The constancy of truth is ultimately prevalent over falsehood in the sight of intellectuals that lean on facts and figures as fundamental determinants of their dutiful engagements, often times, willful actions of rogues among the ruling class whose expertise in brainwashing a section of the society by promoting falsehood at the expense of truth as means of political relevance constitute serious setbacks to the actualization of a self-reliant Nation where majority of citizens will be dutifully engaged.
In human endeavours, appraisals are often required to either gauge or measure progress acquired in the cause of every activity, not minding the variance in mindsets and thinking faculty among individuals, presupposition often derail basis of judgments especially when certain parochial interest seemingly overrides assessment either positively or negatively, as we tend to create a psychic of odd mentality termed African Mentality which has hampered the functionalities of democracy and good governance in Nigeria.
Every marriage has a window period for the couples to blend with realities of their solemnization, alas, they probably dated and had courtship before their wedding, yet, honey moon offers them the grace to evaluate their marital vows. Some couples thereafter shares agonies and sorrows but endures the difficulties, surmount striking challenges and live together harmoniously forever. For others, little hardship facilitates either partial or permanent separation.
I have searched for any perfect marriage in available domains and climes but found none, what I found instead of perfection was tolerance and considerations of weaknesses by partners through which harmony, peace and progress dwell in their affairs. Marriages built on trust and sincerity stands the test of time, imperfections rarely takes the lead as the partners collaborate to protect family interest and never endanger their wards thereby wading off their imperfections in the pursuit of welfare and home needs.
Compare marital life with government, there is a linear relationship, where decency and modesty applies in sane climes, where respect for rights and privileges are prevalent, political participation is premised on strong determination for value added engagements, but in odd climes like ours, self-inclined benefits takes the lead. Instead of the family interest to be premised on the generality of citizenry, every government in power sets barriers to demarcate meeting and separating points where preference for political family interest overshadows their responsibilities to the entire citizenry whose interest they vowed to uphold every time.
There ought to have been a Nigeria Project for the people, collectively to uphold trust and confidence for the purpose of allaying fears that exist in our diversities, what exist till date is cliché interest across board. Over a year ago, Nigerians filed out to set direction for positive changes through the platform of All Progressive Congress based on well-crafted manifestoes and respect for respectable personalities that took the lead in the process of dislodging the former tenants of Aso Rock Villa in particular. Looking back to the campaign era, the Country was promising once again after a long while, people were happy for the return of a personality they could trust with their mandate, the euphoria now gave way to despair, the real question enveloping the air roving the lips of Nigerians is that, did we really made a mistake with our last pursuit for a change?, the reasons for the despair are not far-fetched, they are obvious than the truth.
Our quest for change was not a mistake considering the sterling revelations of impunity acts of the last administration, but the change we yearned was intercepted by interlopers mostly rookies with brazen display of stunts and goofs in the cause of discharging their duties. When you evaluate the 8 years of Obama Presidency in America, the major achievements of his administration are not numerous but their impacts surpasses the initial motives, the Obama Health Care, withdrawal of troops from foreign missions, recovery from economic recession and repositioning of America as a frontline world power with preciousness among competitors, haters and lovers of Obama in America don’t contest his expertise at duties and intellectualism in favour of the masses.
Couple of years ago, to imagine the success of a black man as America President seemed impossible, however, it was achieved not through mere racial affinity of blacks with Obama but with his exemplary leadership derived from inbuilt skills, good conscience and convincing style of leadership. If a black man can successfully govern a white dominated Country, why is it difficult for a black man to successfully govern the most populated Black Country in the world, do we need a foreigner naturalized in Nigeria to emerge as a President on our soil before we advance as a Country.
The difference between America and Nigeria is the fact that in spite of diversities Americans determined their core values that must be protected long ago, which is the supremacy of the Country above Citizens, they uphold it as a sacred trust that there are no Americans without America first, they are well determined to surpass the achievements of their colonial masters, but in Nigeria our diversity has become adversities, what is obtainable in our democracy is objectification, leaders interest at variance with populace interest.
