Hurray! 2015 is finally here for good I will say. This is a year of great expectations and fears for Nigeria. The great expectations are those attributable to a positive change in leadership while the fears are those concerned with the electoral process that will lead to that positive leadership change. I truly and completely share these expectations. However, my greatest fears center on what happens after a new president assumes office.
What will be the style and focus of leadership? Will the leadership continue with or promote the persistent culture of corruption, mediocrity and impunity? Will it simply carry on with State business as usual or simple not give a damn? Will the leadership change and become people-centered after the 2015 polls? Will terrorism continue to ravage human lives and property unabated? Will the security agencies wake up to their responsibilities? Will state resources be properly channeled to development purposes? Will the agencies of government continue to operate multiple and hidden bank accounts where some individuals draw from for personal gains? Will the courts truly become the epitome of justice and defender of hope of the common man? Will the health system improve? Will our roads remain death traps? Will the transport sector continue to remain largely in hands of touts and miscreants? Many more questions you may ask
The answers to these and many more of such questions will greatly depend on who becomes the next president of Nigeria. The next president will have to provide positive answers to these questions because Nigeria is in a dire need of positive change. This change has to be driven by the leadership. Nigerians cannot afford to continue to wallow in abject poverty in a country so endowed with abundant natural and human resources. Nigeria is the one of few most endowed countries on earth. Yet, a greater proportion of the nation’s wealth have been stolen away by the few who have taken this county captive and held the citizens to ransom. Not only has the country’s collective wealth has been stolen by the insignificant few; it has also been used as a weapon of destruction, intimidation and oppression against the poor and the lowly.
Nigeria’s leadership situation in the past three decades has been pathetic. The situation has grown from bad to worse and has finally presented us with four hydra-headed monsters that will destroy Nigeria if something urgent and drastic is not done by the next regime to arrest and put these monsters under control. These monsters are corruption, mediocrity impunity and terrorism. These monsters did not surfaced at the same time but developed gradually as the leadership shifted focus to self-aggrandizement and promoted moral decadence.
First was the problem of corruption. Cases abound in the first and second republic where state officials build over-head tanks not to store water, but to conceal cash stolen from the state. Some dug underground safes for the same purpose. Today, shameless and corrupt politicians do not need to hide their loots; rather they are proud to showcase them in the public even to the extent of making frivolous donations to individuals.
While still grappling with the problem of corruption, the leadership began putting mediocre officials in government. We have been witnessing a situation where federal and state appointments are given to individual based on political party affiliation and personal relationships without any regard to professionalism and competence. What these charlatans do is to engage consultants and farm out contracts to them thereby rendering their Ministry’s staff redundant. Since these charlatans have no clue of their job descriptions, they rely on contractors who of course are there to make a kill. Today, this remains the common conduit pipe of siphoning state funds.
After enthroning corruption and mediocrity, the next in line was the monster called impunity. The brazen manner in which the political leaders now perpetrate corruption, illegality, indiscipline, favouritism and barbarism is unprecedented. State officials go about fabricating and defending falsehood through the media paid or influenced with state funds and even threatening and silencing dissenting voices.
While corruption, mediocrity and impunity held sway, the nation’s critical sectors especially the security forces were neglected. Funds allocated for the welfare, pensions, training and equipping of the security men were reportedly embezzled by men and women who still walk the streets today with their children feeding fat and being trained abroad with looted funds. As this went on, terrorists surfaced and the result is well known to all.
There is need for Nigerians to put up a strong fight against these monsters if we truly love this country and want to see it back on the track of progress. This fight can only be led by the president for it to be successful.
As the 2015 elections draw closer, let us ask ourselves: Who can confront these monsters? Who has the will power to even try? Such is the man that should be elected to run the affairs of this great country. I am confident that a positive change is coming to Nigeria at last. The Nigeria of my dream is where corruption, mediocrity, impunity and terrorism shall be a thing of the past. Nigerians let us make it happen.
