Jide Ayobolu

Politics in Nigeria since the attainment of political independence has been characterized by petty issues and selfish preoccupations by variegated political characters or ruling oligarchy that have presided over the affairs of the Nigeria state over the years at different levels of government. That is why real development has eluded the country for the past 47 years. Nigeria therefore, is fast becoming what has been aptly described as a dead-end society. In other words, there is no prospect of change and progress in the country that would substantially improve the lives of more than a few people at the corridors of power.

It is in this regard that professor J.A.A. Ayoade argued very trenchantly thus, Nigeria is a politically arranged country, is the product of a British experiment in political cloning. It emerged piece-meal under different conditions. In fact, the British themselves only came to understand the nature and character of the territory after the acquisition. But the situation was even worse for Nigerians. For some, it was at best, affection for the unknown. But, for all of them, it was a forced brotherhood and sisterhood, which has been the subject of continual tinkering, panel beating, and even attempted dissolution. In fact, an eminent Nigerian political actor described the product of the experiment as a mere geographical expression, while another equally prominent actor described the making of Nigeria as the mistake of 1914. This problem is complicated by the size and complexity of the country called Nigeria. The political history of Nigeria has since been dominated by efforts at fashioning a system suited to the people’s perception of circumstance and needs of their new nation.

What we have in Nigeria today for instance, is not democracy per se, but military rule disguised as civilian rule. Since many and indeed, a sizeable number of the dramatis personae on the political scene have military background and they have not yet imbibed the basic tenets of democracy that is why they are called garrison commanders. Instead, they have foisted on the so-called democracy the military high command structure. Also, their political cohorts are men of straw who aided and supported the military during the darkest period of Nigeria’s history against the ordinary Nigerians. Hence, they are bring forth policies that are draconian and obnoxious, without wide and due consultants. Their philosophy is obey before complain. To further compound the almost hopeless situation in Nigeria, those at the helm of affairs are view that they are doing the best or right thing and they loathe quality advice from eggheads. At times, they say they are senile. This is the adverse effect of the arrogance of power and unbridled ignorance. So that, since the attainment of flag independence in 1960 as a country, it is not yet uhuru.

The health sector is comatose, with workers constantly going on strike to press home their legitimate demand for better funding of the crucial sector. Most of the hospitals in the country are worse than mere consulting clinics. With the best medical doctors, personnel and specialists going to Europe, U.S.A. and Middle East in search of greener pasture. Yet, Nigerians especially the poor keep dying of disease that could have been easily cured. The education sector has not fared better, with incessant strikes and closures; the sector is grossly under funded going by the UNESCO recommendation of 26 per cent of the national annual budget. The Universal Basic Education (UBE) is nothing, but a waste of taxpayer’s money, as most children in Nigeria today remain uneducated. There are no books in the libraries, no equipment in laboratories, inadequate manpower and where they exist, the quality is very low, lecturers are not given research grants, and most tertiary institutions in the country today are glorified secondary schools, producing graduates that are not employable.

The economy is in tatters, where about 89million Nigerians live on less than $1 a day; this represents 70.2 per cent of the total population. Agriculture has been abandoned, oil boom has become oil doom, the solid mineral development is still at the pristine level. There is massive unemployment, the AIDS pandemic is on the increase, and Nigeria now ranks third among countries with the highest number of HIV/AIDS infections in the whole world, infrastructural decay is on the ascendancy with most roads in a deplorable state of disrepair, electricity supply is epileptic, while potable water supply is rare.

In addition, the revenue allocation formula is defective, it ought to have been entirely predicated on the principle of derivation, it would be recalled that, there have been disheartening inconsistencies and contradictions in revenue allocation formula in Nigeria. A country that recognized 100 per cent derivation as the basis for revenue allocation in 1950, but reduced to 50 per cent at independence in 1960, 45 per cent in 1970, 20 per cent in 1992. Definitely, there must be an end to these unwarranted vacillations.

Again, there is general insecurity in the country, from the frequent political assassinations, which the police are incapable of unraveling, to armed robbery cases, to religious unrest in the far North, to settlers versus indigenes in the middle belt, to gangsterism in the Niger Delta region. Yet the present government keeps talking about foreign investment. The question is foreign investment possible in an environment of insecurity. Moreover, the more important, why are Nigerians not investing in their own economy? Nevertheless, the point is that democracy is good. The practitioners in Nigeria are the problem; this is because many of them are military apologists and emergency democrats, or even democratic demagogues. In addition, this set of cabals cannot be expected or trusted to make any meaningful impact on the lives of citizenry.

Democracy is still better than military rule in several respects; it prevents corruption, it upholds the fundamental human right of the people, it ensures openness, guarantees rule of law, it caters for every segment of the society without discrimination and takes into account the greatest happiness of the greatest number at all times, while not neglecting the interest of the minority. However, the fellowership in the country has been docile and drab. The civil society is inactive maybe because of the socio-economic emasculation. For instance, government’s decision to frequently increase fuel price is a result of its insensitivity to the plight of the masses. It means also the so-called elected representatives of the people are not in touch whatsoever with the people that got them into public office and this must stop pronto.

Today in the country, everything is upside down. It has now become a tradition for writers to go down memory lane explaining what the problems confronting the country are and how to get them resolved. The leaders in turn, will make empty promises, often promising to make things generally better, yet the situation has moved from bad to worse, and from worse to worst, while life is becoming increasingly unbearable. Those in power are feeding fat and the masses are daily impoverished. They are not getting the dividends of democracy. Nigeria the so-called giant of Africa is still crawling at adulthood. Hence, it is not morning on creation day.

By

Jide Ayobolu

Garki 2

Abuja-Nigeria