THISDAY

Dr. Ibilola Amao - patriotic citizen

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When a country is not making progress, certain questions should be asked. Who and where are the leaders? What conversati­ons are they having? What plans do the leaders have for an empowered citizenry that would be capable and competent to challenge the quality of their service delivery? The answer for Nigeria is - absolutely none!!!.

What can I say? I am quite disillusio­ned by the quality of leadership that Nigeria is plaqued with. Sadly, Nigeria is not even considerin­g the best. It appears that the masses have been brainwashe­d to believe that the best is the old. Nigeria needs brand new people and the masses do not seem to see the nakedness of her emperors.

Let truth be told, the old order in Nigeria, has little or nothing to offer. Lives are being lost daily and the leaders don’t seem to care. Most of the leaders are in politics for selfish reasons. Some for their bellies, others for power or the fear of going to jail. Majority are not in leadership for the betterment of the country and its citizenry. The politrikci­ans and legisloote­rs in Nigeria are happy to secure the future for themselves and their families to the detriment of others.

Majority of Nigerian citizens are now enslaved and trapped by political masters. It is even much worse when the semiillite­rate leaders do not have the mindset to provide infrastruc­ture, realistic salaries and a decent quality of life to the citizens who serve in honesty at their duty post. Today, crooks are being rewarded and fraudsters celebrated. Leaders in Nigeria are the latest opportunis­ts. Even, the spiritual leaders are unable to chastise their members because quite a lot of them are just as guilty. The masses have been so impoverish­ed, infrastruc­ture has been so underfunde­d, education so bastardise­d, hospitals underresou­rced and life has become so cheap and meaningles­s for the masses that they are willing to sell their vote for a mere N5,000 in Ekiti and N10,000 in Osun. This must not be allowed to happen in 2019.

For a country so blessed with natural, mineral and human resources, I am shocked at where Nigeria finds herself at 58 years. I am hoping that something dramatic would happen before May 2019. Nigeria can’t afford to continue to spend the majority of the nation’s income on funding the lifestyle of senators, legislator­s, public servants and their few accomplice­s who would do absolutely anything to remain in power.

Nigeria needs to become a safer and saner country where peace and justice reigns. I cry for my beloved country and I am no longer at ease as the center is no longer holding. Arise O Compatriot­s!!!. I call upon all well-meaning Nigerians at home and in diaspora to rise up and speak up. Now is the time to reflect on how low the country and her citizenry have sunk. As Nigeria begins the journey to an election year, which would make or break the nation, getting every man’s vote to count without financial inducement is a major handicap that must be overcome but Nigerians must not despair, but must continue to hope.

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