Ink On Paper: We Have Dwelt Too Long In Errors
By: Ajibola Oluwafidipo
Ordinarily, nothing interests me in the entire political space of this entity called Nigeria, but for the divine assignment that some of us are saddled with, which is to contribute our quota to the proper overhauling of the democratic process, it is mandatory that we torchlight happenings, point out calculated and miscalculated errors in-order to chart a new path for our great nation.
Trust me, we have dwelt so long in error, we have repeatedly renewed the errors of yesteryear, from the military era, to the Parliamentary system, to the presidential system, we are yet to fully do away with wrong steps, wrong calculations and wrong candidacy.
Is it not terrible that in a country of over 200 million citizens?, we have always been represented by few individuals that cannot be termed as our best of the best, yet this is a land full of the best of human resources the entire globe envy, yet, none of our best is given the ample opportunity to sail the leadership boat of this great nation.
The last time I checked, our status as the giant of Africa is not well pronounced, only because our leaders at the helms of affairs and other political actors have no solutions to our immediate problems, not to talk of helping the African continent to overcome its impoverished nature.
During the era of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, we could feel his involvement in issues and other matters confronting Africa, you always have something to read about Obasanjo leading delegation to this African country and so on, but in recent time, the only time our President is leaving Aso Villa is when embarking on health trip to London or any part of the world, gradually, we have lost our capacity to take the lead among the comity of nations, we have gradually been relegated as a pariah, the hurdle we were able to subdued after the demise of the late military junta, Gen Sanni Abacha.
Our nation is in economic woes, security peril and above all education comatose, we hear noises from the likes of Lai Mohammed, Femi Adesina and Rotimi Amechi with no meaningful and tangible impacts, they have unconstitutionally been constitutionalizing a way to gag many upright thinking Nigerians, yet, they have not provided an efficient roadmap to navigate us from the present predicament their administration had plunged this nation into.
Are we to deny the irredeemable level of the disintegration in the country, we all professed one Nigeria, but we have preference for our tribe, we no longer promote unity in diversity because the disunity has diversified our entity, the love we ought to display for our fatherland has vanished into thin air, we pledged allegiance to our cultural background, those who should take the lead to unite us are further tearing us apart, few individuals who can find their voices have occupied the media to speak on the need to cohabit, who do we blame, in a situation where the Federal Government is totally dead to organizing sensitization programmes, when National Orientation Agency is only viable to promote the political agenda of the siting president, we have allowed our greed, selfishness and indiscipline to overshadow our right-thinking posture.
The current leadership are using their ill- gotten wealth to further destabilize their successors, the successors are currently waging war against themselves for a perishable morsel. It is in Nigeria that people tend to defend the ideology of a party they know nothing about, returning this nation to the darkest moments of dictatorship, average Nigerians are yearning for a military government instead of having this unresponsive and selfish group in power.
Furthermore, we have lost our values that these lawless group of individuals flaunt their ill-gotten wealth without caution, disreputable men have become lawmakers, men who are neck deep in violence have taken over our hallowed chambers, they entered into personal deals and bring meager projects and valueless incentives to their senatorial districts and federal constituencies.
Which of their cluelessness are we going to feign ignorance of, is it their arrogance and wasteful nature, the resources of the nation that are meant for the provision of basic amenities are in the pockets of average political class, this is why they can go to the point of killing to remain in the centre stage.
If the weakest of the weakest are those we have at the centre, how can we be justified when trying to stampede our snail-like governor, many of whom are nothing but ceremonial governors, they savour the glamour of being the governor but deny the responsibility that comes with it.
Now, the country is at the brink of collapse, yet, our leaders are grumping about 2023, many times, we are disappointed with the level of mediocrity displayed by those we have put in esteemed positions, the way and manner by which they uttered comments capable of tearing the nation into warring pieces, those who had benefitted greatly from the prosperity of Nigeria, are the ones beating drums of war, up till this time, I have not come to term with their inherent benefits, if war happens
In Conclusion, if we are to come out of this economic and political quagmire, we must totally renege the old errors, and build a land of tranquility, capable of providing maximum security of lives and properties for the masses, a land of all and not for the under priviledge who are currently feeding fat on the common wealth of the people, which can only be made possible by voting for credible, reputable and noble candidates, irrespective of their party affiliations.
