Public opinion in recent times has shown that Nigerians are very angry with the country and are not happy with the harsh living conditions prevalent. Most of this anger is directed to the governments, who have been the sole architect of our backwardness. Why should they be happy with the country, when at 49 years of independence we have retrogressed instead of progressing forward? Nothing works here. A country that ranks as the world's sixth largest producer of crude oil cannot boast of basic necessities of life such as steady power supply. If poor neighbouring countries of Benin, Togo and Ghana can boast of steady power supply, then why cant us? Recently Ghana silenced us by drawing the attention of the US. The country can only boast of useless and remorseless leaders who for 49 years according to Vanguard Comment of Tuesday October 6, 2009 “...are filled with their self-importance to the extent that they think they are divinely appointed to wreck Nigeria, and expect generous applause for their disingenuous efforts”. Vanguard's October 10th meeting tagged ‘Under One Roof' is an assemblage of the sore limbs of this country, if possible, should be cut off so that the very soul of this great country can be saved from death to ensure our continued existence. In my opinion that meeting will only be meaningful if these group of men who are supposed to be ashamed of the negative roles they have played in realisation of the 'Nigerian Project' as envisioned by our founding fathers who fought for our independence from Britain, resolve individually or collectively to tender an unreserved apology to the people of this great country.
If these past leaders wish to make our chequered history which they piloted available to this generation, they should do so in prints or publish it in form of books. However, these past leaders should know that they are responsible for the failure of the Nigerian Project and should admit that fact or tell us why in the mist of plenty their governments could not provide basic necessities of life such as food, housing, education, health, water, electricity, employment and justice (this remains the status quo) for Nigerians.
Furthermore, you made matters worse by the inclusion of the Re-branding apostle in your cast. Re-branding has become our latest export commodity aside oil with no international and local demand. I have since the inception of the resource wasting Re-branding project faulted it. Although Mrs Dora Akunyili no doubt served her country well as NAFDAC boss. She has joined the charade by orchestrating the Re-branding project. You do not need to go a singing 'Nigerians good people great Nation' when we know that the actions of Nigerians at home and in Diaspora will under the current socio-economic circumstances continue to jeopardize and project a negative image of the country. Is Re-branding the solution to our woes and bad image abroad? No. Nigerians are very resolute and hard working. That is why Nigerians are found in virtually every corner of the globe. A Nigerian is ready to tread where angels fear to step up. As Nigerians migrate to different parts of the globe in search of greener pastures, engraved at the back of the mind is the bitter truth that failure is not an option. Their plights are compounded by the fact that the hope of many they left back home in Nigeria rest on their success or failure. They are also very much aware that the country holds very limited opportunities for them if they venture to come back. No wonder they are determined to take any action legal or illegal to succeed. Even if re branding song were to replace our national anthem, it will not have any positive effect on the image of the country at home or abroad. The 419ers, armed robbers, kidnappers and all other Nigerians who engage in evil and illegal acts will have since put their ingenuity and strength to good use if opportunities and a conducive environment have been provided by successive government over the years.
Other emerging economies use their good business environment and rich tourism potential to project a good image of their countries. No sane foreigner will be encouraged by his country to venture Nigeria under the prevailing social and economic climate. How will a potential investor come and jeopardize his business here where the cost of doing business is not friendly at all, chiefly due to epileptic power supply? Or will a foreigner seeking peace and quietness as a tourist visit Nigeria where he stands a high risk of being kidnapped or duped all because the youths are jobless and living under some of the harshest conditions on earth and are compelled to survive by any means.
I have also held the view that we have been in depression before the recession. Unemployment rate is a major yardstick for measuring the adverse effect of the recession by rich countries who are hard hit. A figure of 5-20% is considered unacceptable and it is tackled as an emergency. We don't even have an exact figure for our unemployment rate. The government tries to down play the figure which is staggering. Even at that, it well over 50% and we think that we are not in a state of depression. Instead of tackling the problems bedevilling the country, the present government blames recession for its failure to better the lot of the citizens as if we were doing well before it. What were we able to achieve with the past enormous revenues that have accrued to the treasury of the country. With this kind of situation how do we expect a good image for the country? It not by miracle. A rich and prosperous country evokes patriotism in its citizens. And this patriotism will be translated to projecting a good image of the country. If this country is developed we will not only automatically change our image from negative to positive, those Nigerians abroad will run back to this country in droves, while those at home will shun current acts that batter our image. Then we will have citizens of other countries queue up at our embassies and border with the intention of migrating here.
I want to re-iterate that if the trio of General Yakubu Gowon,Alhaji Shehu Shagari and the Maradona of Nigerian politics, General IBB should come under one roof, I expect nothing but tendering of sincere apology to all Nigerians for the roles they played in bringing us to this point of hopelessness. As past leaders if they have done well, they would be respected or acknowledged at home and abroad. They dare not lay claim to that status because of the current state of the nation which is a fallout of their various government. If they want to change that and earn the honour of ordinary Nigerians as heroes, they should collectively or individually tender unreserved apologies to the people of Nigeria. That action if taken will mark a turning point towards the development and a greater future for this great country. If they chose to remain foolhardy as is the case of our current President (whose state of health remains a controversy since May 29 2007), and continue to establish themselves as enemies of good advise and popular public opinion (Such public opinion include the current call for the full implementation of Justices Uwais report for electoral reforms and the Ledum-Mittee report for they development of the Niger Delta), peace will soon become a scarce commodity.
Finally, these leaders have since independence presented themselves as more intelligent than the whole country. The state of chaos and continue decline in the living conditions of Nigerian citizens after forty nine years of independence is the outcome of their stupid intelligence and ill conceived ideas which is a pointer to the fact that they never saw the opportunity they had in government as an avenue to build a better Nigeria and improve the lot of the masses. Their personal agenda took precedence over our collective interest. We have lost our place in the comity of nation no thanks to their nefarious acts. We cannot no more lay claim to being the giant of Africa. We are just the most populous country in Africa. They should all be aware that their various actions over the years which remain the status quo till date will soon result to a looming bloody revolution. The masses that are at the receiving end will sooner than expected reach their elastic limit and they will be compelled to revolt, if these past leaders do not apologise and refrain from exerting their bad influence on the governance of this country; and if the present administration fails to steer the ship of state in the right direction, that revolution will come sooner than we expect and non of them will be spared. The Niger Delta struggle is a recent example. Deregulation, electoral reform and 2011 election aside unemployment and other thorny issues are vivid examples of scenarios that will bring about the revolution if the government continues to reject popular public opinion in the nearest future.
Whatever a man sows that he shall reap.
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