By Jide Olowookere
We are now taking out time to think, because the insecurity is getting to us more than we ever imagined. Before our very eyes, Nigerians are losing hope in the Nigeria dream and adopting attitudes and behaviours that emphasize living for the day, not planning to take care of our own futures. We clearly see the problems ahead and draw conclusions, even joke about the problems.
Most of our problems have been caused by us, because we are not participating in the process, all we just do is complain and let it go, which is leading to bad leadership and the unintended consequences of poorly thought out party system designed merely to garner votes for election and re-election and is wreaking havoc on our security, economic, education and all sectors of our nation.
For one, we all know the security allowances are in billions which I don’t know what impact that has on the lives and properties of the citizens.
The security overfunding has been known since the 1960’s, yet our leaders has failed to enact any meaningful solution to the problem of insecurity. The Nigerian system is being ran like a secondary school prefect selection. With the most recent abduction of our girls and the two times bombing at Nyana within a period of 30days. I ask our Government where were the security operatives, who were suppose to have intelligence informations about this happenings.
The cost of education has continued to skyrocket such that students think of doing menial jobs to save some money, which is as a result of having pity on their parents who secure debt to send them to school, with no visible job provision for the millions of graduates.
The cost of medical treatment is also on the high side, citizens don’t have adequate medical care let alone a health insurance and yet we read the billions of Naira being used on frivolities by our leaders.
Concurrently, despite rapidly increase in rent, and so call provision of housing to the masses, an average Nigerian still don’t have electricity for 24hours, I read an update which says “Nigerians don’t need transformation, they need transformers”. This is the state of a our nation. We have issues from Security, Bad Roads, Electricity, Education, Health, OMG virtually all the sector is messed up. I said Nigeria is not on the map, and I was asked if it was in my father’s house. Not at all, is in our hearts of heart, that’s the Nigeria we all dream of but we are not acting. Our leaders act like they are doing us a favour, they have been fixing all this for more than 50years with no convincing result with the tag line, it takes time, maybe when likes of me turn 130years, the time will have come.
The ills in the nation is a major concern for me, a lot of Nigerians are losing hope, not that we are losing hope in ourselves, but losing hope in the system.
All we know and taught was to save, to work hard, to provide for another day which is turning to a fiction. The Nigerian Dream is almost becoming nightmare if we don’t act NOW.
I have seen bad behaviors continuously rewarded by our government. I have seen the victimization of society in the minds of elected leaders with no one held accountable for his or her actions.
The net result of all of this is that the productive element is that we are all intending to live for the moment. We all intend to achieve a work-life balance that properly reflects this new understanding of what life will be like for the NOW. Do we even plan for retirement let alone the future of our Nation. Nigeria is not about NIGERIANS ARISE anymore, is now about NIGERIANS LET’S ACT.
Look at what our country has come to. What have our elected leaders done to our nation in the name of getting elected and re-elected?
It is time that we demand that our nation re-establish its moral compass. I know you thinking or asking if we ever had one. Yes, we do. It is essential that we act and end the mentality of your duty as a Nigerian Citizen is just to live and just leave.
It is essential that our society make our decisions based upon the long run, not based upon the short run, if we are to recreate the Nigerian Dream of a better tomorrow of the Good People, Great nation tag.
Our leaders are gradually failing to understand the consequences of this short-term thinking, and within our own very eyes we are bringing an end to the Nigerian Dream. Sobs
Great people of this Great Nation, the time for serious solutions to serious problems has come, we must be part of the emergence of a New Nigeria . The decision is yours, the decision is mine. Our government works for us, not the other way around. Let’s demand serious solutions to serious problems. If one of your family members was involved in the Nyana blast or your kid was abducted will your family be at peace? Will you go to work? Won’t you cry out?
Join the cry, match, pray, let’s do all we can do in our capacity and demand justice and credible leadership. THE TIME IS NOW. NIGERIANS THINK!
To the possibilities in our lives.
’Jide Olowookere is a Graphic/Web Designer, Ideas Recreator, Writer and Speaker.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
