I have sat in my little room and imagined; why has my country appeared to remain so backward? Why has good leadership seemed to have eluded us thus far? Why has it seemed to be a ding-dong affair with regards to development? I have wondered, yea, seriously wondered.
We once were under the rule of the military, and like Pareto explained in his Cycle Theory, the Lions marched around with brutality and power, crushing every opposition that stood in their way. They appeared to be up and doing, but ended up much worse than the Foxes they had sworn to better. Realizing their unpopularity and failure to come up better than their civilian counterparts, they have always ended up handing over power to their civilian counterparts.
After repeatedly running this vicious cycle, we finally settled for civilian rule, hoping to eventually get it right, but alas... I thought and thought, really desperate to know, and came up with certain observations: A single party, the PDP has been at the helm of affairs since 1999; while they can point at a few notable developmental strides, they have generally fallen short of people's expectations. Corruption has gone unabated, many convicted criminals have continued to ride the streets, pumped up with their loot and comprehensively appearing above the law and the impoverished masses' cry have gone many decibels higher. I also noticed that the opposition have become increasingly vocal in their criticisms, lashing out at the state of our roads, massive youth unemployment and dwindling fortunes of the general populace...and I started thinking like them too. I started imagining a Nigeria where, like a driver put it, "everyone suppose be BIG boy" once the ruling party were removed from power.
But, still thinking, I remembered that the opposition had states under their control, just as the ruling party. I compared their developmental attainments and found them fairly similar; I was even surprised to see that some of them were actually worse and then decided to pay closer attention to the details of their many criticisms. Doing that, I discovered that most of their issues were products of arm chair critics, hired by those so desperate for power that they were prepared to criticize anything, once it would paint the other in bad light. I discovered that they were prepared to condemn failures, even when they had rationalized same in the states under their control and even deride success. I remembered being told that in the 'better' olden days, Nigerians had the liberty of choosing either to work for the State governments or the Federal government; I remembered being told that considerations such as pay and displacement were usually paramount in this choice processes, and I wondered why the ENTIRE blame for unemployment was now being pushed to the Federal Government. I looked around and saw many of the opposition states recording zero civil service recruitments for over four years, with yet others providing blue-collar, peanut paying jobs, most of which go to their unskilled party supporters. I saw them expending tax payers' monies on jets and helicopters (purchased and hired), while conveniently accusing their counterparts of insensitivity to the masses' plight. I saw many of them, like their PDP counterparts, funding lavish lifestyles and expending billions not for people benefitting projects but on themselves in form of Government houses. I saw these and more and wondered...
I wondered at the hypocrisy, I wondered at the double-mouthedness, I wondered at the general economy with regards to the truth and stopped thinking like them. They were ALL the same, I realised. I pointed this out to some opposition party supporters and they disputed it, even branding me a member of the PDP. I spoke about many opposition members who had decamped from the PDP and were received with open hands and those persons rationalized it; I spoke about those who had decamped from the opposition to the PDP and those persons demonized and branded them as turncoats and betrayers...I wondered when it became the exclusive preserve of the opposition to receive fresh intakes, I wondered when they became character judges, sometimes going as far as making libelous statements and daring the government at the centre to take action (Of course, any such action will be decried to the high heavens as victimisation). I noticed their heavy investment in the media, with many newspaper, radio and television houses only reporting what would make them appear good and became apprehensive, especially of news from certain media. I wondered and wondered...and realized that redemption was still faraway.
When will opposition members in states under the opposition decry or acclaim the actions of the President, not as a member of the PDP, but as the their President? When will PDP members do same in states under the opposition? When will APC members decry the sheer looting in form of road construction with a kilometer going for 1billion naira under Fashola? When will PDP members demand to know what has become of the petrol subsidy removal promises by Jonathan? With so much partisanship around, with so much shouts of CHANGE at the expense of every other consideration, I easily get a recollection of Snowball and Napoleon's exploits in George Orwell's classic, Animal Farm. Would we, like the animals on that fabled farm, stamp out an oppressive Snowball, only to bring in a draconian Napoleon?

Ohibenemma...

these are my pure observations too

seems u stole it from my mouth

when we learn to tackle d virus chopping us...

kingphilip:
these are my pure observations too

seems u stole it from my mouth

Hmmm, it's becoming really sickening...

chamboy:
when we learn to tackle d virus chopping us...

What, in your opinion, is that virus?

Ohibenemma:

Hmmm, it's becoming really sickening...

like seriously o

imagine people arguing for a candidates blindly n if u try correcting dem or showing them the other part of the person they r supporting, they'll b making jest of u

Ohibenemma:

What, in your opinion, is that virus?

corruption n indiscipline, dont act like u don't knw