It was a disquiet state for me yesterday as I was on board with 13 other passengers on our way to Lagos, the city of Tinubu. Hence, glancing through the countenance of these passengers, I could tell that ‘all is not well’ from the ‘only God knows’ looks that was grimaced on their interface. Yet, pathetically and psychologically, one thing I was able to easily extrapolate was that the expression tells much about the current state of Nigeria’s Sturm und Drang. Some faces envisages regret, compunction and chagrin, some others it ideates angst, uneasiness and discomfort, while for few others, it depicts a kind of an uncanny hope, beaming with an unhealthy smile.
By the way, even as I was crammed in the Bus, I could still anxiously imagine the many miserable sense of unforgiving thoughts compelling my brain, pushing me into writing these words. You should ask me, what was I thinking of? I was obviously thinking of our President, Muhammadu Buhari and how unimaginable he changed from the ‘face of intergrity’ into the face of I ‘don’t know.’ Remember the year 2015, and how we hungrily ushered in the mantra of CHANGE, led by his Excellency. As an admission seeker that year, I could vividly remember how Nigerians passionately fell in love with Muhammadu Buhari’s profile of untampered qualities, zero corruption tolerance, honesty, patrotism, plus the zeel to serve the people and redeem Nigeria, as well as the capacity for prudent management of natural resources for National development. Nigerians desired that the ‘early’ problem of leadership and corruption be flushed out by the only man left with the integrity that time. Thus, Nigerians ousted Goodluck Jonathan!
We were agog and antsy about the promise to give more access to youths as aides of cabinet members and through opportunities for appointments in board and agencies; to introduce special mentoring programme in governance with young graduates working with ministers and other appointees to reinterpret the education curriculum through coding, robotics, animations and design thinking; to retraining of all teachers in public primary and secondary schools to deliver digital literacy, remodeling and equipping of 10,000 schools per year; to complete the 365 road projects under construction in all parts of the federation, to provide of infrastructure and rebuilding the economy; to sustaining the anti-insurgency war and curb insecurity; to fight corruption and revamp the economy, and many more. Yet, maybe some were highlighted, but were never truly achieved.
Five years after, it’s a different story with an entirely different watercourse. We taught we ushered in a modifying democracy, not realizing it was an almost Niccolo Machiavelli’s form of government that we invited. Like a tyrant, he terrifies his people, spying balefully on us from his strongly fortified Aso rock, as sensitive to approaching prey or predators as a spider delicately balanced at the centre of a web. He doesn’t even have reliable achievements, not to talk of taking credits for the achievements. It’s that blatant that he makes decision ‘without consulting’ or considering the people that matters most outside his office. Today, all criticism to the presidency are considered threats and most likely charged with felony.
Perhaps to the loyalists of the presidency led, maybe one of you need to tell me why this present government is most preferable to Goodluck Jonathan’s administration? Someone needs to tell me if Nigerians are in any way safer? Tell me of what fortune do food cost in the market? Tell me how much do Nigerians buy a litre of petrol? Oh, a little bird told me it has been deducted by #5? Great improvement! Tell me how enjoyable is your condition of living? Tell me how many of your family members can afford to live in the city? Tell me about the Housing and the deficit. Or do you want to tell me about electricity and the 2020 uninterrupted power supply? Tell me about trade, tell me SMEs, tell me how they fund their businesses? Oh, through Tradermoni? Tell me about health care system, tell me about corruption? Tell me about how we are celebrating impunity?
Provokingly, even if I don’t want to talk about them, my conscience will talk about the daily kidnappings, how the poor are now the most vulnerable to kidnappers, it will talk about how bandits kill millions of Nigerians on a daily basis, how Nigerian youths are out on the streets demanding for the safety of their lives, against police brutality. My conscience will also talk about the fight for fundamentalism, of even how freedom of speech is guaranteed, and freedom after speech cannot be guaranteed. Again, look within your street, and tell me if people are not sacrificed by minutes after minute. You should also know of ethnic and religious intolerance, riots, militancy, assassinations, and above all terrorism in supremacy.
There is the issue of social economic hardship on people, of how people have been immerged into hunger and debts, of how it is difficult for an average Nigerian to even spend half of a US dollar per day. What of unemployment? Everyday the numbers shoots up without solutions, oh! the Government have employed 774,000 into office? Oh, they are employing a million N-Power candidate? Good development! What of the meagre salary of 30,000 naira, when a Bone straight hair cost more than 80,000 naira. Talk of Education, let’s ask Mr Adamu Adamu, Of how many percent is being alloted for Education in the 2021 budget? Should we be reminded of the 8 months ASUU strike? how the future of the Nigerian youths have remained inconclusive? Should we be reminded of many students of the public institutions who has died in course of ASUU strike? You should remember Richard? You should remember how he was ‘killed’?
