By Adeola Aderounmu

10 years of irresponsible governance

The best election in Nigeria’s history was annulled in 1993. In 1999, a sad page was opened in the history of Nigeria. It continues till today. It is sad because Nigerians have surprisingly not been able to participate in any credible election. The votes have never been counted.

May 29 1999 saw the emergence of the evil party in Nigeria. The PDP has destroyed lives. They have destroyed dreams and they have destroyed the pillars of democracy. Obasanjo spent 8 years to run the country into pit and the present leadership of Yar Adua has not done anything tangible to lift the people out of poverty.

There are more than 140m people in Nigeria. Over 90m live from hand to mouth. Uncountable numbers of women die from preventable conditions relating to child birth and diseases. Health care is on ground zero. The Universities that used to be the best in Africa are now ranked among the worst in the world. Primary education is almost non-existent. Teachers are not well paid and their salaries are irregular. School and education have become reserved for the elites-the rich and the well-to-do in the society.

Corruption is now a way of life and ill-gotten wealth is the norm. Children and youth lack decent role models and the society is now ridden with abnormal adaptations of abominable vices. Housing has never been planned with the poor and weak in mind. There are no social security systems to cater for the multitudes of unemployed, children, orphan, the old, fragile and helpless.

After 10 years of uninterrupted (stupid version of) democracy, the gains have been with the politicians getting richer by continuous looting of the treasury. Across Nigeria, the politicians continue to get richer, acquire wealth illegally and award themselves contracts and monies in reckless manners. They’ll do anything to be rich, to loot and crazily become stinkingly rich. The people that they are supposed to serve are reduced to beggars and losers. It is sad. It has gone for 49 years in total and there is no end in sight.

So as “they” celebrate and in very expensive manner, the masses are crying with great pain and extreme difficulties. They are completely hopeless. The electricity generated in Nigeria can barely serve one local government, yet the entire federation is supposed to use this worthless quantity of electricity. What is wrong with Nigeria?

Refineries are not working because some people are getting scandalously rich daily from the misfortunes of the nation. I cannot believe that these anomalies are perpetrated by normal people. People who fail to understand the purpose of governance and the transiency of human existence. I am convinced that the leadership of Nigeria is unintelligent and lacks the cognitive abilities to comprehend the meaning of public service. This is definitely a mad act syndrome that has infected almost everyone in Nigeria public service.

This is the only way I can explain acquisition of wealth beyond the needs of a normal person. It is the only way I can comprehend billions of dollars in Swiss banks while people are dying of poverty and impoverishment in Nigeria. Sad!

So, it’s 10 years..! 10 years of waste! 10 years of near zero achievements. 10 years of waiting in vain. 10 years of continuous stealing and looting by the wicked and heartless politicians. 10 years of hopelessness! 10 years of insanity! 10 years of zero future planning..! 10 + 39 years of wastefulness and visionless leadership.

What is needed in Nigeria is a group of young men/ women who are committed to nation building. A group of people who don’t care about the madness of riches. People who are happy with one car or even a bicycle to get around. People who will not permit corruption or looting of the treasury. We need men and women with brain, mission, vision and purpose to help this great nation to take its rightful place among the comity of nations. We need people with the proper leadership qualities who can harness the wealth and potential of this country to a positive outcome.

We definitely also need to redefine our method of governance. We need to shift the power from the centre to the regions. We need to bring governance to the people and out of the people. We need a system that allows dialogue and promotes participation. This system where one robot in abuja regulates everyone else is completely senseless, negative and uncivilised to the core.

Nigerians, wake up and save this country for the future. Think about your children and begin to adopt the right approach towards governance. You know why Obama is not coming to Abuja; he cannot been seen to physically support the unelected government in Nigeria when democraticall elected government exist in Ghana, Sierra Leone and even Liberia! Obama cannot afford the risk of been seen with all the corrupt looters who are friends and actors of the regime in Nigeria. The scandal is something he cannot afford.

If we don’t put out house in order and begin to use our intelligence in a positive way, there will be more national embarrassment in the future. But eh! What does a Nigerian Politician care? Seriously, this dilemma is getting beyond human comprehension. We need help..!

June 12 is the legitimate democracy day in Nigeria