A few Sundays ago, we had just left church. Rather than go home, we made a
short detour to one of the side streets where assorted fruits and other food
items are varied and cheaper than what obtains where we live. Our children
were sound asleep in the back of the car oblivious to their parents’
shenanigans. Everyone on the street appeared to be haemorrhaging sweat as the
scorching sun unrepentantly rained down its heat. My wife alighted from the car
to buy fruits at one of the stalls. I drove a bit further to make a U-turn.
Then
I saw her. She looked worried and unkept. She had a baby on her back held with
a tiny ifunja. Just like the mother,
the baby whose sex I could not make out looked rather unkept too. In Lagos, there are many people who are
destitute and poor, however, this lady stood out to me. She looked at me as she
approached. I felt awkward and she walked away. My car was bang in the middle of the road at a T-Junction. I summoned up courage and
hooted to get her attention, she glanced back, I hooted again and beckoned to
her to come. As she
approached, she began to cry, I offered her money, and she thanked and prayed
for me, ending with the customary name of Jesus. After she left, I felt I should have done
more, perhaps ask about her general well-being and possibly take her number. I
didn't. I regret not doing so.
There
are many people in the same situation as this woman and her child. Our
governments – local, state and national have no strategy for them. None at all.
This is why I am a bit vacant about the 2015 elections and the brouhaha it has
generated. Everyone appears to be talking about it. The discussions may appear
unintelligent, lame and parochial at times, however, Nigerians deserve an Oscar
for being consumed by the elections.
What
gets me worried is that our governments have no strategy for anyone who has the
misfortune of developing cancer or any other serious diseases in our country. How
our politicians sleep at night is a marvel to me. In 2015, Nigeria still has no
nationwide emergency telephone line. So in the event of a fatal accident, many
of the casualties bleed to death. In the last month alone, two young people in
their twenties received the distressing news that their eye problem is
inoperable because of the prolonged damage to it. Both had no recourse to medical
help until a charity with which I am involved intervened. Our politicians on the other hand, think nothing of going abroad for medical attention and
flaunting it before the people. Of course, they know that Nigerians cannot fight back.
Having experienced prolonged oppression; the people are incapable of knowing
they have rights let alone fight for these rights. Most Nigerians are battling
to survive and eat, fending off death on the road, in the hands of armed robbers,
‘one-chance’ agents and ritualists and from every other issue with which they
are confronted. They have little or no strength left to know that the government
owes them a duty of care for good roads, drinkable water, electricity, and
security.
Everyone
knows this, from church leaders to traditional kings, the intelligentsia
and journalists. We all know that our governments are evil and are only
interested in their personal well-being. However, all of these people too –
journalist, church leaders, traditional rulers - are fighting for their mouths
and survival. In other countries, the media are on the side of the public and they
hold the government to account on every front. In Nigeria, Reuben Abati, probably the most prolific Nigerian columnist joins a
corrupt and visionless government and turned native.
Last
month, Bishops of the Church of England published a 52 page open pastoral
letter calling for political parties to come up with “a fresh moral vision of
the kind of country we want to be” before the UK General Elections in May. Their
letter touched on such issues as ‘education, ‘who is my neighbour’, ‘political
neutrality’, ‘what voters should ask of candidates’, ‘the role of the state’, ‘role
of family’, ‘the economy’, ‘poverty and inequality’, ‘unemployment’, ‘health’, ‘welfare
reform’, ‘immigration’, ‘environment’ and many other issues. In Nigeria, like
little children meeting Father Christmas, our church leaders become excited whenever the president and other politicians visit their churches to canvass
for votes. Some of them believe that a politician’s visit is a measure of their
success in ministry.
In
other countries, voters take their politicians to task on the issues they are passionate
about. In Nigeria, the electorate are mostly illiterates (including those who
have a degree) and do not have the intellectual capacity to take a politician
to task. Instead they fawn over politicians when they meet them. The Nigerian
electorate have developed a Stockholm syndrome loyalty to the politicians that
colonise and encage them. Don't take my word for it, watch any of the rare
occasions our politicians meet electorates on TV or read any of the political
threads online. What you hear from the electorates are “your excellency sir”, “ride
on my president”, “we are with you”. You will also see commentators throwing
abusive words against each other along ethnic or religious lines. Typically,
the important issues are neglected. Anyone that brings them up is shut down
with a pseudo-religious abuse.
As
election 2015 approaches, our politicians have been gracing our television and streets in over the top clothes and laughable postures to ask for our
votes. They are distributing rice and cooking oil to poor people and hosting
community parties. Some are buying votes for 5000 naira. The politicians know
that poor people are not bothered about the future, they are concerned about what
they will eat today. This is the way politics have been played and our politicians are in
no mood to change the status quo. It suits them perfectly.
The
election posters show how little regard the politicians have for the
electorates. Many of them have no serious policy agenda. They certainly believe the way to
win an election is by looking good in pictures or posing in white jackets and
massive geles. Instead of serious
policies, Mrs Tinubu’s campaign slogan is “Restoration
2015, prosperity for all.” What this means is beyond me. She knows she doesn’t really have to campaign, the people are
gullible. She would win. Goodluck Jonathan has hired every space on the Internet
with GEJITES, TAN, etc. to convince us of how many first he has notched as
Nigerian president including being the first Nigerian president to have a Facebook page.
Unfortunately we can hardly see any of the so-called achievements though we
open our eyes wide. The person who is almost certainly going to win in my senatorial
district looks like a mafia boss in his campaign poster. I have been informed
that he really is.
So
what are the real issues?
Health - Why do we regularly see on the
pages of our newspaper appeals by individuals for funding to have a kidney
transplant in India? Is there no government in Nigeria? I am not advocating for
governments to rise up and fund such individual cases, the fact that the people
concerned are forced to seek help through the media shows a fundamental failure
of our health system. What is the strategy of the minister and commissioners
for health for comprehensive health care for every Nigerian?
Education – How many ministers and
politicians send their children to school in Nigeria. Why are our politicians
mortgaging the future of this country by neglecting education and allowing it
to slide over the years? We have no technological basis, our university
students live in ghetto hostels, their lecturers are not well paid and
unappreciated so they do the barest minimum. Last month, I was at Yaba College
of Technology where a generator on the second floor of one of their buildings
spewed out noise and fume. No one can learn a thing in an environment like
that.
What
does the Minister of Education really do?
Welfare – What is the government’s
strategy for the likes of the woman I saw that Sunday afternoon and for her
child. This is not a federal affair only, What is Lagos State doing? There are many women like this in our country, some begging for money on the
roads, some married to an abusive husband if only for protection and provision,
some are supported by family, some slave away for 10,000 a month cleaning
toilets and offices. Nigerians must think carefully before they vote.
Employment – The federal government’s
strategy towards unemployment is a joke. Goodluck Jonathan set up SURE-P to get
young people to paint the side of our highways green white and green. He still hasn't sacked Abba Moro, his Minister for Interiors who last year, caused the deaths of several young people through a
bogus employment drive. Who is holding the president to account? Not the press, not the
so-called ministers of God whose god is their belly.
For
me the greater issue is not even the presidential and gubernatorial elections.
I feel every Nigerian should be more involved in who represents them at the state and federal assemblies. The test is very simple. If you have never seen
the member of your state house of assembly, house of representative or
senator, whoever they may be, vote them out this election. The next lot will
learn to represent you better.
So
rather than get animated about the elections, I wish we all can ask these
questions and use our vote to determine the future of our children’s children.
I
urge you to do so.
