Nigeria has been largely governed on personal experiments. People, who have had the opportunity to govern Nigeria, had had to employ “Good luck” as the chief cornerstone of their leadership formulations.

The British who ruled Nigeria bequeathed a wobbly statecraft, because Nigeria’s political architecture as contrived by them plunged Nigeria very early in her existence into a false start. 

The lop-sided concentration of the apparatus of power to the Northern part of the country may have accounted for Nigeria’s unfortunate evolution into a troubled political unit. Was this a chance “experiment” or a tactical Masterstroke orchestrated to give the British a perpetual hold on the Nigerian territory?

Succeeding leaders have gleaned from this pilot “experiment” to test their own experimental designs. In our fifty years existence as a nation, we have spun several political ideas- we moved from the parliamentary system of government to the presidential system. We have experimented with the multiparty system, two party system and quickly swung back to the Multi party system. We had also devised the “zoning formulae” as a possible remedy to the sectional agitations for political power.

Nigeria’s economic models equally have had a share of the same experimental permutations. We have seen the economic anatomy of the country subjected to all forms of shock treatments-Structural adjustment programme (SAP), Naira devaluation, Austerity Measure, Banking reforms…etc

Our historical records show that Nigeria is clearly a nation run on “experiments”. We have always, almost hinged the gigantic and delicate structures of governance on “Good luck”. 

“Good luck” is not a person but an unfounded belief system which seeks to rest the task and vision of nation building solely on the whims of personal and sectional “experiments”. 

 “Good luck” is more than just a name. It becomes the essential attitude, philosophy and mental framework of a people who chose the way of reckless hope, rather than the disciplined, well-informed, tested, painstaking path to nation building. 

“Good luck” becomes the lack of logic and intelligent considerations, absence of honest-intentions, lack of political will-power in national undertakings. “Good luck” is the distorted resonance, and social overtone of our traditional folktales spilling into Nigeria’s real life- How the Tortoise on borrowed feathers from the weaverbird flew into the sky to honour a meeting with “God”.

 It must have been sheer “Good luck” that made the Tortoise fall and crash in this ill-fated adventurous flight; losing his once smooth shell to the tragic impact he had upon landing on the hard earth, in his return flight.  America, Russia and lately china would not hinge their gigantic space Mission projects on the famed Tortoise tale-they may have not heard about this African tale, but great nations grow weary of strategies founded on “Good luck”.

“Good luck” now forms the broad theme of Nigeria’s hazardous experiments with important national undertakings.

How often do we draft “lucky” Nigerians, with little or no technical dexterity to man sufficiently technical Ministries and parastatals? We often wish them “Good luck”, while their relatives pray for their success. Who pays for the monumental loss of lives and material damages done in the process of forcing a misfit to perform a good feat?

What measure of “Good luck” can transform an indolent, incapacitated nominee meant to fill a ministerial quota that takes more than just a physical presence? What “luck” can account for that loss of material impact and value such a person could have brought to the nation, were he a good candidate?

There is nowhere in the world that “Good luck” fixes roads and maintains such roads even when corrupt   state officials had dip hands into  funds apportioned for such projects?

Do we need a “Good luck” for a clearly faulty airplane to convey precious lives safely, for a cheap party undertaking?

Do we need a “Good luck” to fight corruption while the ruling party and its chieftains are indicted characters in the most appalling corruption undertakings?

What has “Good luck” to do with the simple and easy task of asking governors to conduct ward elections in their constituencies and declaring the results in a democratic dispensation?

We have mistaken and misplaced the language of “Good luck”, a tool to disguise our age-long dispositions of conscienceless indifference to nation building.  “Good luck” is now an abiding excuse at doing nothing, planning for nothing, thinking of nothing and hoping something will happen.

In Lee Kuan Yew, Autobiographical memoir: “From Third World To First, The Singapore Story: 1965-2000)- He noted: “We cannot afford to forget that public order, personal security, economic and social progress, and prosperity are not the natural order of things, that they depend on ceaseless effort and attention from an honest and affective government that the people must elect”

Singapore with little or no natural resources stands tall in the annals of world history for wheeling out of servitude in such historic ascent, therefore willing itself to prosperity. How much “Good luck” went into that?

It was J.K Kennedy who laid the foundation of modern America. His carefully laid up Technology plan propelled the gigantic space exploration initiatives that later launched America into space-the scientific and economic benefits of that far-sighted innovative road map were bold, as they were impacting.

Nigeria sacked Ghanaian nationals many years ago in the sheer belief they constituted nuisance to Nigeria. They went away, put themselves together. They have since gained mileage in terms of good governance and political stability. They enjoy the civil and social rights of modern states. Nations do not emerge on the charter of “Good luck”. 

Ghana took the painstaking path of moral and political cleansing-purged its national psyche of stains and blemishes put on it by the failures and corruptions of its own people. Ghana’s revolution was a redemptive march with clear, predictable outcomes. Years on, Ghana had marched on, riding chest-high above its peers in modern developmental indices. 

Nigeria their former benefactor and host-gifted and blessed as ever, is still sprawling in manifest poverty.

Who then needs a “Good luck”?  Nigeria needs good works.

Steve Orji, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 08063963140