During his first visit to Sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana to be precise) on Saturday, July 11, 2009, soon after his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama warned African political leaders against bad governance.

That address to the Speaker and members of Ghana’s House of Representatives at Accra clearly defined how the White House under Obama’s administration was henceforth going to relate with the various African governments. Apparently referring to the evils of dictatorial regimes, he told his audience that what Africa needed was not strong men but strong institutions, namely strong parliament, honest police, independent judiciary, independent press, vibrant private sector and a civil society.

He said, “We (America) have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don’t, and that is exactly what America will do”.  The President of the world’s richest and strongest nation as well as leading democracy, a man of excellence, who judges countries not by sentiment, size or wealth but by their performance using democratic practice as a yardstick, in July 2009 visited Ghana and Kenya but kept off from Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, our enormous human and material resources notwithstanding.  Reason was that Nigeria scored below the internationally accepted pass mark for credible elections, democratic governance and observance of rule of law. Nigerians felt slighted.

Last two weeks, Obama paid his second visit to Africa.  This time around, he was in Tanzania and South Africa but still did not regard Nigeria as qualified to host him.  The pertinent question now is: what is it that Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa have that Nigeria lacks to deserve this kind of treatment from the White House?

Obama’s refusal to visit Nigeria till date only points to the fact that the outside world regards us as paying mere lip service to democracy.  Our so-called democracy still falls grossly short of international standards. These days that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has turned the world into a global village, there is no iota of abuse of rule of law or bad governance taking place in Nigeria, or elsewhere for that matter, that is hidden from watchful eyes of the rest of the world.  Beginning with insecurity to life and property caused by the terrorist activities of the Boko Haram, the part played by our governments and their agencies in rigging elections, to the sweeping under the carpet of heinous crimes and acts of corruption in high places, the international communities are so much aware. Human rights abuses, extra judicial killings, kidnapping, corruption in government, bribery and nepotism are all under the gaze of the world as well.   All are captured by the outside world as soon as they occur.  Why then are we crying that Obama has continued to slight Nigeria by denying us his visit while he is hosted by our poorer sister countries?

It is obvious that our political leaders are corrupt, lack sense of value and shame, have refused to allow Nigeria turn a new leaf.  Rather than deliver dividends of democracy, such as infrastructural development and creating enabling atmosphere for investment, they are busy amassing money with which to contest the 2015 elections. Even the few projects going on are so fraught with corruption.

Why won’t Obama shun Nigeria when we cannot organize even a local government election without calling out soldiers from their barracks into the streets and villages?  Good governance is more than just holding elections, but is also about what happens between elections, as no country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy and enrich themselves. Our political class needs to get this into their heads.

We call upon our leaders to reshape the country into a lawful democracy characterized by good governance and sustained development by shunning corruption and putting the common good above selfish considerations.  This is the only way to attract an official visit from the American President.

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