Every citizen cannot but hope for a better and prosperous nation where justice, equity and fairness prevail. Nobody in his or her right senses curses his nation, prays for it’s downfall and expects fruitfulness. Nigeria is our country and we have no other. Yes, she deserves citizens’ loyalty, patriotism, meaningful contributions to nation building, honour and respect even in dire economic situation like this one on our hands. While fulfilling the above obligations, citizens should not sleep but hold government to account on unclear decisions on national issues. Nigeria as a country has to also play her fatherly/motherly roles adequately to earn this citizens’ loyalty. It is a two-way thing.Â
It must be re-emphasised that the crop of current Nigerian leaders are directly or indirectly the problem with the country. They know! Since 1999, some have rigged themselves into positions they cannot well occupy, very well-known political office holders have stolen funds meant for building critical infrastructures without facing the consequences. Economic policies of government are not driven in the interest of the state but meant to favour some people and friends of those in power. Many politicians are above the law. The law itself is weak and unfair. Politicians simply kill to occupy exalted political offices and in turn steal to fund their extravagant life style. The effect of this insensitivity to good governance has resulted to the untold hardship Nigerians are going through right now.
Nations gain the respect and admiration of her citizens when they are safe and happy. What respect does one expect citizens to accord a nation which carelessly announced economic policies resulting to galloping inflation, free-fall of the Naira and exponential increase in high cost of living? What respect and honour do you accord a nation where it’s police go after young men with dreadlocks, can kill the innocent but are unable to respond to a distress call? What respect do you accord a nation where professors assist politicians to rig elections and still blame their partners in crime for poor remuneration? Have you taken time to look at how judges made a mess of the judiciary with their recent cash and carry judgments?
When a country was deliberately wired to fail and leaders choose to intern it with nepotism, corruption like the one institutionalised during Buhari’s era and currently perfected by Tinubu, what do you expect? Since you and I were born, we have been hearing repeatedly that Nigeria will be better. What has changed? Anyways, someone had opined that, if they tell you that Nigeria will be better, ask them when? The right answers to Nigerian problems can ordinarily be found in accountability, probity and excellent leadership. It is a waste of time to vainly motivate, give false hope and gullibly dwell in prayers for Nigeria to succeed. The above approaches can hardly work and it never worked anywhere in the world. What did it take other nations to pull through periods of grave difficulties? Nigeria as a country has not shown zeal or determination to make a difference in leadership style.
An average Nigerian does not think his country has treated him fairly. Peoples’ views regarding the set of leaders at the helm of affairs, how they came on board, how they manage our fault lines and diversity is another issue. Majority of Nigerian leaders are the very unpatriotic who always preach what they have failed to do time and time again. Once they occupy position of authority, they take up the new garb of patriotism forgetting the faulty processes that brought them to power. All they expect is submission from citizens in the name of respect for constituted authority and running a semblance of democracy. But they cannot gain the measure of support they angle for with the level of cluelessness and suffering they have imposed on the land over the years.
Suffering in the face of plenty has woken people up. Many now speak angrily-publicly against the recklessness and failures of the state. These people are the most patriotic who should not be demonised. They want a change for the best while hoping that government should take a cue from issues raised to correct, re-evaluate actions and decisions to further improve on the lives of the people. Often times government sees criticisms as an affront to the constituted authority. They wield the big stick and concort all forms of lies against ardent critics instead of taking a cursory look at issues raised to find answers. The Security agencies are instructed to deal decisively with those they feel are threats as they surreptitiously find ways to gag dissents. State owned media routinely join the fray to sing government praises while poor citizens are paid peanuts to sacrifice their tomorrow for instant daily bread in the name of dignifying those in government and non-existent achievements.
Many nations will cease to remain in one piece if they go through the level of hardship and the ugly leadership’ experience Nigerians have been faced with since 2015. Bandits and kidnappers have taken over ungoverned spaces in the country causing untold hardship. Citizens are living in fear, have been slaughtered on a daily basis while what government could only do is to issues statements without concrete action to save lives. This is happening since 2015 under a government whose major responsibility is to secure the lives and property of citizens.
Offering ridiculous palliative measures, promises for better days ahead and admonition to be patient are citizens’ reward provided by government as panacea for national crisis? Let those in authority who feel insulated from the shock their policies inflict on the masses be told that, the broken, non-functional social system will find and expose them to danger if something urgent is not done to stem the ugly tide. Telling lies and manipulating the citizens against those who are critical of the critical situation or attempting to gaslight them for being unpatriotic will fail.
Major efforts aimed at redeeming Nigeria stops at the table of political leaders, legislators, ministers, governors – nay Tinubu. It is only when they have sufficiently-sincerely played their path that they can now turn to citizens for loyalty. The sky is very dark and cloudy as well. There is uncertainty, hunger and angst everywhere. Nigeria is rich and citizens deserve better than what government could offer. People are tired of bad governance, the unending lies, pretences and antics of politicians. Obviously, Nigeria is in distress and slowly sliding into anarchy. It is the responsibility of government to take the right steps, make right decisions and put right economic measures in place for the good of the people.
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, a Media and Development Communications Specialist writes via sunnyeze02@yahoo.com, and can be reached on 08060901201
