IT DOESN’T MATTER THAT MATTERS – A PEEP INTO GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA

By Nnabugwu Chizoba

As Nigerians struggle every day, to bear the almost unbearable distractions of the Nigerian political office holders and their cohorts: the pseudo administrators, who through their collective conducts, have proven not only to be incompetent and bias, but have equally perfected a grand design to continuously provoke and irritate Nigerians, without any form of remorse. Quite unfortunate.

It remains indisputable fact, that the conduct of, especially those entrusted by the Nigerian electorate, with the governance of the country and responsibility of public leadership, are not taking reflexive thought about their role in governance of the country and in that regard have not reflected deeply on the fact that they have direct stake in the survival, growth and development of the nation and common good of citizens. 

If truth be told, the major causes of the increasing wave of agitation among Nigerians of diverse interests and background, rest solely on the existence of social class inequality: skewed opportunities, and conflicts between national and ethnic basis of socio-economic legitimacy, interest oriented and heavily prejudiced practices and discrimination, against certain groups, individuals and communities; in education, the justice system, employment, resource distribution and the rest.

We cannot disregard the fact that ethnic agitations have become a phenomenon with far reaching costs. We cannot also neglect the fact that Nigeria’s underdevelopment, backwardness and general apathy are the direct consequences of the failure to deliver on the numerous promises of programmes, projects and policies. 

The extent to which prejudice, discrimination, intolerance, aggressiveness, domination and parochialism, have reached and is still promoted in the public domain, to say the least, portends great and very grievous consequences to our collective agenda for a renaissance, Nigeria.

The consensus of opinion, going by various submissions of Nigerians through their write ups in the media point to the fact, that there is enough policy framework, excellent proposals and wonderful suggestions before the government that are neglected or are not properly integrated into the national framework. Nigerians, in their views, have contended that such proposed documents provide great opportunity to transform, rehabilitate and re-direct Nigeria.

The present leadership must not only seek, but strive to recognize practically the signs and requirements of the time, and provide, very urgently, relevant, meaningful and current solutions to current problems. The over dependence or continuous insistence on old ways and formulas that have proven ineffective, unproductive and inconsequential in dealing with very minor national issues must be jettisoned and done with, out rightly.

Many Nigerians, including the wife of the President, have spoken about the existence of a cabal that has hijacked the affairs of government and governance in Nigeria. This obviously, is a sign of failure on its own. It signifies on one hand, the lack of capacity of the one entrusted by the electorate to direct the affairs of governance, in the country, and/or, on the other hand, a mark of betrayal on the part of those he trusted to advise and also help him direct the affairs of the country. 

If the above be the case, as I belief it is, my take on it is this: rather than continuous enslavement by the very few fickle minded individuals, co-travelers and traducers, the obviously very large number of well-meaning Nigerians that have kept their lips sealed in silence, must not only speak out but act decisively to rescue the nation and keep the indolent and misguided individuals out of their stranglehold on Nigeria’s governance system and development, especially when it has become very obvious that they have nothing to offer; that their emergence in the first place is a mistake, indeed a destabilizing factor.  

Faced with the evidence of their poor performance, absurdities, political insensitivity and tension soaked anxieties generated by unguided utterances, poor public conduct and other unjust behaviours, in addition to conspicuous conspiracies in the midst of abject poverty and life of squalor and numerous other forms of suffering by the Nigerian masses, the best Nigerians could do now, is to rise up and rescue the Nation, which is already in a mess.

My candid view is that a second liberation is urgently needed to pull Nigeria out of the present quagmire. The first liberation brought national sovereignty. The second liberation by all intent and purposes, must take advantage of the present crisis that has provided excellent opportunity for a serious structural change to transform the structure and world outlook by ensuring that the people must increasingly become the real masters of their own destiny.

Before concluding, it is very important to note at this point that governance, in whatever form has become more complex, more difficult and indeed more challenging. It requires newer competencies, up-to-date skills, fresh perspectives and more acceptable engagement patterns, influences and goodwill of the public. It demands renewed ways of relationship, communication and consensus building, to deliver results. This is a wake-up call to the electorate.

On that note, let me now end this brief write up with a statement credited to George Bush that says:

“When governments fail to meet the most basic needs of their People, these failed states can become haven for terrorists”.  May the leadership in Nigeria be guided and properly too!