Opinion

About time we make necessary changes

 

By Christie Doyin

I can’t but marvel at the way we do things as Nigerians, we often have
no regard for anything constitutional, especially if we’re not going
to benefit from it financially or perhaps get an edge over others.
You might wonder where the thought is coming from, well looking around
today, a principled person and one coming from a sane society will
know that the whole life of Nigerians is such that if there is no
radical change then God MUST just take total control. It takes me back
to the vision of a great seer and prophet that was not acknowledged
until things started unfolding as it is now.
I mean that great icon, politician, human and humane ‘would have been’
president of this country, the sage late Obafemi Awolowo. He said in
one of his various wise saying that “As long as Nigerians remain what
they are, nothing clean, principled, ethical and idealistic can work
with them.  And Nigerians will remain what they are, unless the evils
which now dominate their hearts, at all levels – are exorcised. But I
venture to assert that they will not be exorcised, and indeed they
will be firmly entrenched, unless God Himself imbues a vast majority
of us with a revolutionary change of attitude”.
In total agreement with him is why I said God MUST take total control
in Nigeria. Those in positions of authority have decided that it is
one thing to campaign with lots of mouth watering will-do campaign
promises in their manifestoes but another to keep to and redeem the
campaign pledges.
In some quarters now, what we hear is that Nigerians have entered a
‘one chance’ boat and is in mid sea, how do we get down, you certainly
will find it difficult leaving the boat or ship midstream except you
are a very good swimmer but then, can you swim across the ocean and if
possible, without danger?
Boats of many of the states are merely floating and drifting with no
capable person to man them. Very unfortunate indeed! I am not just
lamenting, no! Neither I’m I just crying wolves. Anyone can see that
since the last general elections in Nigeria, nothing seems to be
working well. Rules of law are violated flagrantly, election promises
are eroded, hunger and anger have taken over the land and no one,
except those in power and their allies are smiling, if not also
smirking at the timidity and resignation to fate attitude in the
citizens.
I’m looking at some vital issues amidst so many that have set
Nigerians on edge and has pushed the nation to d edge or precipice
without any hope of survival. The slightest shake could spell doom to
all. The controversy in the presidency in relations with the President
Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo: Department of State
Security Service DSS and Omoyele Sowore; the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) between Saraki and other perceived enemies of
the state; Federal Government, Kaduna state Government and El Zakzaky,
whose incarceration was badly managed as well as those in the ‘unlike’
list; government and the governed among others, are such that have
escalated to a dangerous height and that could spell doom for all if
not controlled or nipped in the bud.
I keep wondering why the situation has turned out to be so pathetic,
considering the fact that we have very intelligent, responsible and
hardworking Nigerians that cut across board working and streaming on
fine wherever they are in the world today.
Nigerians who are even into politics apart from those who have made it
in their rights as professionals in their chosen fields have been
acknowledged to be very brilliant, hard working and respectable in
America, Europe and other continents, some even said we are about the
most brilliant Africans, but like was asked, of what use is that
brilliance if we can’t ensure that our own Nigeria works?
I’m not proud but bold to say that we are all guilty of building what
Nigeria has turned out to be today, very disheartening but then, isn’t
it a good riddance to the bad rubbish we created? We cut the nose to
spite the face however the result is that the whole body suffers the
pain.
Our ineptitude has plunged us in to the abyss we are in now and it is
same ‘us’ as Nigerians that must bring back the lost or missed glory.
It is about time the EFCC and other government agencies are no longer
linked with witch hunt of perceived enemies and being described as
hunt dogs of government to bring down those in the bad book of the
ruling government and do its work diligently to bring defaulters to
book whether in government or they are friends of the rulers. They
should not continue on the revenge mission as they  being accused of
but rather do the honest job they are meant to do as agencies created
to fight those who have fraudulently brought the country down.
For instance, I want to appraise the Kwara scenario. During the week,
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, while speaking at the International
Anti Corruption Day rally, organised by the EFCC Ilorin Zonal office,
