30 May 2013
By Isa Ali Pantami
Politics is a game of principle, honesty, integrity
and ethics relatively in decent countries including
developing ones, but not in our darling Nigeria.
Politics and politicians have unfortunately catapulted
themselves to the position of drivers and advisers
that initiated the idea of creating holes on the floor
of our ship, as demonstrated in
the divine prophetic parable of sinking ship. I
tender my apology to very few sincere ones, perhaps if
at all they exist in the system.
I want to admit that, I am not a politician, I don't
practically know much about politics in the Nigerian
context and I'm not interested in knowing at all.
Elsewhere, what is more glaring and devastating is
that, I don't know a profession that is full of
professionals who fulfil all the characteristics and
signs of hypocrites aptly described by our infallible
Prophet like Nigerian politicians in the corridors of
power, particularly the companions of the largest, and
probably the most dangerous party in Africa.
Our beloved infallible Prophet (SAW) says: "The
signs of the hypocrite are three: (1) When he speaks,
he lies, (2) when he promises, he breaks his promise
and (3) when he is entrusted, he betrays the trust"
(Bukhaari and Muslim). In another tradition, he added
"Even if he prays and fasts and imagines that he
is a believer". You might agree with me that,
there is no profession that is full of these signs and
shameful characteristics like politics. Let's put
Nigerian politicians on this scale of hypocrisy and
discuss superficially.
First, when the hypocrite speaks, he lies. Telling
lies has become a fundamental pillar of politics in
Nigeria. Politicians always speak lies during their
electioneering campaign; they say their aim is to
emancipate Nigerians from our devastating situation
while absolutely not. They utter what they don't
believe in, and sometimes what is even impossible.
They speak only what they know people want to hear of
their challenges. They come on board without any
genuine vision and mission. Their mission is acquiring
mansions, while their vision is to live in this
temporary world forever, which is impossible, because
it had not happened to their predecessors- sincere
politicians who came before them. Politicians become
professional liars in spite of the fact that they are
being sworn-in by Judges carrying Glorious Qur'an or
Holy Bible according to their religions. When a
leader grows old by reaching forty years of age, as
most of them are by far above forty, and he continues
to perpetrate lies, definitely the gravity of his
punishment is beyond imagination. Abu-Hurayrah (RA)
reported from Allah's apostle: "there are three
classes of people to whom our Lord will not speak on
the Judgement Day, nor praise, nor look at, and theirs
will be a torment punishment: an Old Man who commits
Adultery, a Leader who lies and a Pauper who is
arrogant".
Second, when the hypocrite promises, he breaks his
promise. Politicians make promises during
electioneering campaigns; these include integrating
our schools and general educational systems in
addition to free education, rehabilitating our
hospitals, both in human personnel and infrastructure.
Portable drinking water will be at your door step if
elected, and fertiliser will be available beyond your
demand. However, modern politicians fail to realise
that all their agendas
are nothing but promises between them and the
electorate. And they never imagine fulfilling these
promises of 11-point agenda, 7-point agenda, 6-point
agenda and vision20:2020. However, honest Nigerians
have already forgotten all these agendas and visions,
because they have been shamefully converted to
promised-point "azaba" and the only
genuine agenda is how to survive, and the vision is
3-square meal daily. How many politicians in their
respective constituencies have fulfilled even thirty
percent of their promised-point agenda?
Third, when the hypocrite is entrusted, he betrays the
trust. Hmm, this will aptly be enunciated if we look
at how elected and appointed executive officers
ceremoniously consider government resources as booty.
They wantonly loot and spend without mercy. It is only
belongs to them, their families and their sycophants.
Believe me; they even forget that they will account
for it on Judgement Day. And any officer who loots a
needle from the public treasury will not enter
Paradise
and/or will not go to the Heavens. Our Infallible
Prophet (SAW) says: whoever is entrusted with
public responsibility and he steals a needle or
smaller that it, verily Allah (God) has made
Paradise prohibited for him and made Fire obligatory (Bukhaari
RH reported it).
These politicians are still the drivers of our sinking
Nigeria in the ocean of disaster and they are the evil
advisers of digging holes on the floor of our ship
that sails on high water(s) which has started sinking.
Our Lord has vindicated to us that, the punishment of
the hypocrites is more severe than that of the devil
himself. Our Lord says: "Verily, the hypocrites
will be in the lowest depths of the Fire; and no
helper will you find for them. Except those who repent
(from hypocrisy), do righteous good deeds, hold fast
to Allah (God), and purify their affairs..."
(Q4:145-146).
Repentance from hypocrisy is the step to be taken
firstly by Nigerian politicians in power and humbly
fulfil their covenants. Otherwise, no sincere and
incorruptible Nigerian will even like to go close to
politics, because so many people joined politics and
ended up loosing their reputation or compromising
their integrity or pulling out along the way.
Endangering the lives of our unemployed energetic
youths is another ugly legacy of Nigerian politicians,
these unfortunate youths have adopted various
evil-innovative nicknames, such as Kalare
in Gombe, Sara-Suka in Bauchi, Area
Boys in Lagos and Sokoto, Yan-Daba in
Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa, Kyauraye in
Katsina, Yan-Torore in Zamfara and
Ecomog in Borno to mention among others.
These youths always kill with impunity and they are
being killed in defence of their candidates or
officers, who send their kids to the most expensive
universities in the world from the public treasury or
looted resources.
Finally, may our Lord rehabilitate Nigerian
politicians spiritually, politically and
psychologically for the betterment of our dear
country. And may He rescue our sinking Nigeria from
criminal drivers and evil advisers, ameen.
Isa Ali Pantami,
PhD Candidate (Computing & IT) in the United Kingdom,
Lecturer, ATB University, Bauchi, Nigeria
E-mail:
isapantami@yahoo.com
This article was first sent to EsinIslam by the
writer, Brother Isa Ali Pantami on
08/04/1433H
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