Conscience, according to the Webster Dictionary, is the “knowledge of right and wrong that affects action and behaviour, particularly the sense of guilt or virtue introduced by action”. Conscience is the state of man’s mind, it dictates the course of man’s actions, behaviour and response.
Happenings today reveal the seeming lack of conscience among Nigerians across the social ladder, both leaders and the led. It is the lack of conscience among leaders that results in widespread corruption and bad governance. Lack of conscience has led our youths into kidnapping, ritual killings, armed robbery, thuggery, etc.
In the face of all these, people have argued that most Nigerians have sealed their conscience. People with conscience will not go about using people for rituals, money-making at the expense of other people’s lives and still feel comfortable.
Our founding fathers were honest, conscientious and selfless. They had big hearts; they even set aside their tribal and religious affiliations for national and common good of Nigerians. This resulted in the country gaining independence on October 1, 1960.
Today, evidence of the selfless drive of the nationalists is still visible across the country. The establishment of the first television station in Africa – Western Nigerian Television Ibadan – the University College Ibadan, Cocoa House/Dome, the Nigerian Tribune, all in Ibadan, are the handiwork of the legendary Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the then Premier of Western Nigeria. He opened up the minds of the people to commerce and industry. At his death, no estate was traceable to him, he did not convert state funds to his personal business but rather established industries and other business ventures for the state with state funds. In all, Western Nigeria stood out clear from other regions because of a leader with conscience, good conscience. Ibadan today plays host to scores of federal agencies and multinational institutions.
What we have today is a rape of democracy. It is longer government of the people by the people and for the people. The people now have very little or no say in governance. Very few people gang up to decide who runs for or occupies one political position or the other. The very few also sit down to determine how the nation’s huge resources are shared. We no longer have statesmen but godfathers. Meritocracy has now been slaughtered on the altar of mediocrity. All we have or see today is a preponderance of white elephant projects that are hardly people-driven but politically motivated. Our present crop of political rulers are not only selfish but have sealed their conscience. Nigeria’s unemployment rate is about the worst in Africa. The country is the most naturally endowed country in Africa, the 6th world largest producer of crude oil, has the largest deposit of gold, limestone and bitumen, yet is the poverty headquarters of the world.
Key industries that successfully drove the nation’s economy in the First Republic are now moribund. All the steel rolling mills have long packed up. These industries if functional would have placed Nigeria in the front burner globally in steel production. The sale of the power sector is the greatest disservice of the ruling class to the masses of this country. A leader with conscience would not have embarked on this evil venture. The sale and privatization of the power sector has led to the collapse of many small businesses that solely rely on national power supply. Many multinational companies relocated their businesses from Nigeria. Many now operate in Ghana and South Africa where power supply is very stable. The high cost of goods and services is a fallout of the epileptic power supply and the high cost of production.
Lack of conscience makes politicians renege on their electioneering promises to the people. It is also lack of conscience that makes political leaders to use the youths and other people as thugs or tools to actualize their political dreams and then abandon them on assumption of office. It is equally lack of conscience that will make a child to use his own parents for money rituals. Many Nigerians have indeed lost their conscience. A young man with conscience should be able to remember how the mother carried him for good nine months in her womb, how she laboured to give birth to him and how she struggled to bring him up, send him to school and had sleepless nights to see him grow up. A man with good conscience will not be attracted to his daughter so much as to sleep with her. A man of good conscience will not take over or convert people’s money, especially that of pensioners, to himself while many often suffer and die without getting their gratuities.
This is a call for change of orientation. Let us have a change of mind and attitude. Let us check our conscience, be guided in our actions in order to secure a better future for ourselves and generations yet unborn.