alleged that the last administration of gov Fatah Ahmed left a massive
debt burden for him. He claimed that as opposed to the N30bn debt
profile the immediate past administration said it left, Kwara was
indebted to the tune of N100bn, this is also in contrast to the N59bn
of N39bn debt plus N20bn bailout from th FG.
This claim, coming about seven months after taking over mantle of
governance became worrisome when viewed alongside the initial
statements of both the Fatah Ahmed and Governor Abdulrazaq (AA)
administrations. According to Gov Abdulrazaq, if the EFCC had not
intervened towards the end of gov Ahmed’s administration, he would
have inherited an empty treasury. How true that is is left to
discerning minds and the Fatah Ahmed’s administration to clarify.
Remember that at the twilight of the ex gov Ahmed’s administration,
the EFCC froze the state government’s account which had the N4.8bn tax
refund released to the state. The commission claimed it froze the
account to prevent an empty treasury and Gov AA in a report also
claimed that the money was in the state’s reserve. He said, “that
N4.8bn is in our cash reserve. We have not touched it. It will be used
to balance the budget for next year…”
The question on my mind for instance is, is there a law that empowers
the EFCC to freeze a government’s account? Can a breakdown of all the
claimed recovery be done and released, is the SME loan recovered
inclusive?
Is there sincerity of mind and purpose in all that is happening now?
This brought me to the matter of how we intend to bring the people
together for a better state and a better country. When are we going to
remove the age long bitterness and envy and work towards making the
state better than we have ever known? When will the people get to see
governance in Nigeria? When are we going to put a check on our ‘pull
him down attitude (phd) and syndrome?
The police and DSS are not also enjoying public sympathy at this time
with the various allegations going round, especially on the arrest,
detention and recent rearrest drama of Sowore in an Abuja High Court
premises. There has been various condemnation about police attitude
towards combating crime and their relationship with the public. For
the DSS, it has been a no no.
Not a few Nigerians have resigned to fate, not many of us understand
what the aftermath of their leaving everything to fate or natural
misfortune could be, we should keep our hope alive by not giving up on
Nigeria. The implication could be grievous if care is not taken.
Remember the jingle, ‘Nigeria go better’. Can it really be better
without positive from all of us, government and citizens?
We should remember that there are people coming behind us, our future.
One of my daughters said the future is here with us already.
It is unfortunate that the youth are not better off in their desire to
get rich quick, theirs is unveiled desperation and greed. They are so
desperate for money that many of them are ready to do ‘anything’ to be
rich and no longer respect the chastity of life, relationship and
patriotism. The people would easily arrange kidnap of self, best
friends, girl or boyfriends to get money. Couples are willing to kill
or get their partners killed in exchange for money while parents and
offspring’s relationships are nothing to write home about all in the
quest to get rich quick or, and attain power by all possible (and
impossible) means.
Someone, in explaining how bad the times are in Nigeria now, wrote
that “Nigeria has grown into a society where we worship money. The
trappings of wealth attracts automatic respect and praise. Even in
churches, special seats are reserved for those who look wealthy and
have given big offerings severally”. You see why I said the guilt cut
across all strata of the society. So very sad indeed.
Borrowing from Michael Jackson, “Heal the world, if we care enough for
the living”, we need to heal our country of hunger, anger, selected
persecution, witch hunting, bloodshed, kidnapping and other crime, but
without bias or any sort of agenda, open or hidden.
Except for two or three states in the country, the situation is same
and pathetically too. I think it is a matter of the minds of those on
the saddle of governance and if only they can have a change of mind
and perception, then and then can we be beneficiaries of the better
Nigeria many of us are craving.
I don’t know if there is Martin Luther or an Mahatma Gandhi or Indira
Gandhi and perhaps a Nelson Mandela somewhere but I know one day, the
sun will shine on Nigeria and all the gloom will disappear.
We need to stop all of those political games, useless and mindless
games and find lasting solution to the problem called bad governance
and selective persecutions. It is about time we change from what we
are as government, leaders and citizens so that we can get things
working again and make Nigeria a better place to live in. I think we
can!
*Doyin, former Editor of National Pilot Newspaper writes via
e-Mail:[email protected]

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