Emerging globalization of NEPOTISM
"Nothing is so gentle as a man in his primitive state, when placed by nature at an equal distance from the stupidity of brutes and the fatal enlightenment of civil man."
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Jean- Jacques Rousseau the French Philosopher was at his rational best when he uttered those fine and refined words. But contemporary politicians have turned those words upside down through their misconducts.
There is now a new world political order that is taking shape from the Western developed societies to the so-called third World nations.
This trend can be summed up as the expanding frontiers of nepotism in top level political appointments.
In an incredible mix, both the United States of America, the South American poor country of Nicaragua and the notorious despotism going on in the African nation of Uganda have began to define the return to primitive human nature by World politicians.
Contrary to the notion by Bhola N. Roy that “Nature cannot act irregularly or capriciously,” the defining political episode of the appointment by political leaders of their wives, children or son-in-laws as Senior Advisors has shown that man’s primitive nature of selfishness has once more occupied the front burners of global conversations.
Nepotism has become the second nature of politicians in contemporary times beginning from our local terrains even up to international horizons but the difference between how both societies tolerate this evil of nepotism is that whereas in a place like the United States of America, the State institutions are strong enough to enforce the fundamental principles of transparency and accountability but in the third world nations, the idea of “bigmanism” and weak institutions means that nepotism directly weakens democracy.
For instance, President Muhammadu Buhari was once accused of appointing his nephews, nieces as cabinet level office holders in his government such as the aviation minister and his personal assistant, the Imo State governor Mr. Rochas Okorocha proudly parades his son-in-law as his Chief of Staff even as his wife reportedly controls four state ministries and the office of secretary to Imo State government.
In the Nigerian scenarios, there is a total absence of good governance just as the principles of transparency and accountability are strange in government offices which is the fundamental cause of the widening specters of poverty and crime in the Nigerian society.
In Nicaragua, the electorates were deceived by an unfortunate blackmail to an extent that a man and his wife have just been elected as the president and vice president.
Nicaragua elected a husband and wife as president and vice-president, with former Sandinista guerrilla Daniel Ortega winning a third consecutive term in the poor Central American nation.
Global reporters said Mr. Ortega, 70, and his supporters pushed constitutional changes through Congress that ended presidential term limits in 2014.
International reporters also said being a staunch Left-wing ally of Venezuela and Cuba, the Nicaraguan President is praised for poverty reduction but criticized for what is seen as attempting to install a family dynasty.
"Indeed, his wife, Rosario Murillo, has long played a powerful role in Mr. Ortega’s government – leading to comparisons with the Netflix television series House of Cards, in which Frank Underwood’s wife is as Machiavellian and politically-astute as her husband", according to www.telegraph.co.uk
The news reporters are saying that the 65-year-old Ms Murillo is the official government spokesman, preventing anyone else from speaking on behalf of the ruling authority. This is indeed an emerging banana republic.
Now this is how the powerful housewife dethroned traditional political allies of her husband.
Reporters said she clashed with members of her husband’s inner circle, side-lining them one by one and kicking them out of their offices in the presidential palace.
"And, in her brightly-hued dresses and loud jewellery, she became the most visible member of the government – appearing on state television and handing over pigs and tin rooves to Nicaragua’s poor".
In Imo state the governor's wife is seen giving out badly built accommodations to poor widows in a series of propaganda video shown on heavily commercialised documentaries paid with tax payers money. Imo is indeed the Nigerian version of Nicaragua.
BBC is reporting that the Ortegas effectively banned the opposition – several parties refused to participate – and prevented election monitors from observing Sunday’s vote.
But Mr. Ortega said the lack of international observers was a sign of progress, in a country whose 1980s civil war against US-backed Contra rebels cost 30,000 lives.
"Now it's us, the Nicaraguans, who decide, because we no longer have a single Yankee general here," said Mr. Ortega on Sunday, referring to years of US interference in the country's affairs."
