Ever since we were born, we have been hearing these very words 'things are going to get better'. Every new government comes in and claims to be better than the last with that same promise 'things are going to get better'.
So far in this country, things have moved from badto worse and still sliding downwards with the seeming bad predecessors being rated better than the newcomers who came into power full of promise.
The level of decay in this country has reached far disturbing levels as one of the richest countries in the world is filled with many of the poorest people on earth. God blessed this country far morethan most. Sometimes I see Nigeria as the most naturally blessed country in the world as we can boost of almost every natural resources or minerals in the face of the world. Why then are we in such pitiable state? Why then are we almost a laughing-stock even to fellow African nations who clearly should be begging from us? Why then are our sons and daughters fleeing fromNigeria to lesser countries where they will be treated like second-class citizens and regarded with suspicion and disdain?
Some years ago, a national question was asked during the administration of Fmr. President Olusegun Obasanjo; 'can you die for Nigeria?' Was the question. It didn't come to a surprise to anyone except our leaders, that no sane Nigerian was ready to give his life for Nigeria. The questionI ask is, what impact have those who died for this country made? Many have sacrificed their lives in one form or the other for the good of this country, our founding fathers risked imprisonment, harrassment, torture and death that we may haveour independence, that we may be free. So far it seems that freedom still eludes the generality of Nigerians as this country keeps getting worse each passing day and our leaders still dependent of Western influence and dictates as they experiment with policies that work in the West onus compounding our problems and making life harder for us while they enjoy the wealth of this nation as if it is their singluar birth rights.
Last year, our 'god-sent' President Goodluck Jonathan gave us a rude shock for New Year present; the removal of fuel subsidy. People shouted and protested but our leaders know who they are ruling even better than we know ourselves and they know that unlike places like Tunisia or Egypt, the Nigerian is only full of hot air and after making noise will still bow to their dictates. They were also confident that they couldas always handle NLC and TUC since the likes of Oshomole was no longer there. After a brief period of protest when people predicted the end of the entity call Nigeria, Labour was manoeuvredand brought over to the side of government and the policy was implimented.
Some of the notable promises made to Nigerians were that buses would be procured and disperssed to all the states to ease transport costs.Unless this is operational in other states which I doubt, there has not been any single bus of that sort in Imo State. What then happened to the money we were told had already been given to procure those buses? Probably ended up in some people's pockets. And we say we are fighting corruption.
Government said that refineries will be operational within six months and the cost of fuel will gradually reduce but so far it is more than a year after that promise and yet not a single refinary is working and fuel price keeps rising higher than the official pump-price causing more suffering to the common Nigerian.
Proponents for the removal of subsidy claimed that it would bring about many jobs for the youths, why then am I still unemployed? Why then are many Nigerians unemployed? Why then are we still struggling to source capital for ourselves to start one business or the other to survive as government haven't provided a form of independent and uncorrupt means of providing micro-finance for the unemployed Nigerian youths? Yet every day we hear that so-so billions from the subsidy fund was used, for what we do not know. And we say we are fighting corruption.
Many of our leaders, even those who the people believed will make life better for them so far have turned out to be failures because rather than taking us forward, they have only succeeded in taking us further backwards.
For a government sincerely interested in bettering the lives of Nigerians, the amount of money earmarked for refreshment in Aso Rock alone would have ensured over one million Nigerian youths have something gainful doing all sponsered by their government. The amount spend on jet fuel and international refreshment by our leaders will ensure more development andprovide millions of jobs for young Nigerians but alas, it seems our cries is music to their ears. The sitting allowance of our legislators who claim to care for us so much can develop their individual constituensies but they do not care as long as theyare pocketing all that money and even the monies supposedly given to them to develop theirareas which all of them seem to have agreed to concert into their personal development funds from where they buys houses abroad and live likekings while we suffer. That a Nigerian youth felt so bad at the loss of his okada, his only source of income which he hadn't even completed paymenton that he was forced to take his own life is a big shame to our leaders. But then, do they care? As long as their pockets are filled with monies meant for you and I, what do they care if all of us jump to our deaths in a lagoon?
Every day the government talks big about fightingcorruption yet the only ones arrested by EFCC or ICPC are the lowly yahoo-yahoo boys or politicians who refuse to play ball. You can imagine that it took a foriegn country, Britain to try and sentence Ibori to prison after a Nigerian court had acquited him of corruption charges. Who is fooling who?
The many flaws of the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan as well as many of the 'messiah' governors are there for everyone to decide where it affects you the most. Apart from the fear Gen. Buhari turning Nigeria into a full Islamic state as he had during his regime as military head-of-state registered us as one, many have wished they voted him instead of Uncle Joe. Even in many states, people now regret why the voted in certian leaders who have now turned outto be disappointments ­. But then, will you vote really have counted?
The level of illiteracy and lack in the country has now made us hail and praise our leaders when they give us tit-bits without realizing that they are looting us dry. We no longer know that it is our right to have good roads so when a leader gives us substandard roads we praise them while they laugh at our ignorance. Our schools are ill-equipped and someone claims he is giving you free education and we are jumping while their children are in well-equipped schools in Europe and America. We have forgotten that it is our rightto have quality education with good schools. Evenour security as common citizens is not guranteed as our leaders surround themselves with the best of security and use them to bully us out of their way when they come speeding with siren-blaring jeeps trucks. The ill-equipped policemen left to guard us are only busy extorting money from us atany oppurtunity they get with the blessings of ourleaders.
When will we have a leader with the people at heart? Will we ever have that in this lifetime? Many have died hoping to see that crop of leaders. Are we going to be any lucky? Somebody said and I tend to bend favorable to that suggestion that all these are signs that the end of time is near. Some believe that all this is the ploy of the devil to give us bad leaders so that when his anti-christ steps in as our 'messiah', we will wholeheartedly accept whoever he send. There seem to be some sense in that to explain the levelof heartlessness of our leaders. Others believe that it's all about power and the forces that comeswith it that can turn a good-intentione ­d man bad once they get into the seat of power. Some other believe it is sheer greed and wickedness that can make someone steal billions of naira without any regard of the suffering they are causing. That this level of decay and poverty exists in a great and wealthy nation as Nigeria is an indication that ourleaders have failed.
For Nigeria, I call for prayers. For Nigeria, I enjoin everyone to be prayerful and hope that God cleanses us of the vampires and decievers we have as leaders and replace them with people with the fear of God and the good of the people atheart.
Nigeria can be better if we honestly and sincerely decide to make her better. God bless Nigeria.