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Happy New Year...Nigeria Can Be Better By Prince Charles Dickson Jos, Plateau Nigeria
It was one long year, the year 2006, a year that a lot of us want to forget for so many reasons and others would not forget for the obvious reasons. But either way what more can we do than be happy that we were finally able to navigate it somehow. There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic this year as well as a lot to be pessimistic about, a lot of us would be watching with an eagle eye as events unfold towards the General Elections, on the international scene the drama would certainly continue from where it stopped last year.
This essay would be a thrust of all I expect would be confronting us this year as a nation and as a people, it would be a confabulation of issues that if tackled can take us closer to the promised land and if neglected as usual will only be ingredients for disaster and a continued slide towards doom.
We again from the beginning of this year will be battling against poverty, of the mind, of pocket and of sensibilities, despite seven years of reforms we would still remain one of the poorest in the globe, despite our natural and human resources, due to human mismanagement we would be battling to sustain meaningful development, and growth that is equal to the expectations of our people.
With the emergence of the Buharis, Yaraduas and co., again though subtly we will still be concerned about tribal sentiments, ethnicity, religion and thus to a large extent none of or few of us are thinking nor discussing meritocracy. Around these three evils and many more we are likely to be subjected to more of political irresponsibility, rascality and political arithmetic that further alienates the rulers from the ruled.
We shall again be fighting against negative statistics of reality, we still are likely to remain one of the poorest, we are still somewhere around the fifth largest HIV/AIDS infected nation, although from 2nd we have moved down to 18th in the corruption index, we still remain and have continued to feature amongst nations with the worst badly run economies.
We are insecure as a people, we are once more going to be constantly dependent on others after 46 years of paper independence, our Rice would still come from Thailand, any land but not our land, our drugs both fake and original, we have India, Germany and co. to thank for them.
This year, will we be able to make sense of our economic macro-policies, with cars, computers, clothing, ball point pens all from Obodo Oyinbo. Will we shed off the skin of a nation that is full of contradictions, a nation of millions of school leavers without jobs, a nation of millions sick with curable diseases and ailment, a nation yet blessed with fertile land, with intelligent men and women in abundance. But being punished by a handful of crooks called leaders, being ruled by a collection of mediocre. A nation where amidst these poverty a man would steal in billions.
The issues that stop us from attaining nationhood again would include, the fact that we are all hypocrites, constantly waiting for any opportunity to better Judas Iscariot in the act of betrayal, go ask Atiku and Obj. Topmost is, we shall again see leaders who grew up in Oshodi, schooled in Oshodi, lived there all their lives and get elected to serve Oshodi, and first thing on their card would be a familiarization tour of Oshodi. Our Leaders would still be exploring all means and any means necessary to steal from us.
With looting, corruption and insincerity, the ball again would be played on the pitch of underdevelopment and to think otherwise would be deceitful. Our cry would still be trying to catch the Asian Tiger, even some West African puppies have gone to far for comfort. Our life expectancy would likely drop further, even as more roads are likely to be unmotorable. We shall loose more kids at birth due to lack of infrastructure while leaders and the affluent treat their stomach disorder in Paris.
More children would fail their qualifying exams especially with all the strikes of the preceding year. With less than N120 a day, only the Almighty and our perseverance can keep us going.
We shall suffer the rule of idiots, because sages are kept in dust bin, maybe with the exception of Buhari and others, again, it is going to be like it was, while Tafawa Balewa wanted to be a broadcaster, the powers that be thought otherwise, Yakubu Gowon was not intellectually, psychologically, temperamentally, ready but the Oligarchy said it must be him. Then we had all-knowing Obj in his first coming who was forced on us by Danjuma, Shehu Yaradua and co.
In Shagari it was no different, as the man that wanted to just be a Senator, a man that was not even at the Row Park venue of the NPN primaries emerged as winner without his consent, he was not even aware that his name was on the ballot. In 1998 fresh from prison, the Baba of Aso Rock had asked "how many Presidents did Nigeria want to make of him" but we did not listen.
So again we may end up with a reluctant President in Yaradua except otherwise. These we have to contend with this new year. INEC would be in the eye of the storm so also the Police, the ruling PDP, EFCC, the likes of Uba and many ruffians that the government has created.
Things could be better, Nigeria can be great if only these institutions, if we can prove these men wrong, if only you and I can make a concerted effort at being right in our own little way and fight in our own small corner.
The nation will fight for liberation from tribal loyalties, ethnic jingoism, religious parapoism, monetary godafatherism and many more. We will have to move a ladder up from hope and expectation to reality.
In this New Year, we have to move towards a Nigeria, with Nigerians, we either continue the self deceit and watch the nation crumble like cookies. As I welcome us into this new year let me say that this is our nation, only us can stop the drift, people that claim to love us are few, many a nation are watching and waiting. Let us remember that we cannot continue to massage the ringworm and leave the sore. Almighty Allah we as a people thank You for a New Year and ask for the best.
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