Let’s branch into politics and governance itself, ruled by common sense, trials and errors, and how mediocrity have taken over knowledge, expertise and merit. Lawlessness? It not seen as a big deal anymore, our lawmakers are lawless, our judges are lawless, our ministers are lawless, but I can’t say our president is lawless, can I ? It’s a pity that 80 percent of members of the presidency are lawless and do not know or have a blueprint of how to run a nation successfully. Today, I cannot bear out my anger against leadership. In the leadership today, is where you find disunity, of how two ministers will be fighting publicly over a place to seat. It’s allegations today, it’s denial tomorrow.
Our foreign policy is the most painful thing after corruption, it’s miserable, abysmal, atrocious, awful, brutal, damnable, deplorable, detestable, disastrous, dreadful, execrable,horrendous, horrible, pathetic, stinky,terrible, unspeakable, defective, faulty,egregious, flagrant, gross, coarse, crappy, junky, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, reprehensible, rotten and everything bad. Tell me how Nigerians people will be killed in South Africa and our government will be the ‘deaf and dumb’ about it.
Tell me of the business misery in Ghana and the one million US dollar trade fee? Tell me of Lebanon and how Nigerians are being treated like slaves, tell me about the many other countries, tell me of things that I do not know? Of the country’s foreign policy which is weak and to make matters worse, our handling of the Boko Haram insurgents and internal security issues has destroyed our global stature. Okay, isn’t it obvious? Yes, Nigeria’s foreign policy is tepid. Don’t forget that a country’s foreign policy is as good as its domestic situation. Our foreign policy is weak because the country is now weak.
Let’s be specific and concentrate on corruption, remember what our President said who came to power with a pledge to tackle corruption, said he needs more time to sort out the problem but has begun no successful prosecutions and has appeared to condone colleagues tainted by serious allegations. None of the many corruption cases initiated by the administration has ended in a conviction. You should remember a former secretary to the federation who allegedly diverted 270m naira (£578,000) of funds meant for people displaced by Boko Haram to accounts linked to him was only charged one time or so, two years after being indicted by the Senate. It took months of pressure from the press and parliament for him to be fired; he was the campaign manager for Buhari in 2019, he is living is political life in 2020.
At least two ministers had petitions against them for misappropriation of funds as governors of Lagos and Rivers, the two biggest state economies. Then, the defunct APC chairman, Oshiomhole, also a former state governor, was served papers by a federal high court for fraud perpetuated in office; a month later, the secret police interrogated him for collecting bribes to subvert party primaries nationwide.
Should I also ask if there were any investigation of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Kano governor who was secretly filmed stuffing wads of dollars into his robes, allegedly a large bribe in exchange for lucrative government contracts. On the contrary, Buhari has been happy to appear in public with the governor, and came in person to endorse his campaign for re-election in Kano, a traditional APC stronghold, which, with a population bigger than Belgium, is the biggest state in Nigeria. Should I ask of the Akpabio’s issue? What of Maina?
If we forgive these people, what of our corruptible judges who delay trials and allow corruption relevant using looted funds to block their prosecution. I don’t need any evidence to tell you of how court of law have allowed themselves into the many room of frivolous interlocutory injuctions and irrelevant adjournments. What of the Anti-Corruption agencies? How effective are they fighting this war? Oh, where is Ibrahim Magu? What is he doing in the DSS office? Why is he been probed by the Ayo Salami’s panel, wait, why is the presidency not talking about the report? Do you want me to rant about the outrageous pay of the political office holders? Of how the cost of running all these unnecessary office is costing a fortune? Can we talk about the legislative arm? Of the constituency allowance? Can we talk about how miserable they spend all these money on inconsequential empowerment everyday? You don’t want to also to talk about pension? Which government is thinking into borrowing of the future pension? What else do I need to rant about? Do you want me to talk about ENDSARS campaign? What led to it? the aftermath and how the presidency is bleaching Nigeria’s image?
Fellow Nigerians, it’s no doubt we have been hoodwinked by this administration, led by Muhammadu Buhari and his political foot soldiers. So now, what shall we do? continue to rant and rant till 2023 comes? Continue to protest and get locked up? We all know the presidency will obviously take criticism as a threat, and if not careful on might be charged for felony or act of treason. In conclusion, I can emphatically say that I’m clueless I don’t know the best approach that might help bring the best out of this pessimistic government. Howbeit, as an almost spiritual person I may be forced to hijacking the suggestions of my undergraduate lecturer, Professor O.B.C Nwolise, implying that there should be am established National day of Blessings and Curses for Nigeria, that on this day, every year, Nigerian in their houses, churches, mosques, shrines and everywhere should pray to God to bless those people who toil daily for our fatherland. After this, we shall rain curses on all those who loot our common wealth, give us sleepless night or want our fatherland dead, and all these lawless, and greedy people who love impunity, contributing in making Nigerians suffer endlessly, turning our youths into robbers, cultists, kidnappers, despite the ernomous wealth of our country. I think this should be the way, five years after, it’s a different thing from what we desire from Buhari, it’s a different thing from what we are seeing now.
Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun
