Intolerance Range

The mood is swinging and things are no longer as they seem. Those days, when Nigerians were described as the happiest, warmest, most tolerant, and most docile people in West Africa and Africa, seem to have receded into the shadows.

Instead, a new ugly mood is gradually taking root and the smiles are less frequent now; subsumed under a layer of mounting anger, disappointment and frustration at a system which appears awry, and at an administration that promised so much but has given so little in return for being voted into power in a historic election.

Tempers are quicker to flare nowadays and in the face of a widening gap between the rich and the poor, the average citizens are holding onto one basic precious possession, which is their right to vote. This was the same scenario three years ago when the people spoke with a major voice and decided to change the leadership after many years of misrule, disap- pointment and corrupt enrichment by those at the helms of power.

Now that mood has returned and with the prevailing hardship, higher cost of living, mounting poverty and unemployment, there is likely to be a backlash come the general elections next year. To many citizens, the government in power is only papering over the cracks in governance premised on false electoral promises.

Citizens are more discerning and are aware that development is being put on hold while those in power are formulating strategies on how to convince the electorate to retain them again.

However, the current development and economic indices are too damning, and if this administration does not put its house in order to deliver on its erstwhile promises, the level of tolerance may swing the other way, with consequences... fair warning