for keeps. You see in my father’s time political arguments though common was mostly verbal in nature. My recollection is that it did not end in a violent manner. 
I remember my father and his friends having vigorous loud discussions in our living room about the politics of his time and all the characters that governed the country in my childhood. I would hide behind closed doors and listen to their conversations until my mother would discover and shoo me away. Some of my fathers’ friends were; Chief. Dennis Udo-Inyang, knight, Sebastian Eyo, Mr. Obot (then Principal of Lutheran Secondary school Obot Idim), Chief. Mbang (my father’s mentor), Dr. E. E. Ekpenyong (of Afia Nsit a University lecturer at UNN) Mr. Ekpenyong (my father’s cousin) and Chief. Attah the father of the erstwhile former governor of Akwa Ibom State. As a child Mr. Obot was someone I admired tremendously. In my eyes he was a hard living man that was opinionated, fearless and spoke his mind eloquently. He loved his cigars, especially Mercedes Benz cars and always had a shot gun in the trunk of his car for protection. In retrospect he reminds me of the American pioneers who braved everything to help build their country and one of my childhood heroes. These were self made men of genuine integrity who would engage in political arguments and literally called themselves names while holding differing viewpoints at times but always ended up the best of friends. They believed in developing not only other human beings but also their community, country and laid down some of the very infrastructure that we currently use. 
Mr. E. E. Ekpenyong lost his life during the Biafran war. Mr. Obot, Chief Mbang and Mr. Ekpenyong lost their lives due to political violence; the first in my experience. There were others that died the same day for the same reason. This political violence was orchestrated by someone who perceived them to be possible rivals in anticipation of civilian rule and was executed by the so-called “Black Scorpion” Colonel Adekunle, who was then commander of the Third Marine Command of the Nigerian Army. The 60’s through the 70’s were very turbulent times and as a child I was intrigued by the unpredictability of the future. The Biafran war was mostly confusing and in my youthfulness even exciting to this writer and many of my age. However, life for me was always hopeful and my dreams were unrestrictedly filled with optimism; despite the war and all the subsequent military governments. Although many lost their lives during the war the most visible losses to me were those inflicted immediately after the war. 
Perhaps because I was and am definitely naïve, it never occurred to this writer that the political atmosphere would deteriorate to the point it has in the current dispensation. The atmosphere of politics in our country as indeed our state (AKS) has become toxic. Unlike the discourse that included occasional insults of my youth, it is lacking in vision, articulation of that vision, temperance, tolerance and most definitely decorum. It has become a metaphor for ethnic bigotry and divisiveness in a way that offends the spirit, senses and all that comes along with it. There has been no room for diversity of opinion and politicians have become so intolerant that they aim to squash all opposing views. There is no attempt to even understand the good intentions of any constructive view points. Perhaps because for a long time they have been used to operating with impunity and without accountability, politicians have missed the fact that the electorate appears to be catching up to them. They have put themselves up as the arbiter of all disputes and have not been shy to take actions that in many cases have led to unnecessary loss of lives either by omission or commission. There is no attempt to take responsibility for any negative actions fomented by their nefarious activities. Their underlings have taken it as a sign and permission to unleash mayhem on citizens many who are innocent and unprepared for the outcome of their activities. It is unclear to this writer how we got to this point and there are many explanations offered but the most vexing is that Nigeria is different from every other nation. We are supposed to be different because that is how we were created but we are not supposed to be unrecognizable.
Nations have been built on divergent views most of it oppositional in nature. Visionary leaders have always understood how to collate and use those views in formulating an action plan that majority of the people can support. If we say that we are practicing democracy; then we must accept that one of the critical tenets of this form of government is that there must be differing opinions. That the truth is somewhere between my views and yours and that no one is so right that they are an authority onto themselves. It also requires that we should be prepared to negotiate our way out of problem situations as opposed to imposing our views on other. It calls for us to accept that we must engage in doing the business of our electorate who are indeed wise enough to choose their leaders as well as tell them what they want. That security is nonnegotiable and is the number one responsibility of government. That government must respond to its citizens in a caring manner and ensure that it does not estrange them by being inaccessible.
Most would agree that people who have reached the apex of power have difficulty relinquishing it. There must be something so intoxicating about power that they have difficulty surrendering it consequently yielding to violence. This would be an apt description of our politicians. Power is not meant to be static—it is to be transferred. On reflection, our lack of action is in part due to our ambivalence about how we would handle a situation in which it seems all control rests in our hand. Such that we can make and unmake, at least so we think. The reality is different—power does not belong to us. One is not given power to wield dispassionately nor abuse indiscriminately. If blessed with such a gift it is to help make the lives of others and the world—yes our world better. Some are caught unawares and have developed aberrant destructive tendencies, which put not only their people but themselves ultimately in a bind. They neither fail to take responsibility for hurting so many nor attempt to make amends. Our lot is not much different from that of these perpetrators, as we all have a role in our world. We can choose to either be complainers or be active participants in restoring our desecrated universe. There should be recognition of the fact that we are all in the same boat sink or swim. Our fortunes are all tied together no matter who we think we are. We all will travel the same roads one day and will meet each other at our points of need.