When one is dissatisfied, it is only natural that he seeks satisfaction. It is not out place to criticize and demand better governance in a society where nothing seems to be working. In fact, criticism is very necessary for development because the greatest threat to freedom and development is the absence of (constructive) criticism. It is (unfortunately) apparent that Nigeria is on the verge of imminent collapse and a greater percentage of the population is definitely not happy with the situation.
One of the responsibilities of government is to make life easy for the citizenry by providing the basic things that make life worthwhile and comfortable. Another is to secure the lives and properties of the people. Any government that fails in these is an irresponsible government. It is most unfortunate that the present PDP-led government has continued to treat the citizens with disrespect and ill-concealed disdain. According to Samuel Vauclain, “the average man can be led readily if you have his respect and if you show him that you respect him for some kind of ability”. At the expense of the masses, this government has continued to make avoidable mistakes, and through it sycophantic praise singers, continued to defend such glaring mistakes.
The author is not unaware that the people in government are human and therefore liable to making mistakes. What is condemnable however and what should be considered a slap on the faces of Nigerians are the usual attempts by the few beneficiary of this ‘rudderless system’ to always defend these anomalies. As Dale Carnegie sagely observed, “any fool can try to defend his mistakes… but it raises one above the herd and gives one a feeling of nobility and exultation to admit one’s mistakes”. From the foregoing, it is obvious that the present PDP government has thrown honesty and probity into the dustbin and has unfortunately adopted lies and propaganda as its motto.
It is beyond argument that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has woefully failed in managing the affairs of this great nation. It is by the grace of God that we have been able to survive all the atrocities committed by the party. Under the party, Nigeria is comatose and at a virtual standstill, taking one step forward and ten steps backward. Our industries and companies have become moribund and dilapidated. Examples of these are the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the Itakpe Iron Mining Ores, both in Kogi State, among others. Experts have argued that every other thing will naturally fall in place if these companies and others in Nigeria are fixed and made functional. They have argued that the potentials in these companies are more than the crude oil which has paradoxically remained the cause of our doom since in the 70s. Nigeria has enormous potentials for economic development that is second to none in the world, but the PDP government has for the last decade and more, been paying lip service to true socio-economic development and visionary governance. This is not unexpected from a political party that has no clear-cut ideology save looting and plundering our common patrimony. In more than a decade of PDP misrule in the country, several trillions of naira has been “expended” on electricity. But what does the government have to show for this? Despite the huge amount the government claimed to have spent on this sector, Nigerians continue to pay for mosquito bites, malaria and all the inconveniences brought about by lack of power. Small scale businesses like barbing salons, hairdressing, welding, etc have closed down due to lack of electricity. These are the building blocks of any economy. Without them functional and productive, how can Vision 20:20:20 ever be achieved?
Within the period under review, our roads have become death traps and impassable despite the whooping amount of money that is voted for this sector yearly. The avoidable situation of our roads has led to some avoidable road accidents, and has resulted in the untimely death of some Nigerians. Such accidents have also left some Nigerians maimed or permanently deformed. You may not know the pain if this has not happened to you or your close relation. I pray it does not happen to you. Your response to this prayer should not be a mere “amen”. You and I have to wake up to our responsibilities as citizens of this great nation and do things that will usher in a government that will have the interest of the masses at heart, so that we may be saved from these self-inflicted pains, agony and misery.
Where is the guarantee for a better tomorrow in a society where killings, extra- judicial killings, bombings, kidnappings, armed robberies and all forms of activities that put our lives in danger are the order of the day? Where is the guarantee for development and progress in a country where hundreds of graduates are produced every year but are left to roam the streets? Where is the guarantee for development in a nation where there is no good plan for the future, where the supposed leaders of tomorrow are treated like second class citizens? It is a proven fact and it is not debatable that no nation moves forward when she leaves her youths without giving them the required attention needed for them to develop to be able to handle the challenges of tomorrow. You cannot eat your cake and have it!
Every party has got its manifestos. The PDP has succeeded in showing Nigerians in no uncertain terms that its manifestos are corruption, corruption, corruption and more corruption! The party is built and thrives on corruption. This is why Nigerians should not be surprised that the party is not serious about fighting the menace, it rather encourages it. Of course, you cannot go against what you believe in. PDP believes in corruption and will continue to perpetrate and spread it.
In spite of what appears as unremitting and unmitigated gloom and doom of the nation, there is a silver-lining in the ominous clouds. This hope is hinged on the emergence of the proposed opposition mega party, the All Progressive Congress (APC). The hope is further hinged on our support for the party. As patriotic Nigerians, we should all support any genuine attempt to rescue the nation from the age-long misgovernance it has found itself. This time around, we must, for posterity sake, do away with sentiments based on religion, ethnicity and region, and elect people who will not only lead us out of the wood, but will also accord us the respect we deserve, first as human beings and as citizens of this country. We cannot afford to make the mistakes of the past. Therefore, every Nigerian who is desirous of positive change should rise, embrace and support the APC as it is the only vehicle that can convey us to the Promised Land. At least for now.
Shuaib Yaqub is an avid promoter of good governance. When he is not writing, he is teaching young minds the finer aspects of grammar at Federal College of education, Okene where he teaches. Yaqub.shuaib@yahoo.com
Comments