Paradoxically, these news are more often bad than good. For example, what one often hear or read about this endowed nation include: “Strike paralysis activities in Nigeria; Bandits take over Lagos, Benin; Shrine of human skulls discovered in Okija; Medical Doctors’ strike enters the sixth week, 2,000 avoidable deaths – Aftermath of Doctors’ strike”; etc. As a result of these absurdities, a country that is supposed to be a haven for its citizens is plagued with famine, economic and ethnic crises, as well as political and religious instability hence millions of its citizens are faced with starvation and malnutrition.

Yet, day in, day out, one hears and read of the breathtaking income accruing from oil sales from the world market. Perhaps, the country could best be summed up as a “country of unrealized potentials” as peace in the land can be said to be a pipedream and a cloud-cuckoo-land journey. In this case, one pertinent question to ask is what has gone wrong in Nigeria that despite all the bountiful natural endowments, economic decisions and policies keep treating the people unjustly and harshly; materialistic pressures undermining the citizens’ rights and privileges. Ideally, when the amount of ‘water’ is increasing daily, more fishes should be allowed to swim in. But when the amount of water is increasing and more ‘fishes’ aren’t allowed in to swim and when economic growth seems unjust to the people, no doubt, something must be wrong with the ‘economic waters’ which the people need to ‘swim’ in.

That a country like Nigeria, blessed with abundant resources yet its citizens are suffering from hunger is unimaginable. And instead of the citizens to work harmoniously together to build a healthy and just society that will respect the rights of everyone, especially the down trodden, the wave of cynicism seems to reign supreme and the economy is being paralysed.

So the question is what has gone wrong with the economic ‘waters’ in which everyone is expected to ‘swim’ in but only a few are benefiting from while the masses are fed with ‘sermons’ of elusive new jobs and deceptive promises of hope for a better tomorrow? No doubt, our leaders owe it as their duties to identify why the economy has failed to fulfill the purposes for which it is meant and remedy it. It is no exaggeration to say that the people especially the youths no longer find their place in the society, as if the economy has rendered them ‘useless’. Yet leadership responsibility entails that the leaders notice what is wrong with the economic ‘water’ in which everyone must ‘swim’ and not be excluded. So, our leaders ought to find out the cause(s) of the injustices, which are causing so much suffering and then disaffection and then do the best they can to put things right. Vices appear to be the order of the day and despondency what the people envision.

Now, if one may further ask, who will salvage the Nigerian nation from its self-torture caused by endemic illusion, use of decrepit and antediluvian infrastructure, tribal hatred and wickedness? Who will deliver the nation that is in bedlam and chaos, torn apart by ethnic and religious conflicts and everyone is angry at each other? In Lagos, innocent citizens are harassed by Local and State government touts as well as Federal government intervention agencies, all in the pretext that they are collecting revenue for the governments. Must government resort to crude and barbaric means to raise fund to move the machinery of governance forward? No doubt, these extortionist tendencies are unnecessary as they are inhuman and burdensome to the citizens in both their approach and operations. After all, government has the bravura task as well as the awesome responsibilities of taking care of the citizens.

Again, the deterioration in the economy has contributed in no small way to the recurring wave of ethnic violence and armed robbery. And this is nowhere more cruelly felt than in the Niger Delta, where peace and harmony have for some time now, become ‘scarce products’ and life seen to be on the standstill or even moving backwards. In deed, the present state of things is heartrending and demoralizing from the viewpoint of the masses on whose interests government ought to exist. The masses could better be described as people in the abyss of bondage, people living in the cesspool of misery in a democratic government that is tragic. So in whatever way one looks at it, the starkly fact is that the masses are groaning under the burden of hardship. The people, especially the youths, now see no future in their land and only look abroad for succour.

No doubt, the past years have been particularly difficult for Nigerians and unless things drastically change positively, there is no telling any one that the future would remain bleak. After all, the Federal and states governments have been busy pursuing policies less sympathetic to the masses that voted them to power hence hardship in the land keeps assuming tremendous level.

Finally, let our leaders know that if anyone is to save Nigeria from itself, Nigerians are the ones. All that is needed is more Nigerian solidarity and less indifferentism. Among the ranks and files, can’t they present patriots with clout and intellectual know-how to face these challenges plaguing the nation? Is it not time these governments (federal, states and local) put in place policies that would bring down inflation rate, and positively improve existing infrastructural facilities for the good of the people? Let our leaders for God’s sake, turn the economy around now before the country goes under ground and we all will have no other place to call our own.

In conclusion, I wish to state that base on the present state of social and economic decay, as well as the political acrimony in the country, it is an incontrovertible fact that democracy as is practiced, is a total disappointment and embarrassment. To this end, the masses of this nation have unanimously passed vote of no confidence on the system because it is devoid of peace and transparency but full of rancour with its own down side and disappointing results.