The problems Nigeria as a country is facing was once said is that of leadership problem. Nigeria would have been among the greatest nations on earth if not for the poor leadership faced in the country since independent. Many have accused the leadership of the nation for causing the woes the country is now facing either by their actions or inactions. The accusers say lack of love for the nation by these leaders make them to pursue personal goals while in leadership position other than national interest. Their ego-centric tendencies have cause Nigeria a lot and make the larger percentage of her citizens to loose hope in those in leadership position.
They accused these people of been corrupt and as a result they have denied the citizens better life the resources in the country provided, and create more problems than solution since the nation got her independent from her colonial masters. Though these accusers say the early leaders in the nation had good intentions when they asked for the independent of the nation from the colonial masters, people like Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and many more who fought for the independent of our dear country Nigeria, these are people with good intention and also mean well for the country. These people risk their lives to fight for the liberation of Nigeria from our white masters. We can say with confidence that most of the structures put in place by these nationalists are still the best the nation can boast of.
While the present leaders created more troubles for the citizens. Poverty is in the increase, our education the most pitiable, the basic infrastructure is not there, agriculture that fend for the nation so well has been neglected, there is no justice, power supply zero, healthcare delivery still very poor, child mortality also high, maternal mortality rate is not to the nation’s advantage. In fact the problems facing the nation is countless there is no point listing them.
Among many problems, which ravage the nation, one of them have done more damage to the nation and this problem have a link to all the troubles facing the country. I believe this problem need no introduction, because the word has become one of the most popular words among Nigerians. Yes Corruption is the chief of all menace facing Nigeria. Even as the accusers are pointing fingers to those at the helm of affairs in the country for singlehandedly destroying the nation. This may be true and at the same time one can say no, the leaders in Nigeria are not solely responsible for the murky waters we found ourselves.
Leaders are suppose to be people who are goal-driven and result oriented, they are suppose to provides their followers with the formulae to achieve results. While followers are suppose to take instructions from leaders in order to execute the programmes and activities of the team. In a more democratic atmosphere the leader is expected to liaise with his subordinate to draw up their goals and how they are supposed to be achieved. Also his responsibility is to harmonize his followers to ensure they are working towards the same direction, so that their efforts will not be thwarted by their in ability to unite and move towards one direction.
But the opposite of a democratic environment is autocratic, where the leader dictate to his people what he feels they should do, he is less concern with his followers, he only dish out instructions and expect these to be achieved ‘anyhow’ irrespective of how his followers feels.
Nigeria as a country has in one time or the other found themselves under these kinds of leaders. Both autocratic and democratic, but the larger part of our stay as ‘independent’ nation is under autocratic leadership, this is more true if you go back memory lane. When the military seize power in 1965 coup de tat and since then military have been in control until when democracy was temporary restore between 1979-1983. The military took over again. After several attempts to restore democracy have fail. The year 1999 mark the beginning of democratic rule in Nigeria.
Barely 11 years now have we found ourselves under democratic rule and things keep going on almost the same way as it was under the military rule less for some slight changes. In fact analysts have it that the situation is retrogressing instead of improving. And this makes me to question the accusation that the nation problem is that of leadership alone. I believe a lot is wrong with the country other than leadership problem alone. Even as I believe strongly that one of the major troubles Nigeria as a country is facing is that of leadership in every sector, I still hold the opinion that followers or the led too owe a large portion of the blame.
Why does Nigeria fail to get it right in virtually every sector of her economy? Corruption and indiscipline, these evils have blinded those in authority to carryout their task in a way that it will benefit the whole nation, but resort to use their position as a means of enriching themselves at the detriment of the whole a nation. Yes corruption is a problem, Nigerian leaders are accused of this and over the years this found out to be true as we have witnessed over the years people who get to leadership position embezzles the nation’s wealth and divert public funds for personal use. Little wonder few people who have got the opportunity to serve the nation in one leadership position or the other have ended up serving themselves so well that they becomes so rich and the nation is now serving them.
We have had cases of scandalous contracts, diversion of public funds; allegations of bribery and corruption among Nigeria echelons, one must not bother mentioning cases of corruption charges against leaders. Or are we to turn to corporate leadership in the country, where some banks directors have corruptly amass wealth for themselves or company inflating their balance sheet to mislead investors and many more in this sector of the economy. So, leadership at any level in Nigeria is guilty of corruption and indiscipline is it political or corporate, family, community, and religious leadership positions? Mentions it.
