“Democracy is an impossible thing until the power is shared by all, but let not democracy degenerate into mobocracy” – Gandhi
As a Nigerian, before I share my pain with you, let it be known that the followership (all of us Nigerians) is as bad as the leadership and that is because we do not hold the leadership accountable like it is in Europe and America.
Starting with a macro economic comparison between Ghana and Nigeria, Ghana foreign reserve is just below 3 billion US Dollars and the GDP of less than 40 Billion US Dollars. On the other hand, Nigeria’s GDP is 320 Billion US Dollars and foreign reserve of almost 40 billion US Dollars. The euro bond issued by Ghana had a sovereign interest of 6.5% but that of Nigeria was 7.8%.
Are you wondering about the wide difference in the interest? Even though Ghana envies the Nigeria’s bequest of over 200 natural recourses and despite the fact that Nigeria is far richer than Ghana the global financial community has more credibility, respect, and trust for Ghana than the government of my country, the Nigerian government.
The holy bible says, “The hearts of my men are desperately wicked” the bible did not say hearts of black men but ‘men’. In this perspective, the white politicians in Europe and America have the predisposition to be corrupt but majority of them at least have either chosen or compelled to be transparent because the followership holds them accountable.
Haven leaved in Europe for many years I now know that the leadership of Nigeria will continue to milk the country dry until the Nigerians themselves say enough is enough as we have seen in the Arab countries recently. Unfortunately, we Nigerians are too timid to embark on a path that will liberate us from the jaws of the clique that has held the country captive for many years.
Occasionally we have the brave amongst us like our own Alan Greenspan, the bold central bank Governor, Mr Sanusi Lamido. He has spoken openly without fear or favour against the corrupt malpractices of the lawmakers in the National assembly and the presidency, these are those who should know better. The national assembly senators challenged him to clarify one of his public speeches or be sacked. He bluffed the senators who summoned him to defend his statement that the annual expenditure of the national assembly is massively burdensome on the overall national budget. The senators dug their own pit as he gave his televised defence to the detriment of the committee members whose mediocrity seems to have taken turn for the worse.
The ruling party, PDP in the past 10 years or so have brought the economy of the country to its knees. From a rigged election to jailed corrupt party chiefs, speakers and governors. The ruling party has made a governing a do or die affairs as we have seen in recent years as they are the only party that failed to sign the electoral code of conduct. They now hurriedly read the freedom of information bill that has been avoided for over four years with hope of passing it before the election. Do they think Nigerians are fools?
What has also characterised the ruling party is the failed Nigerian economy because of policy somersaults, mediocrity, and greed. These unpalatable national antecedents have eroded the very little credibility the Nigerian state and people have in the international community before the ruling PDP came into power.
My country’s economy is now on life support due to the unprecedented colossal looting of the treasury and the non-implementation of the national budget since 1999
How does one justify the National Security Adviser office massive capital budget of $580 million for 2011 whilst the Ministry of Education capital budget is just $399 million? No one should expect anything better from a clique of mediocre that hijacked the country since the early 90s.
My country have spent more than $333 billion on Nigerian roads since 1999 yet our roads have become more deplorable. Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) reports put daily deaths on our roads to about 780. That sadly means that there are 780 avoidable deaths on our roads while the politicians fly across the country in private jets and helicopters.
We do not need UNO, EU or America to intervene in the man made national political Tsunami Nigeria is experiencing. We are blessed with enormous natural and human resources, therefore the future lies in our hands. Let the good people of Nigeria vote out corrupt politicians that have plagued the country and vote in those who they believe in.
The election is next month and the president is vying for your vote again, unfortunately, he is the good son of a very bad family (the ruling PDP). The Holy Bible has it that seeds that falls on bad ground will die; the ruling party PDP is the bad ground whilst the president is the seed.
Vote for whom you believe in not a party!
Before the politicians are voted out or given another tenure in office let us start by petitioning our governors, senators, local government chiefs, etc FREE at…
http://www.myopenpetition.com/ – it is FREE
