Nigeria

Nigeria: When is the Relief Coming? (1)

Ahmed Dodo

The country

Nigeria no doubt holds one of the most fertile lands on earth. This any prudent observer would quickly deduce, given the verse rich land, culture, its heterogeneous composition and its ever adventurous and innovative happy people.

It is no mere saying that go to anywhere in the corner of the globe, and once there are three to five black men or women, be sure to find a Nigerian among them.

The Nigerian has been described as one of the most happy and creative human species on earth. Proudly good in almost everything they do, be it on the positive or negative side. With some of the best intellectuals on earth, but still yet are still without mincing words has one of the least developed rich nation in the world, this despite its verse human and mineral resources.

What then could be said to be the major infection eating away this hitherto giant of Africa, which over the years has been a major factor militating against this great nation with vast economic abundance? A critical look at the Nigerian geographical setting would reveal a rich nation with wise industrious people, lacking the full backing of its home people, who always prefers and goes for anything abroad.

The Nigerian no doubt given a free supportive environment could bring out some of the best economic propelled ideas that would without gain saying contribute meaningfully to the development of his country, continent and the world at large.

But over the decades what an average Nigerian has always lacked is the supports of his home people, which painfully have been divided into a discriminative doctrine of who are you? Or where are you from? Mockery of purported federal states with a unified constitution.

Expectedly the youths or the new generation of a nation are anticipated to brew new ideas and new ways of thinking to propel their nation forward and be part of what is going on around them, but funnily the case of Nigeria could be describe as the reverse, because most of the new generation leaders the mass populace have long looked up to, have not only disappointed them, but they have shamelessly joined the band wagon of the old generation leaders in subjecting the people and the nation into a confused and money induced system, an unfortunate situation that have set the country backward many years than some of its young developing neighbors. This some of the youths have argued is the fault of the old generation leaders, who have continued to hold on greedily to the various important positions in the country, depriving the input of new generation thinking that could help revolutionized and modernized the political, economical, and social system.

The old generation

This are made up of first republic recycled politicians who are still feasible in the helm of affairs despite their old age and their inability and intelligence to catch up with the new technologically propel world, where Information Technology and the Internet has since revolutionized the way things are hitherto done across the globe. Despite all the naked realities confronting them everyday the old generation leaders in the country have refused to retired and are still scheming to hold on to power or be part of those still steering the wheels of a frustrated enduring great nation, with good people.

This no doubt has contributed to the poor leadership quality in the country and unrealistic policies of some of the different government. Again the old generation leaders are also blamed for the baffling epileptic power generation in the country, where almost more than half of the able bodied youths which made up the large workforce in the country are daily forced to under utilize their potentials and be part of the much conversed Millennium Development Goals. (MDG), due to sporadic power supply. Analysts believe that given the necessary support and free hands the new generation of Nigerian engineers would since have found a solution to the embarrassing situation. A national failure given the country’s position as the third richest oil producing country in the world, where some of the world celebrated scientists, and engineers originated from. According to one analyst a Nigerian electrical engineer “The issue of poor electricity supply is one of the greatest embarrassments in this great country with celebrated engineers all over the world. I tell you if the government will for the sake of development and humanity removed politics out of the whole thing, Nigeria I assure you would generate more than the expected electricity mega watts. I mean its crazy, the whole thing have been politicized and polarized”.

The New generation

The new generations of Nigerian leaders surprisingly have continued to be the resisting hold in the push for progress. This analysts posits is the ways and manners these future generation of leaders have allowed their conscious to be initiated into the old ways of thinking and doing things, this despite their modern education and civility. The quest for materialism and the good things of life have robbed them of their positive contribution to a nation that needs their urgent input in all facet of the country’s march towards development.

Corruption which is one of the most painful diseases eating away the root of the country analyst argued have been accepted as the way of life by these new generations of leaders, who are mostly selected by political godfathers to continue where they stopped and ensure that they are protected by elitist laws. This so called new generation of leaders are mere smoke screen for the old generation leaders to continue dictating the tunes and setting the rules. We are yet to see the emergence of patriotic and nationalist new breed of leaders in the country. Be it in politics or business. The reason why we are still waiting to see a Gandhi , a Roosevelt or an Obama in Nigerian politics, likewise Nigerian are still waiting to see and feel the impact of patriotic business men like a Rockefeller, Bill Gates and the other rich individuals across the globe making strong personal sacrifices for their fatherland.

To be honest the new generations of Nigeria leaders which I happened to fall into have failed this country greatly and posterity at the end will judge them.

What would one say of a country reputed to have some of the best brains academically, and this has been proven globally by the large numbers of Nigerian professionals in Diasporas. Yet back home the story is quite pathetic and shameful, this due to unprogressive challenges like inadequate water supply, bad roads, poor electric supply, armed robberies, ritual killings, poor infrastructures, poor health care system, and the current pitiable educational system in the country amongst others, all these as a result of poor leadership and maladministration over the years.

Politically

Nigeria without doubt falls into the top categories of African nations that got it independence earlier than some of its now political sound, economically vibrant and socially organized neighbors. A freedom diplomatically fought for by some of the countries’ past nationalist leaders, but over the decades the dreams and visionary initiatives of these great men and women have been left to decay and the hitherto strong nationalist pillars left to crumble one after the other.

Politics in Nigeria today is no longer that of intellectuality and the zeal to serve, but a matter of do or die, as defined by Olusegun Obasanjo one of the country most controversial leader, whom many have blamed for plugging the rich country into the current political chaos rampant in the country today, depriving the people of a true democracy after many year of military incursions in the leadership of the country.

Presently one of the controversial issue in the country today is the controversies surrounding the report of a political reform committee chaired by a former Chief Judge of the Federation, Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais.

The committee whose report and recommendation is currently heating up the suspicious political terrain, has been described as fair and acceptable by the majority of the Nigerian people, except the government through the executive who seems to have an hidden interest., especially in regard to who should have the constitution power to appoint the chairman of the country’s electorate body INEC. A move the current leadership under President Umaru Musa Yar’adua has come out to defend in his first ever free media interaction since assuming office in 2009. Speaking to reporters the President described those calling for a wholesome implementation of the Justice Uwais led –electoral reform panel as “lacking full understanding of the contents of the panel’s report. According to him “I want to reassure all Nigerians that my administration’s commitment to enhancing the sanctity of our people’s votes through positive reforms to our electoral laws remain unshaken.”

But with the way things are going the political indexes so far indicates a tough battle for political leadership come 2011, when the country is expected to conduct elections into the various competitive positions across the regions. A contrast to other African countries like Ghana, and South Africa, where elections were carried out successful resulting in peaceful transition and change in leadership.