The demands and nature of effective
governance seems to have either eluded our political leaders and other
political stakeholders or has been swept under the carpet by same. Oh yes!!!!
History and the present times have presented and are still presenting to us;
rulers that have achieved ground breaking feats in; reawakening dead
economies, successfully banning dehumanizing systems and laws, fighting to the
last grasp of breathe for the freedom of their people and so on and so forth. Oh
peace be unto your carcass and soul ; Nelson Mandela, GOD bless your heart and
soul ; Abraham Lincoln, tranquility unto you ; Mahatma Gandhi, respect to your
doggedness; Reuben Castro, to our wonderful National warriors of the
independence era; Dr.Zik, Obafemi Awo, Tafewa Bale and the likes, I dove my cap
for you guys. But ehhn Baba's, your sons have not treated us well ooooo, please
help us note that.
Our lot as a Nation
has been over the years downgraded and polluted by leaders who construct
Borehole in a community, 2 blocks of manageable classrooms, upgrade dead road
to a span of about 100km and patch the rest, spray money while on political
patrol, and media outlets who will dish out encomiums on them; our Governor,
the President, that's him, the man of the people. I *laugh*, they will then go
ahead to: uhmm uhmmm, Second Tenure on the way.
The way these petty and Normal
projects executed by our elected political leaders using our taxes to construct
few kilometer roads and other meager projects are hyped by some media outlets
and the populace is of great distress. while leaders all over the world are
undertaking National and world shaking projects (artificial
archipelago's/islands and focus on world class tourism in Dubai despite the
abundance of crude oil in the UAE), Nationwide health reforms and banning of
foreign Health care system usage in Cuba by Late ruler Reuben Castro which has
made Cuba's health care system; one of the most enviable worldwide. One can go
on and on and keep drawing samples from ages and present time about how so many
National leaders have been so Nationalistic in their outlook towards
development. Nigeria Government rather than channel resources into the Nigerian
economy are rather being ‘internationalistic’ in their outlook towards
development ; further enriching developed and fast developing nations while
infrastructures in their own Nation are in a state of pity (very well the case
of our President seeking medical care in the UK). This undesirable situation is
further buttressed by the findings of the federal government's recently
organized symposium on corruption in Nigeria and Africa generally, held in
Abuja. Key speakers include; the Acting president Professor Yemi Osibanjo, Prof
Itsey Sagay (leader of the presidential advisory committee on corruption
matters) and other notable Nigerians. They examined the report of the thabo
mbeki led panel where it was discovered that more money was leaving the shores
of Africa from the proceeds of corruption to developed Nations and the larger
percentage of this proceeds of crime are from Nigeria. it was further
buttressed by the acting president Prof Yemi Osibanjo that international
monetary aid organizations are no longer considering Nigeria as a third world
nation that needs certain voluminous economic bailout fund because of the
volume of money leaving its shores.
I think it will be better if our
hyped and over hyped political actors take a turn around and turn this Nation
into a world attraction that it ought to be rather than executing 5kobo/10naira
projects and giving a sigh of relief that they have done their best. You guys
had better change lest we rain vigil of fire on you. To whom much is giving,
much is expected.
Bolaji Olaniba
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