Efforts In The Wrong Problems By Daniel Bulusson

“It does not take rocket science to make Nigeria better; we can start from prioritizing our scale of preference, then adopt honest management of state affairs by those saddled with the responsibility, and re-orient the Nigerian masses.”

According to the Legatum Prosperity index 2019, our great country Nigeria is ranked 148th out of 167 countries in the world, ranking 162th in health, 157th in economic quality, safety and security, 138th in education, 136th in living condition, and 126th in governance. To my youthful mind, Nigeria is ranked lower than other countries in the important aspect of human existence not for lack of natural and human resources, but for focus on the wrong needs of the country.

Take for instance, as recent as the year 2020, our legislature is earmarking N37 billion for the renovation of the National Assembly complex that cannot house more than 5,000 Nigerians, and yet allocate a little over N40 billion each for health and education that will be consumed by millions of Nigerians. We have a hate speech bill prescribing death penalty for offenses, and yet corruption which bleeds the country more than hate speech gets a tap on the hand.

This country was once respected and revered as the Giant of Africa. As a big brother, we were a source of hope to the African community, but now, we have both capital and human flight to neighbouring African countries, because their governance style is more people-oriented than ours in Nigeria. At the moment, Nigeria is using a hammer to break an egg, and a fork to hit a nail into a wall. We pay more attention to nonentities, blow it out of proportion, watch it on social media, and ignore the basic components that make human existence comfortable.

The Judiciary which ordinarily ought to be independent to adequately protect the human rights of its citizens, and guarantee foreign investor confidence, have been likened to a dog with the weakest of bite, but with the loudest of bark. Until recently, in a democratic dispensation guided by the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a Nigerian was held in detention for four years despite a court order releasing the suspect on bail, after fulfillment of bail conditions. These actions of government end up making the suspect more popular than the intent of the government (Naira Marley, Sowore) because we focus our efforts on the wrong problems.

As I have always emphasized, good intention cannot be a reason to defy Rule of Law. Rather let the good intention be manifest in the livelihood of Nigerians, as it is, it seems the government is providing with one hand, and taking back with the other hand. Look at the implementation of minimum wage with high level of insecurity, closure of border with high price of localized goods with less quality, high level of unemployed graduates to number of youths awaiting admission into universities, to the poor standard of our curriculum vitae.

Nigerian politicians have allowed partisan politics, religion and ethnicity as a yardstick for determining where the efforts of government are put into. Some might say the current administration has done well than previous administration. If you ask me, that is only an excuse to make partisan politics look good. We can do far better than what we have achieved if we do things right.

We ought to criminalise corruption as much as arm robbery, and kidnapping. Public officers ought to consider themselves as custodians of the country and always be honest in the discharge of their duties. The clock of change begins to tick right once everyone does what is required of him/her, both the government and governed must see Nigeria as a mother and show her love in words and actions.

Patriotism need to be re-invigorated into the Nigerian masses. No one needs to watch before we do the right thing. We should inculcate the habit of competence and merit at all times. President Donald Trump in an interview in 1987 said, “I can be the best tipper if you do your job well, and lousy tipper if you don’t, and that’s how life is supposed to be”.

So, we must put efforts in the right problems and reward merit, honesty, commitment, dedication, and competence, over ethnicity or partisan politics.

God speed!

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