Nigeria’s plethora of self-inflicted troubles and the need for change
By Ayshatu S. Rabo
Nigeria’s problems are almost historic, plaguing a promising black nation that ought to be the giant of Africa and the leader of the black nations of the world.
An interplay of religious, tribal and cultural sentiments have been manipulated politically to stagnate Nigeria’s growth and development.
From military rule to democratically elected governments, the situation has remained the same. Present day 4th Republic has not really fared better than the previous decades of interchange between military rule and democratic periods of governance.
As Nigeria grinds into more troubles economically, socially, and security wise, one can safely argue that perhaps the country’s years of military rule have fared better than its democratic days.
Religious and tribal differences have done a great deal of disservice to the continued development of Nigeria’s infrastructural space.
These two factors have stunted continuous growth and development. Projects are littered all over the country, unfinished, that would have changed the lives of so many.
Projects that ought to have been extended or expanded to certain areas or regions are either not taken or not completed.
Some infrastructural facilities have been dominated and retained in one zone or the other to the detriment of other regions.
Resources and sectors that are richly endowed in certain areas are not properly explored and exploited. Prospects both humans and minerals are underdeveloped or under utilised due to tribal or religious differences.
Corruption has set in as the most ugly culture of the Nigerian space. From its leadership down through its followership, everyone has embraced a creed of greed that sees a few being enriched to the detriment of the greater majority.
The common man does not help himself by making life more difficult for his Co travellers. Facilities, palliatives, schemes, and a lot of other government policies and programmes that are provided by the leadership are looted in their way down to the people.
The leaders enrich themselves from the implementation process, and the followers manipulate the provisions to their own selfish gain. In fact , leadership is a reflection of the followership.
The cultures and traditions of truthfulness, honesty, and loyalty have been jettisoned for capitalist and selfish pursuits by Nigerians. There is practically no honour in the domain of the leadership and their followership. Corruption and impunity are frowned at when it doesn’t favour some or the majority that do not get to have access.
Anyone with access to rules or resources plunders it into his own basement.
The presence of transparency and accountability have long been eroded. We manufacture more crooks, looters, and hoodlums than we produce more patriotic and responsible Nigerians. We seem to be headed to the precipice where there will be no country.
The character fabric of society must be changed. There has to be a real cultural reset. We have combined to condone corruption and tribalism. We have to be able to turn everything around. We must bring in the culture of accountability into governance.
The people must be able to make their leaders accountable, not selectively, but judiciously. The corruption in our judicial system must be eradicated.
The courts must be the clearing house for our rights and our truths. We must support each other in business and in politics.
We must learn to usher in the right kind of leaders to drive our change and our development.
Change is inevitable, but the time for the change is what is usually unknown. If we do not organise to do it ourselves, it will violently come upon us. It is our choice between the two.
Nigeria’s plethora of self-inflicted troubles and the need for change