THE DAY DREAMING NIGERIAN POLITICAL LEADERS IN GOVERNMENT
November 17, 2020 | News
THE DAY DREAMING NIGERIAN POLITICAL LEADERS IN GOVERNMENT
Every time one looks at Nigeria and its political leaders, the only conclusion that comes to mind, is the fact that over the years, Nigerian politicians are becoming more bereft of ideas as regards entrenching good governance and leaving impeccable and admirable legacies that would outlive them. The saddest part is that we see them keep repeating the line of actions, with the belief that things will somehow change for the better. But of course, things have continued to get worse across the country.
They do not realize that you cannot expect things to change for good, when you keep repeating the same mistakes and doing the same things that has brought us to where we are today. That you do not achieve development by mere wishful thinking. Or simply day dreaming that, with what they are doing, that things will change in the country for the good of all and sundry. Well, it is either they really do not want things to change for the good of all, but for only some selected few, or that they are simply under an illusion and deception.
How can we remain a nation that is so blessed beyond measures, yet its citizens are amongst the top most poorest people in the world, who are daily made to face the most dehumanizing living conditions one cannot even imagine? From perennial unsteady and unreliable electricity supply, to the continuous skyrocketing of inflation of basic life-sustaining necessities. Not to mention the lack and complete absence of basic good medical healthcare, housing, education, reliable transport system and network of roads, rails, seaports, airports, etc. Practically every sector is in disarray and bedeviled with all types of issues begging for attention. Yet, daily news keeps staring us in the face of the Federal and State Governments Plans, measures, actions, policies, and what have you - which are mostly on paper. But at the same time, life keeps getting more difficult and harder for Nigerians to survive. All of which clearly shows that our Nigerian Government at all levels, clearly do not know what they are doing. If they do, we would not be going from bad to worse on a daily basis.
That is because we have political leaders at all levels who are just DREAMING. As Nigerians are yet to see the reality of an improved social development in the polity. According to Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator: “Even with all the measures being put in place by the Government, Nigeria will not move forward. What needs to be done in the present quagmire in Nigeria is to engage in a MASSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT WHERE LABOR IS REQUIRED. Then a tax break to enable investment and job creation. Also, a revitalization of production and real manufacturing, and not assembling, in the name of manufacturing. But the leadership in Nigerian does not have the vision and the will to do this. Even activists are bereft of real goals. But they are rather trapped in a limited vision and foresight like the leadership…”
It is very unfortunate that, while other countries are tenaciously striving to reducing the “cost of living” to ease the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and global recession on their citizens, in Nigeria our supposed Political leaders under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Government are daily making life more unbearable, miserable and difficult for the people. With the recent, yet another increase in pump price of petrol to N168-N170, I cannot help but wonder how we have left from N97 in the last five years to the current petrol pump price of N170?
Some have come out to argue that Nigerians cannot be asking for subsidy removal and at the same time be asking for price not to change. And that fuel price will henceforth be following international price move. Even the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the new hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, saying unlike what obtained under the immediate past subsidy regime, Nigerians no longer have to endure tortuous queues to buy fuel. But why do we think price of fuel differs from country to country? How can they remove subsidy (that is IF they have), when you have VERY LOW CAPACITY TO PRODUCE LOCALLY? What has the Buhari-led Government been doing in the last 5 years? Can we boast of one functioning refinery in Nigeria today?
This is exactly what we need in Nigeria to see any concrete and visible transformation that would improve the living standards of the people. Without mincing words, we can conclusively say that about 90% of public funds are yearly spent by Nigerian Governments at the Federal, State and Local Council levels on public administration/governance. Leaving the remaining 10% to be scantly and pretentiously spent on infrastructural projects. This has left a vacuum on the Nigerian economy – making Nigeria to become a country that is consumption-driven than being productive-driven.
The Dubai that we all talk about today, invested heavily on its infrastructure and not on public administration/governance recurrent expenditure like we see in Nigeria. Dubai is today rated as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and one of the most visited cities for shopping and tourism. The London we know today is basically known for its infrastructure. According to Wikipedia, London is considered to be one of the world's most important global cities, and has been termed the world's most powerful, most desirable, most influential, most visited, most expensive, innovative, sustainable, most investment friendly, and most popular city in the world. We would get similar feedbacks when we look at other well-visited known cities across the world like Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Amsterdam, Singapore, etc. These are places where their Governments have invested/spent heavily on addressing their infrastructural needs, which became the foundation upon which every other thing that have made them popular, were built on/from.
A country like Nigeria with vast natural resources and human capital, cannot continue on its current destructive path and hope that things will automatically change overnight. That is nothing but WISHFUL THINKING AND DAY DREAMING.
