Gaddafi and Nigeria

It’s no surprise that some Nigerians also celebrated the death of Muhamar Gaddafi, the ex-leader and tyrant of Libya. He won’t be forgotten easily both in Libya and the rest of the world. There are some people who think the dictator did more good than harm to the people of Libya. I look closely at the arguments of Nigerians concerning the dead dictator and all I can see is that this judgement is spread mostly across religious divide.

Gaddafi was said to have killed opposition and wasn’t ready to hand over power but to one of his sons. From all the negatives, I never for once read that he mismanaged or impoverished the people of Libya. When I read some of his achievements within the borders of Libya, including the assistance he provided to some African Countries in paying their debt, I was dumfounded. Libya had a big and good economy with one of the cheapest petrol. Electricity was provided for the people for free. He was a dictator and tyrant and his people and western world did not like that. Sincerely, I think there is an ulterior motive behind NATOs invasion.

I asked myself this question; which Nigerian leader in the past and present has achieved just a little of what Gaddafi achieved. Some have hailed the death of Gaddafi while others have condemned it. But we as Nigerians should reflect on it. Let’s just imagine if we could get just a little of those achievements. How much life would have been easy for us? Just to show how pathetic we are, we prefer a democracy that the only people who benefit from it are the political elites. There are other lessons to learn from his life and death. He ruled for more than forty years. Could he have believed he would die in such manner? This is a lesson to our leaders. One day, Nigerians will be fed up with all their ineptitude. Libyans had a better government under Gaddafi than Nigerian has ever had under anyone. If they can so no to him, then Nigerians too will one day revolt.

Gaddafi was brave and he said he’ll rather die for what he believed in. His final words was ‘do you know what is right or wrong?’. He may not know what is right or wrong, but do we Nigerians know what is right for us? Can we go to any length to fight for what is ours? Do our leaders possess passion to live and die for what they believe in? They’ll rather run out of the country than stay here to suffer like the masses.

I implore us all to sit and think about our lives; what we believe in; to what length can we go to fight corrupt leaders. Like some Lagosians will say’ even if Fashola is corrupt, they prefer his own corruption. I am sure those people will enjoy Gaddafi’s tyranny more.

Lest I forget, Gaddafi is dead and Libyans have enormous task of rebuilding and surpassing his achievement. But we Nigerians too should learn, think and act towards liberating ourselves from the shackles of insensitive government