OPINION: Nigeria and its principal-agents are wahala

I tried explaining this to someone this past week, but the person wouldn’t believe it. I told them something very basic about democracy, citizens are supposed to be the bosses, and elected officials are supposed to work for them. However, in Nigeria, this idea is reversed.

The people who complain about politicians are the ones who actually pay them. The government doesn’t just create money. The salaries of presidents, governors, senators, ministers and thousands of political officials come from public funds. These funds come from taxes, VAT on everyday purchases, state oil revenues and other national resources. Simply put, Nigerians are the ones paying the bills.

However, listen to how many citizens talk about politicians. You hear things like, “Leave the governor alone,” or, “The president knows best,” as if these officials are doing the country a personal favor. Actually no. They are just doing the job they are supposed to do.

Even some officials reinforce this mindset. During the EndSARS protests in 2020, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai said his government would not negotiate with protesters, even if they demonstrated for months. Such statements give the impression that leaders view themselves as figures with authority and not as employees of the people.

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Similar remarks also emerged in Nyesom Wike’s comments when he argued that Nigerians were “lucky” to have a president who is tolerant of criticism and warned that under certain leaders, citizens “will not be lucky again.” Such statements subtly suggest that society should be grateful for self-control of power, rather than viewing criticism as a normal democratic right.

In many ways, this is also a problem of incomplete decolonization. Political independence is one thing, but decolonization of the mind is another. Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o argues in his book Decolonising the Mind that the colonial system shaped the way people think about authority and power. If society still views leaders as rulers and not as public servants, then the colonial mindset still exists.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has lost hundreds of billions of dollars to corruption since independence. These funds can be used to build schools, hospitals and reliable electricity.

So the real problem is not just corruption. This is also a civil understanding. When society realizes that powerful people are paid with state money, their relationship becomes clearer. Politicians are not bosses. They are employees of the Nigerian people.

By: Abidemi Adebamiwa