Nigeria: a clay-footed giant
It is no longer news that the life of our people is devalued daily by a group of people under the pretext of national development. As our nation’s wealth increases, the poverty level of the population increases by leaps and bounds. It’s quite ironic. There is no reason why we are endowed with abundant human and natural resources yet; we remain underdeveloped, desperately and stubbornly poor. Nothing works in this country. The sole reason, of course, can only be traced to our inept and rapacious leadership, which has since replaced hard-won democracy with “staying calm.” From time to time, we wake up to the shocking and devastating news of organized looting of the public purse by our supposed women of integrity in positions of authority. In fact, it has become the 11th commandment in Nigeria to steal from high places, but make sure you don’t get caught.
The activities of perfidious kleptomaniacs in leadership positions have paralyzed all aspects of our development as a nation. What we now have in place of development is collapsed infrastructure, comatose economy, mass unemployment, etc., and all of these together have continued to heat up politics almost daily. We are all living witnesses to a series of labor actions and strikes against the federal and state governments. Name them, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Joint Health Workers Union, Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Union of Road Transport Workers ( NURTW), Garri Vendors Association (GSA), Food Consumers Association (FCA), etc. All these unions and associations, on various occasions, had threatened or had embarked on large-scale or warning strikes, due to the prevailing socio-economic conditions in the country, to demand the improvement of their lot from the mostly insensitive, silent government. and arrogant. Since then, some of our young people have embraced militancy, kidnapping and other violent crimes not only for a livelihood, but also to vent their anger against a system that has no provisions for them. Every year, thousands of our young people leave universities, polytechnics and colleges of education with no job prospects. Our roads have become death traps; the education system is almost a ghost of what it was before and people are dying helplessly due to the sorry condition of our health care delivery system.
These issues pose a great challenge to us as a nation to rise from our slumber and take bold steps toward genuine national rebirth and sustainable development. Oh! It is quite shameful that our country, Nigeria, which prides itself on being the giant of Africa, is nothing more than a clay-footed giant. There is a very urgent need for a great national reorientation and recognition of our homeland. It is time for those in positions of authority to allow their conscience to steer them away from the misuse of public funds. They must realize that they were elected to public office not to serve their personal interests, but to serve our collective interests. They must also realize that we, as a people, work hard for this democracy. Many spill their blood in the process.
The only option for our elected leaders to move the country forward is to uphold the principles of good leadership and manage our vast resources for the benefit of all. Those in government should leave their dubious ways in high places and focus on improving the well-being of Nigerians. They should invest in the county and desist from acquiring mansions and other luxuries abroad, and create job opportunities for our unemployed youth. Things must change for the better and urgently too. Further delay could spell doom for the leadership itself.