I really pity most young Nigerians glued to the game of deceit and mere criticism of policies and actions of government without finding enabling platforms to prepare for a future where the tides will favour the majority. Most young people seems to lack the sight to foresee the impending doom, are we not carried away by sentiments and affinities as unsteadiness takes the lead in our polity. How long shall we continue to find faults alone without gathering efforts to correct the anomalies in the system, everyone now assume authority on every issue even with obvious exhibition of shallowness.
The last administration has become a history but the story lines in that administration has only changed in terms of financial recklessness but the real expectations of the masses in terms of economic recovery, poverty eradication and creation of an egalitarian society are far from attainment as the attitudes of core officers of this administration classify them as rookies. In the Education Sector, it is policy gaffes by the Minister on admission policies, in Sports and Youth Development, it is an exhibition of faux pas by the heady Minister, INEC and Security Agencies are not impressive with current challenges arising from their operational tactics and strategies while other Ministries and Agencies performs below general expectations.
Native intelligence will never fail when well construed; it is the prevalence of native intelligence that has eluded us in decision making as we lean towards foreigners views and assessment without considering our peculiarities. If we respect our peculiarities, what is the essence of bicameral legislature at the Federal level, why the lack of autonomy of Local Government and why the abolition of Regional Government.
With the perpetual stokes of native intelligence and strong inclinations to the directives of external oppressors under the guise of International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Nigeria is in ruin of external debts and depleted foreign reserves with no commensurable developmental strides by the past and present governments. Each time the debt profile of States Governments comes to fore, it queries the sensibilities of the Governors and you begin to wonder how and where some of these elements with no sense of management other than waste and greed managed to acquire that title wrongly called Excellency.
His Excellency is a revered title meant for reasonable people with sense of commitment to duties and problem solving, but our so called Excellency most created generational problems as shown in States debt profile and for the affected masses to ponder over the ruin already on ground for future leaders to inherit, political correctness is mostly sought by them as they pursue perilous task learnt from the perils of Pauline styles of their mentors.
The honey moon is over for President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress but they still enjoy the life lines, there is no coordination of the oppressed working people and different categories of poor class, heads of Civil Society Organisations are either consumed by fury or lost in the pond of stagnation, if not, divorce signals ought to have been visible. In a situation where a divorced wife is more determined than the legitimate Children over a share of inheritance, then the family heads should understand the existence of poor characters and attitudes among members of the family.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party obviously represents the divorced wife well determined for a remarriage with Nigerians by 2019, instead of laying prudent grounds for the masses by the APC government to serve as preference to reject the amorous advances of PDP to dupe Nigerians again, APC supporters, Party Leaders and the Government itself is locked down by political correctness and unexplainable attitudes capable of ruining their gains eventually. One particular question begging for answer is the truism of free, fairness and credibility of our elections in Nigeria, it reflects more of conspiracy and override than fairness, if the only thing the masses can benefit directly from this administration is the true functionality of our democracy, the earlier the masses brace up to achieve that onerous task the better for us.
The World seems to be returning to the dark ages of ignorance as our varsities now produce educated illiterates with no leanings to thorough thoughts and actions other than get rich quick inclinations, people engage in politics not to offer services again, but to assume position of authority to have grip on resources and become self-sufficient through our common wealth, the President must be thoroughly engaged on strategies to make leadership lesser attractive as a means of everlasting wealth for political office holders.
The emergence of a fresh political alliance and formation of new party to compete with APC in 2019 would have been more beneficial to the masses but who will bear the burden as the PDP attempts a return to our polity. If efforts towards economic revitalizations and general prosperity are not yielding immediate results, we should not ignore other noble initiatives requiring only hands to correct; we should forbid people from learning governance from vantage point of leadership, the risk of allowing the solemnization of the rookies to override other sound dictates of democracy will be too difficult to bear if we fail to be more proactive to guide Mr President to success.
Comrade AbdulRahman Agboola
National Coordinator,
Mass Action for Good Governance and Grassroots Development in Nigeria
[email protected] 08029809000
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