Nation building has not been an easy task for this country called Nigeria since independence in 1960. Our political forefathers fought gallantly to secure self rule from our colonial masters, the British government, sixty four (64) years ago. Prominent among the citizens, from the three major ethnic regions in the country were Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. They collectively had in mind one politically driven vision, void of personal interests for the young nation; and of course, they manifested their morally rich leadership qualities in their respective and very impressive political careers and state assignments to the entire world, in the beginning of this political journey for the nation. Over a period, the historical content in diverse aspects of the nation’s three arms of governance (the executive, the judiciary and the legislature) suddenly drifted from the democratic trajectory by the emergence of military rule in the country. This unexpected development led to a drastic shift from the original drafts or proposed plan made ab-initio for the governance of the nation that was collectively articulated and freely agreed upon by all stakeholders from the ethnic nationalities that make up the country. The rest that has transpired all these past decades of the nation’s life and the national growth and development in summary, was history before today.
State of the nation today focuses much more on the style of leadership exhibited by the political class, which is key to the existing political structure that is prevalent in the governance of the Fourth Republic. The democratic process that is in vogue through electioneering and voting procedures are things to be worried about, considering the future of a nation that is already sixty four (a matured age by all standards). Our values and visions for the nation have totally and completely transited from the expected norm that ought to spread the dividends of good governance to the entire electorate in the democratic system. The electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is not left out of the present allegation for every observed electoral failure and disappointments recorded whenever there was election for all the elective positions in the land. The bugging issue is the obvious trending open vote buying by candidates; the desperate means of power sharing and the regimented style in today’s political struggles; which end up producing political leaders that care less about the welfare and the well being of the citizenry, but for their individual pockets. In all honesty, the citizens are tired and are not happy in these difficult times of hardship in all socioeconomic dimensions. The economy has been badly managed without the expected sensitivity from those in authority about the social challenges facing the vulnerable masses.
A man or woman of sixty four years of age would be addressed as a “senior citizen” in most developed economies; and at the same time is qualified to be a “grandfather” or “grandmother” but, in our own clime, the political growth of the nation still portrays its status in the current state of the nation, as a “toddler” that is still crawling. The worst aspect of the entire scenario in our social contract is that the suffering masses are not helping matters either. Is it the hunger in the land or the endemic corrupt system that has eaten deep into our conscience and bone marrows, which has morally depraved us not to shun or eschew evil, by voting in potential non-performing candidates into elective offices because of the dangling of instant monetary inducement by politicians (instead of delivering a credible, free and fair election through their votes)? This is a worrisome situation that needs to be corrected and reversed otherwise, the trend will dangerously hold us down from the expected growth in all ramifications. The required trend by the inputs of patriotic citizens shall stimulate national economic growth and development.
At this advanced age, what one thinks the leadership should aspire to actualize is to set up a developmental process that will groom the citizens to have the interest of the country at heart; with a mindset where the state interest comes first before personal interests. Those in authority at the national level are the same ones expected to use the power of the state to structure national identity expected to unify the citizens and stabilize the polity in the right direction, where the citizenry shall start enjoying full security protection, favourable economic deliverables and all needed social safety nets from social institutions within the system, to actualize the assistance that shall improve lives of vulnerable masses that experience poverty in the country. The onus lies on the political class, to reshape this unbecoming trend in the nation’s political process that could otherwise, manifest greatness of the nation. The big question we all need to ask ourselves with some curiosity is, “after now, what becomes of our future in the journey ahead”?
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