Zik Gbemre.
November 18, 2020
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
Every time one looks at Nigeria and its political leaders, the only conclusion that comes to mind, is the fact that over the years, Nigerian politicians are becoming more bereft of ideas as regards entrenching good governance and leaving impeccable and admirable legacies that would outlive them. The saddest part is that we see them keep repeating the line of actions, with the belief that things will somehow change for the better. But of course, things have continued to get worse across the country.
They do not realize that you cannot expect things to change for good, when you keep repeating the same mistakes and doing the same things that has brought us to where we are today. That you do not achieve development by mere wishful thinking. Or simply day dreaming that, with what they are doing, that things will change in the country for the good of all and sundry. Well, it is either they really do not want things to change for the good of all, but for only some selected few, or that they are simply under an illusion and deception.
How can we remain a nation that is so blessed beyond measures, yet its citizens are amongst the top most poorest people in the world, who are daily made to face the most dehumanizing living conditions one cannot even imagine? From perennial unsteady and unreliable electricity supply, to the continuous skyrocketing of inflation of basic life-sustaining necessities. Not to mention the lack and complete absence of basic good medical healthcare, housing, education, reliable transport system and network of roads, rails, seaports, airports, etc. Practically every sector is in disarray and bedeviled with all types of issues begging for attention. Yet, daily news keeps staring us in the face of the Federal and State Governments Plans, measures, actions, policies, and what have you - which are mostly on paper. But at the same time, life keeps getting more difficult and harder for Nigerians to survive. All of which clearly shows that our Nigerian Government at all levels, clearly do not know what they are doing. If they do, we would not be going from bad to worse on a daily basis.
That is because we have political leaders at all levels who are just DREAMING. As Nigerians are yet to see the reality of an improved social development in the polity. According to Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator: “Even with all the measures being put in place by the Government, Nigeria will not move forward. What needs to be done in the present quagmire in Nigeria is to engage in a MASSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT WHERE LABOR IS REQUIRED. Then a tax break to enable investment and job creation. Also, a revitalization of production and real manufacturing, and not assembling, in the name of manufacturing. But the leadership in Nigerian does not have the vision and the will to do this. Even activists are bereft of real goals. But they are rather trapped in a limited vision and foresight like the leadership…”
It is very unfortunate that, while other countries are tenaciously striving to reducing the “cost of living” to ease the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and global recession on their citizens, in Nigeria our supposed Political leaders under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Government are daily making life more unbearable, miserable and difficult for the people. With the recent, yet another increase in pump price of petrol to N168-N170, I cannot help but wonder how we have left from N97 in the last five years to the current petrol pump price of N170?
Some have come out to argue that Nigerians cannot be asking for subsidy removal and at the same time be asking for price not to change. And that fuel price will henceforth be following international price move. Even the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the new hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, saying unlike what obtained under the immediate past subsidy regime, Nigerians no longer have to endure tortuous queues to buy fuel. But why do we think price of fuel differs from country to country? How can they remove subsidy (that is IF they have), when you have VERY LOW CAPACITY TO PRODUCE LOCALLY? What has the Buhari-led Government been doing in the last 5 years? Can we boast of one functioning refinery in Nigeria today?
This is exactly what we need in Nigeria to see any concrete and visible transformation that would improve the living standards of the people. Without mincing words, we can conclusively say that about 90% of public funds are yearly spent by Nigerian Governments at the Federal, State and Local Council levels on public administration/governance. Leaving the remaining 10% to be scantly and pretentiously spent on infrastructural projects. This has left a vacuum on the Nigerian economy – making Nigeria to become a country that is consumption-driven than being productive-driven.
The Dubai that we all talk about today, invested heavily on its infrastructure and not on public administration/governance recurrent expenditure like we see in Nigeria. Dubai is today rated as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and one of the most visited cities for shopping and tourism. The London we know today is basically known for its infrastructure. According to Wikipedia, London is considered to be one of the world's most important global cities, and has been termed the world's most powerful, most desirable, most influential, most visited, most expensive, innovative, sustainable, most investment friendly, and most popular city in the world. We would get similar feedbacks when we look at other well-visited known cities across the world like Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Amsterdam, Singapore, etc. These are places where their Governments have invested/spent heavily on addressing their infrastructural needs, which became the foundation upon which every other thing that have made them popular, were built on/from.
A country like Nigeria with vast natural resources and human capital, cannot continue on its current destructive path and hope that things will automatically change overnight. That is nothing but WISHFUL THINKING AND DAY DREAMING.
Zik Gbemre.
November 18, 2020
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes