After fifty years of political and (economic?) independence, our economy has stagnated and the present office holders continue to blame the military for the country’s woes and hiding behind the toga of ‘nascent democracy’ which has been in practice for the past thirteen years. This is about the well being of the population in the extent to which the economy successfully banished poverty, want, ignorance and disease. It is, according to Dr. Mahmud Tukur, about success in wealth creation, prosperity for the broad masses of the people, security of life and property at home, at work, on the roads and in social harmony. However, a closer look at the performance of the politicians for the period covered leaves much to be desired. Billions upon billions of taxpayers’ money have continued to be siphoned through official sleaze. Corruption has become pandemic, executive impunity has become fashionable, and rule of law is only chanted at official gatherings without a dint of intention for its implementation.
Insecurity of lives and properties has become rampant in the country, which is a more reason why we ardently need a viable policy – that is a Nigeria in which there is free movement of people, goods and services and country in which residency and participation rights are guaranteed for all Nigerians wherever they may choose to live. This connectivity is important and has to be appreciated by elite which has the reputation of greed and selfishness.
We have been promised dividends of democracy, only to end up witnessing unprecedented looting of the nation’s treasury. We were promised good roads, health care, electricity supply and good governance, but Nigerians are still ‘suffering and smiling’ as they travel through the most pot-holed roads spread across the country; as for health care, the least said about it the better as people are on daily basis being eliminated by common diseases (such as malaria) which other nations have since forgotten about its existence. Electricity supply is near zero and Nigerians have become depressingly hopeless as to when the problem is going to be addressed. Thank you!