₦airaland Forum

Indices of a progressive nation

Some indicators show whether a country is progressive or otherwise. If those indicators are clearly present, such country is on the way to great attainment even if the present reality is not impressive. (Those Indicators are not physical and tangible per se. They are seen by persons who are discerning). In Nigeria only few of those progressive indices are seen.

Just about the only indicator of progress for the Nigerian State is calibre of the present leadership at the Central government, especially in the executive arm. The Federal executive, led by President Buhari, has many persons of great vision and discipline. And since the Nigerian federal system is skewed towards the government at the centre, the effect the current calibre of leaders at the centre is huge. However, I cannot vouch for the quality of persons at the federal legislature and state executives.

Looking at society at large, the progressive indices are clearly deficient. Firstly, the Nigerian society has a penchant (and contented tolerance) for disorder and injustice. A prime example is our behaviour at the filling station during fuel scarcity. The legitimate queue which is usually a line is turned into multiple lines. Then another set of uncivil persons (I am tempted to call them miscreants) lay siege to the exit gate of the filling station. They block it and thus creating a situation in which the only way for persons who have bought fuel to leave is to admit some of them into the fuel station! They gleefully cheat the hundreds of persons queuing legitimately. (A person of shallow thinking might retort that we would not witness such behaviour if there was no scarcity in the first place. He confuses the effect with the cause and turns reasoning on its head.)

Many of us have the chicken mentality. The chicken only sees what is near ahead of it. We think of now now. Few people think ahead. Even if today’s exhilaration and excitement turns to doom and death tomorrow for us and many others, we seem not to care. A lecturer collects money to pass students. He doesn’t care if the students will kill his children through their defective work tomorrow. He just doesn’t care. He only cares what he will eat today!

Lastly, have you ever seem an advanced society with filth and squalor all about? Nigerians are unclean! The graduate as well as the unschooled take bottles of soft drink and then the empty bottles fly out the window. The question is who will pick up that filth of yours? There are the waste management people. Yes. But their job is to move the refuse in your drums to the litter dump not to sweep and pick up the outcome of your irresponsibility. Open defecation and host of houses without any toilet are matters for another day.

I know the only positive index I can see, which is quality of leadership at the central executive, can influence society. However, the bulk of the movement to progress is to be undertaken by the ordinary man and woman on the street. This movement is slothful.

Olusola Aladejebi

you want progress from an old man?

TANTUMERGO007:
you want progress from an old man?

expecting something sensible 4rm ur youth brain bt i am disappointed.

I believe as a nation, we will get it right, is only a matter of time.

Oche211:
expecting something sensible 4rm ur youth brain bt i am disappointed.

sorry sire

TANTUMERGO007:
sorry sire

No prob man. Just try nd get some common sense 4rm ben bruce. I heard it doesn't cos any thing.

TANTUMERGO007:
you want progress from an old man?

What is wrong with being old? Do you know Winston Churchill? He was UK prime minister when he was about 80.

hero2000:
What is wrong with being old? Do you know Winston Churchill? He was UK prime minister when he was about 80.

Winston led the UK to progress further. Naija is headed backwards to era 1983 as led by our own version of old man