Letter to the Editor
The real problem with Nigeria
letters@dailytrust.com 08131800030
As the 2019 general elections approaches, Politicians vying for various offices are busy bombarding us with grammars and proposals on how they will get Nigeria working again and take us to the next level. Just like the educational system of this county that is centered around theories that don’t translate into practices, so is the rhetoric of these Politicians: words that don’t translate to work.
A superficial look at every sector of Nigeria reveals rot and dis functionality. Nothing seems to work in this country. How can a country of 180 Million people be called functional when public hospitals lack the most basic consumables to attend to patients? How comes the most populace black nation on earth has a failed educational system that only produces unprepared graduates? Where did we get it wrong as a nation that institutionalised examination malpractice has become a norm right from elementary school? At where did we forget our morality that we now celebrate corrupt people that usurped monies meant for developmental purposes?
Whenever I look at developed nations, I begin to wonder if Nigeria will ever get to a quarter of where those nations are. While it is easier to blame the government for our present and past situation, the government on its own part find it easier to blame previous governments and the previous governments blame previous governments and so on and so forth. But then, is the government really to be blame for most of our woes or we as citizens have a share of the blame? A critical look at our lives as Nigerian reveals why we Nigerians are the real problems of Nigeria. From the grassroots all through to the top, most Nigerians wouldn’t want to follow due processes and play games by their rules. I have no second thought that Nigerians are the most unpatriotic people on earth.
With the right amount of bribe, security personnels don’t mind if a motorist is transporting guns or bombs. With enough money, we can get our kids pass their examinations. Without the right amount of bribe, government officials won’t dispense the most basic of services they’re employed for. With some little cash and items, we sell our mandates to politicians. Youth are willing to do all sort of atrocities to live comfortable. Every graduate wants to be employed in government agencies where bribes and kickbacks flow constantly. Traffic rules are constantly broken, nobody wants to pay bills and taxes. The rich exploit the poor, Competency has since been replaced by nepotism and tribalism in most of what we do and yet, we want a better Nigeria.
In a nutshell, before we blame the government for all the rots in the country, we should first of all accept our own contribution to the decay and blame ourselves for getting used to doing things the wrong way. Every Nigerian should understand that change begins with him/her. After all, the same people in government today are a reflection of how an average Nigerian is. To put it right, most of us will be worst off if we find ourselves in the corridors of power. In all honesty, if we want to make Nigeria working again, and take her to the next level, then every Nigerian needs to look inward and be the Nigeria he/she wants to live in.
Yahaya Idris, Kaduna.