Right now, we are groping. Yes, groping in the dark. Stumbling through the darkness in search of light. Like a people without a shepard, Nigerians are wondering who really our leaders are and what the h” they are doing to resolve the daily suffocating problems they face. Nigerians are wondering whether this is really a country or just a pretence.
Right now, we are groping. Yes, groping in the dark. Stumbling through the darkness in search of light. Like a people without a shepard, Nigerians are wondering who really our leaders are and what the h” they are doing to resolve the daily suffocating problems they face. Nigerians are wondering whether this is really a country or just a pretence.
A nation in denial or just a mere geographical expression. In the last few years we have seen our country wither before our very eyes. Things are not getting better, they are getting worse. Take it from me. Ask the ordinary Nigerian, the millions of unemployed youths, the father who has a family of seven to feed and clothe, the small scale entrepreneur who needs electricity to eke out a living, the commercial drivers who ply our so-called roads that consume lives and destroy their cars and you will agree with me that things aren’t getting batter. You then wonder where are our leaders? What are they doing? What are they thinking?
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From the summer of hope rekindled before and after the recent elections, Nigerians are now back in the winter of frustration and near hopelessness. For the government, politicians and lawmakers, it is back to business as usual. The prolifigacy, the sharing and squandering of millions of public money continue unabated. Government goes on making empty promises, delivering empty rhetorics that things will get better, yet there is no evidence that those in power are applying themselves to solving Nigeria’s problems. Rather, there is a preponderance of evidence that they are only concerned about their own welfare and that of their cronies. We are back to the hollow ritual and as millions of Nigerians groan under the burden of a gluttonic leadership, I am afraid something will soon give. The people will begin to demand for answers and action. The islands, fiefdoms and landmarks of the oppressors who claim they have the people’s mandate will first come under attack. Not for too long, the breaking point will be reached and those in power who have continued to abuse Nigeria will have no cover.
But before the spring of discontent comes upon us, we need to act. First, we need a president. Yes, we have one right now, but we need a president with guts. A president who can go for broke. One who can rise above his party politics, one who can ride the storm of parochialism and make bold decisions. Nigerian needs a leader, a strong man with the positive attributes of decisiveness, sharp mind, a grip of the issues and one with resolute political will to turn Nigeria around. We are yet to see these attributes on display. When merely constituting a cabinet consumes so much time, energy and attention and in the process becomes acrimonious, one is worried that the Sheriff is not in control. An ambivalent leader begets nothingness.
Indecisiveness leads to self destruct. Nigeria cannot afford such ambivalence and delay in taking important decisions at a time like this. We watch and we wait. We wait for the leader in President Jonathan Goodluck to emerge. For now we are not yet convinced that the President has the right tools in his tool box. We are not sure, if he is ready take the road less travelled and prevent Nigeria from self destruct. The time for petty politics, ethnic politics is gone. It’s time for national service. In Nigeria today, we are unsure, if the moment has found the man we need to lead us at this point in our history. We now run two countries. One by President Goodluck Jonathan, and the other by the Boko Haram Commanders. The government continues to stumble in its response. The army, Police and security agencies are working off different scripts. The country is under siege.
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Nigeria needs a president that will not dither. One that will look our problems in the eye and deal with them. The rot all around us wreaks of government incompetence and failure. Nigeria needs a president that will implement without delay an action plan on fixing our roads. An action plan on fixing the power sector, not just fantastic ideas on paper that fail to translate into more megawatts for our homes, businesses and industry. An action plan for some form of public transportation system that serves millions. We need an action plan with a time frame to deal with the menace of insecurity and an overhaul of the police system. More importantly, an agenda point for head hunting for the best Nigerian brains who can execute the action plan mandate. Nigeria is where it is today because of the pandering and nepotism that determine who gets appointed. Mediocrity has been taken to new heights in Nigeria. There is something wrong with a country where only the crooked, the half-smart, those with a penchant for corruption, ethnic jingoist and those with godfathers only get into powerful positions or pick up the most juicy contracts. No wonder, we are stuck with a nation now the 14th most failed state in the world according to the recent global ranking out of the 177 countries considered by the Fund for Peace, an American independent non-profit research and educational organization.
According to the report, Nigeria was 15th in 2009, 18th in 2008, 17th in 2007, 22nd in 2006, 54th in 2005, which means that its 14th position assumes its worst stagnant status since 2007. The fall from 2005 to 2006 was sharp, while it has since then been maintaining the margin of one of the most failed in the world, having just a status of being better than just other eight countries in the world.
For all I care, the government may try to debunk this or find a way to ignore it with the hope that Nigerians will continue to put up with the government that thrives on patronage, but hard evidence exist that Nigeria is getting worse. We are a nation constantly in motion, yet without any movement. It is difficult to see that there is a government in place. None of our three pressing problems which we have been dealing with and shouting about for about 20 years have been addressed. Yet at every turn we get new political appointees, we elect new leaders, we deliver speeches with empty promises and end up exactly where we do not want to be.
Time is ticking. The man in the saddle of power, President Goodluck Jonathan has the greatest opportunity to fix Nigeria. I am afraid though that time is running out. Like my people often say, it is from the morning we know how the rest of the day will turn out. Right now, the morning time of the Jonathan presidency is over and there is scant evidence that we are headed in the right direction. We are in brunch time with the afternoon time ahead. The sun sets soon. Nigeria needs a president who will put it out of the misery of dynamic inactivity and end the circle of rape the Nigerian state and people have been repeatedly subjected to. There is no better time for the president to step up to the plate and demonstrate to us that he knows the importance of his office and that he is bold enough to force the hand of change. It is time that to wake up to running a country like it should be run.Mr. President, spare us the politics, roll up your sleeves and lead this country.
-Sunday Dare, an Oxford Scholar, contributed this piece from London.
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