Perhaps, Nicaragua proceeded with this charade upon the realization that the incoming President of the United States of America Mr. Donald Trump also has some issues with some of his top level appointments which is eroded by questions of nepotism.
President-elect Donald Trump named his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as one of his senior White House advisers, according to www.bbc.com .
The 35-year-old played a key role in the presidential campaign and his new White House job will cover both domestic and foreign policy.
Mr. Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is a property developer with a wide range of business interests.
Democrats immediately called for a review of the appointment, citing nepotism laws and potential conflicts.
Members of the House Judiciary Committee urged the Department of Justice and the Office of Government Ethics to step in.
Earlier, Mr. Trump hailed his son-in-law as a "tremendous asset" and he was proud to give him a "key leadership role" in the administration.
The New York businessman will be inaugurated as the 45th president on 20 January.
Members of Mr. Trump's team have argued that a law barring officials from giving government jobs to relatives does not apply to White House positions.
There are also federal ethics laws that mean government employees cannot profit from any businesses.
Mr Kushner's lawyer has said he would step down as boss of his family's real estate business if he took a White House job, and extricate himself from some of his assets.
Jamie Gorelick of law firm WilmerHale said Mr Kushner was committed to complying with federal ethics laws and had consulted with the Office of Government Ethics about what steps to take.
But unlike in America whereby there are institutional checks and balances, the African nation of Uganda which for over three decades has been under the Yoweiri Museiveni’s dictatorship does not care about checks and balances.
President Yoweri Museveni, of Uganda who took power through blood bath since 1986 has promoted his eldest son to become a special presidential adviser in a reshuffle of army commanders.
The BBC reports that Maj Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has risen rapidly within the military, fuelling speculation that he is being groomed to become president one day.
Analysts say his new role, working more closely with state house, will broaden his remit and experience. Mr Museveni, 72, is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Nearer to us in Equatorial Guinea, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo who has governed the small country since 1979, has appointed his son,Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue as vice-president.
In Angola, President Eduardo dos Santos appointed his daughter Isabel as the CEO of the country’s state owned oil firm, SONANGOL.
As aforementioned, political nepotism has wrecked the economy of most African nations and even such smaller political components like Imo State whereby the issue of nepotism is pronounced.
Imo State is so broke because resources meant to provide social services and pay pensioners are allegedly diverted to private accounts and because the Presidency is not free from the accusation of nepotism there is therefore no political will to stop Governor Okorocha from perpetrating this political evil of nepotism. Anti-graft agencies only chases after members of the opposition People's Democratic party.
In the Eastern neighboring country of Equatorial Guinea, nepotism has led to the bleeding by the son of the President of the resources of his country. As I write, he is standing trial in France for multiple charges of theft of public fund belonging to his country.
The following is how a French media www.france24.com reported the arraignment of this son of the dictator of Equatorial Guinea.
“Teodorin Obiang, the big-spending, hard-partying, car-crazy son of Equatorial Guinea’s longtime ruler, is due to face court on corruption charges four years after French police seized his multi-million-euro Paris mansion.”
“The 47-year-old, who was appointed vice-president of the oil-rich Central African country earlier this year, will be tried by a Paris court on a spate of charges including corruption, money-laundering and embezzlement of public funds, sources close to the investigation told AFP news agency on Wednesday.
“The charges were brought by Transparency International, an anti-corruption campaign group that alleges several African leaders and their relatives spent state funds from their countries on lavish purchases in France.”
“In July 2012, they ordered the seizure of Obiang’s vast Paris mansion in the chic 16th district. It featured gold-plated taps, a private gym, a spa and an in-house nightclub, and was reportedly worth more than 100 million euros.
It is a monumental shock that such primitive inclinations by politicians are coming up in the 21st century which has witnessed the phenomenal advancements in science, technology and enlightenment by members of the human race.
The best panacea to this emerging trend of nepotism is for the enlightened members of these affected countries to wake up from mental slavery and repossess their nations.
*Emmanuel Onwubikois the National Coordinator Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria and can be reached @ www.emmanuelonwubiko.com .