One Government agency acquiesced on its Rights and Responsibilities, and another agency, least connected with issues of public health, rose to the occasion and surmounted the emerging challenges unsolicited. Those involved took the unexpected actions, not to line their pockets with public funds, but in the pursuit of happiness and for the survival of their beloved nation-state.
Today, the State of Israel remains economically strong, military impregnable, and technologically superior to its neighboring countries for obvious reasons. To every Israeli at home and abroad, the nation of Israel comes first and the interests of the country supersede those of individuals, tribes, or religion. All the intelligence agencies are headed by the best and the brightest, not whether they espouse Orthodox, Reformed, or Conservative Judaism. The attached story by the New York Times will blow your mind.
A few years ago, in my country of birth (Nigeria), we forcefully retired some of the finest Police Officers within the force, just to create an opportunity for the appointment of Ibrahim Kpotun Idris from Niger State to lead the Police Force. And the outcome was an unmitigated disaster.
In a similar fashion, more than a decade ago, when the Nigerian Inspector General of Police (IGP) retired, the next four Officers in line to step into the position of the IGP were from the same state - Bendel State. Of these four Officers, three happened to be Lawyers. And two out of the three Lawyers happened to have LL.M (Masters degree in Law). And the third one has an LLB.
The non-lawyer among them was Chris Omeben, the no-nonsense and irrepressible light-skin crack detective from Esan (Ishan) tribe. These four Officers were not just well-trained and well-educated, they have unblemished record and they were prepared to lead. For instance, Chris Omeben was the first Divisional Crime Officer in the Police Force and was the AIG Research and the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Federal Criminal and Investigation Department (FCID).
Unfortunately, the four of them possess one distinctive DISQUALIFYING credential - INTIMIDATING personality. The Military Boys leading the country at the time, won't have any of it. The action they took will astound you. They retired the four officers and appointed Mr. Aliyu Attah, a gentleman with a lower rank and nondescript credentials from the present Adamawa State as the new IGP. And that is the history of our Police Force and our Intelligence Agencies.
In Nigeria, it is not about your training, your background, your fit for the job, or your ability to lead, but your tribe and your religion override all other considerations. Above all, you must not be the type readily disposed to standing your ground on very important national issues and ready to quit or resign if disrespected.
Today, at the executive branch of government in Nigeria, we are confronted by a disturbing reality or conspiracy of silence; no Minister has the audacity to face the press or take questions without first, taking orders from the President. No moral voice from the citadel of power to lead and inspire hope and confidence as the global cases of coronavirus infection approaches two million.
In spite of the strident demands for investigation regarding the disappearance of the public funds voted for Aso Rock Clinic in the last five years, the Presidency remains unruffled. No arrest has been made and no one is on the record being called upon to give an account. Right now, whether you are low-key, irrepressible, flamboyant, or garrulous, we are in the same corona mess together.
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