Now on the part of the led, our contributions to the problems of the land is that of selfishness and indiscipline, we also are corrupt, and support corruption to thrive, our actions and inactions contributes in no small measure to the myriad of problems facing our country Nigeria. We refuse to face the reality and hide behind religion and region to destroy our land, so many nonsense happened, but we as a people could not come out against all the mess going on in the country and the reasons we choose to remain deaf and dumb are not far-fetch.
A number of us blame poverty. Yes poverty has been created by the act of corruption and insincerity on the parts of those opportune to lead the country, but the masses that were badly affected refused to talk for some nonsensical reasons. Like I earlier mention religion and region are the bane of our freedom from the bondage of bad leadership which culminated into the near fail state we are witnessing now. From the onset of this relationship of people of diverse culture, tribes and religion put in one place call Nigeria, one of the many problems that stop us from getting things right is because of these demarcations call regions.
Yes, region, people support policies because a man from my region initiate it, they support government only if the man in power is from their region, we fail to see the man who dubiously enrich himself with public funds as a corrupt person if the man is from our region, we will not want the best person to do the job if he is not from our region, in fact recently we saw the nation almost drag into crisis because of regional sentiments. So, we can see that regional differences have done more harm than good to Nigerians.
The country Nigeria is bigger than any region and the problem we are facing affects all irrespective of your region and we must come out of the prison of regional sentiments. Together with regional boundary is religion segregation among the Nigerian populace. Most Nigerians fail to see anything good in a fellow Nigerian once they belong to different faith. We are easily divided when religion sentiments is brought to bear. We have fails to support people with great ideas because of different religion affiliation. Little wonder we have had more religious crisis than we have communal and political crises, even the communal and political crises in some region are turn religious crisis.
These and many more reasons a country like Nigeria with great potentials still remain in the class of developing country, a giant who does not know is worth will be smitten by a dwarf. This is our situation as a country, our problems seems to defy all solutions, programmes and policies, which yielded results in other country fails in our country Nigeria. But why? This and many more questions we must provide answers to if really we want to move forward.
A problem known they say is half solved, though many fail to go with this assertion including myself, but to Nigerians I want us to believe this saying and starts finding solutions to our many problems. And now is the time to decide which way we are going. We have spent the most part of our first 50 years of nationhood in darkness, in poverty and sadness; the other half must not be like that. A time for change is here, we must put sentiments of whatever kind behind us and face the reality a time for choice has come; the masses must use their votes which is our power to vote for change and choose a better course for the nation a dream land for the youths where jobs and prospects abounds, where justice is available for all and a level playing ground created, where corruption will not thrive and indiscipline will not be condone, reward for hard work will be assured and dignity of labour restore.
A country where everyone will be happy and proud to be associated with; let us come together and build one big Nigeria where peace, progress and unity is our watchword we must come together to maximize our full potentials.
Nasiru is a serving Corps-member, serving at GDJSS Lantaiwa, Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe state Nigeria.
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david udeme rubber estate nig. ltd, nigeria December 29, 2010
Xmas is a time to commemorate the birth of our savour Jesus Christ which was sent to save us from sin, the celebration is made to show love, thank to God for his mercies and protection throughout the year, this celebration is especially designed for Christians which are expected to use the interlude judiciously and appreciate God for giving them a saviour which is the backbone of their religion.
Christians should not allow contrary act to prevail over the purpose of the celebration as often seen today, although the alien for the celebration can act nonetheless because the celebration is not made for them and therefore does not know the essence of the celebration, but Christian should in all time reign during the interlude because a guest cannot decide for the host.
It is observed today that many pandemonium such as road accident in high rate, kidnapping for ransom and rituals and arm robbering which sometime lead to killing occurs during Xmas period which is never related to the theme of the celebration both in spiritual and physical world, road accident which people always claim is as a result of over speed, overtaken in the highway, drunkenness and other related issues, these are not always the causes of these accident in this period because from Jan. to may be August those driver still drank and involved in speed driving but accident does not occur as in November and December.
Most of these accidents are as result of strange act for the Xmas, the evil kingdoms uses the period to sacrificed blood therefore using spiritual powers to cause Accident to achieve blood. Satan also push people and put unto them the desire of things they cannot achieve by their own personal effort as a result inculcate them to arm robbering, kidnapping, and other hooliganisms in order to achieve those things.
But these outlandish can stop, Christian having know the rodent that always destroy their plant in all planting season, should stand in their position call upon the host of host which is Jesus Christ by prayer and fasting to stop these strange operating before the season and the purpose of Xmas celebration will be achieve without puzzlement.
David Udeme – Data Officer, Rubber Estate Nigeria limited, Utagba – Uno, Delta State
muthuraja chennai, india December 27, 2010
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