Nothing is wrong with our systems, our educational system is perfectly designed to cater for the need of Nigerians, our democracy and the way it is plan is very good and meets the best practices of the world standard. Virtually every sector in Nigerian economy is well designed to solve various problems they are meant to solve. For instance the 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria is perfectly plan to proffer solutions to educational need of Nigeria.
Though the system was recently condemned by the Federal Government through the President, but I still hold the opinion that nothing is wrong with the system. And that the system should be the best for the continual delivery of better education to Nigerians only that it was badly implemented, yes those responsible for the delivery of the system were not carry along in developing the system therefore do not really understand the contents of the programmes and the delivery was faulty thereby Nigerians concluded that the programme is bad.
This has been our greatest undoing in virtually every facet of our economy. We are the best planners, we design well and formulate perfectly, but to implement has been where we have never gotten right. Take for instance our democracy and the way it was fashion to operate the bicameral legislature is not only practice in Nigeria. Even the ‘fathers of democracy,’ America practice the same system, in fact there wouldn’t be a better system where all Nigerians will be fully represented in the business of governance than the system of democracy we are practicing at the present, it is well design and fashion in a way that it will take care of all agitations by every parts of the country, where the voices of the masses from the most remote areas of the country will be heard.
But the major problem of the system is poor implementation, as the operators of the system run it in their own way and not minding the content of the programmes even as the populace shows no serious concern to ensure compliance thereby making it the worse system of democracy.
As the polls draw closer and all the political parties and their candidates are moving from one part of the country to the other promising heaven and earth, drawing programmes and making agenda for the nation, one will say ha! Our problems will soon be over if this candidate or that candidate emerges as the president, they have well design programmes for the country and every Nigerians hope these programmes will be implemented, yes we only hope because we are use to these promises and at the end of the day we end up not seeing this projects carryout even if the funds allocated for these projects have been utilized for whatever ‘projects’ we don’t know.
Like the Ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate put its as what he intend to do for Nigerians if re-elected as the President are these; projects in the high priority sectors of public infrastructure, power supply, education, health, the Niger Delta, agriculture and water resources for which about N400 billion has been set aside in the 2011 budget.
The spokesman to the President, Emma Niboro, says the administration’s priority areas to include massive road intervention projects, both at construction and rehabilitation levels, for which N125 billion has been provided in the 2011 national budget, other transportation projects for which N48.9 billion was provided, as well as projects in the education sector for which N35.08 billion was provided. Other priority sectors, according to Niboro, include agriculture and water resources which have N67.9 billion for capital projects in the 2011 budget, the Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs which has N53.4 billion for capital projects, Aviation which has N20.7 billion and health which has N33.27 billion.
He said the Jonathan administration is coming up with strategies for fast-tracking work on presidential initiative projects such as the dualisation of the Abuja-Lokoja Highway, the Kano-Maiduguri Road, the Lagos-Otta Road, the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge at Onitsha/Asaba, as well as the Shagamu-Benin highway.
The administration is also actively exploring and developing fresh sources of additional funding for very high priority developmental projects which it may not be currently possible to fund adequately from the regular national budget. The ongoing consultations and planning are expected to under-pin the new five-year national development plan which President Jonathan has been speaking of on the campaign trail, his spokesman disclosed.
Jonathan is not alone in all these campaign promises, but being the sitting president, and also the controller of the states funds make his presentation of the campaign promises most articulates while other candidates just promising to better the live of the citizen and promises change as most Nigerians are agitating for change, take for instance the Congress for Progress Change (CPC) Presidential candidate in one of his campaign rallies in Kaduna, Buhari, former Head of State and twice as also-ran for President, promised to revive the economy if elected this time around.
He fired: “Why should our economy be left to operate on individual power generating sets, if their (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) aspiration to govern Nigeria for the next 60 to 200 years is pure, why are they unable to guarantee something as fundamental and basic as the security of life and property? “I consider myself to be on a rescue mission. Never before have we seen such a bad leadership in our national life. The country’s life is literally falling apart on all fronts – in security, in education, on the economy, in healthcare system, and youth employment.
“Many critical observers have begun to list Nigeria among the failed states of the 21st century.”
Buhari reiterated that in the past 12 years of its rule, the PDP has failed to tackle all these problems in spite of the resources at its disposal. “We can, and we must reverse these trends. The first step is for Nigerians to vote the PDP out. They are finished. They have passed their sell-by date.”
Buhari, accompanied by his running mate, Tunde Bakare, said Nigerians are tired of the PDP and would not allow the PDP to continue in power, pledging that if elected, he would deliver all the unfulfilled promises of the PDP in the past 12 years.
Also Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidates Malam Nuhu Ribadu says he will creates millions of jobs keep our youths gainfully employed and help to tackle high level of insecurity and hopelessness in our beloved country, with your support, we will put in place attractive incentives for people to invest in our economy and create well paying jobs. We will fix our crumbling schools, roads and hospitals. If you vote for me I will do whatever it takes to raise Nigeria’s stature and credibility around the world. With your support we will get it right.
While the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP)’s candidate Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau also said at the ANPP rally in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, during the flag-off of the party’s presidential campaign. He said Nigerians should expect drastic changes they have been agitating for in all segments of the society. Mr. Shekarau, launched his campaign in Ebonyi, said that Nigeria needs to be bailed out from what he described as the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last 12 years. “It is true that majority of Nigerians have lost confidence in the PDP leadership and are yearning for change. And we promise to give that desired change they have been searching for. “We will restore safety of lives and properties in Nigeria; we will reduce unemployment; above all, we shall give every Nigerian a sense of belonging by restoring justice, which is the bedrock of every democracy,” Mr. Shekarau promised. The same way goes other candidate from other political parties’ promises and continues to promise.
Promises you will say. Our problems have never been lack of promises and plan, but inability of those who made promise to fulfill them. For instance the yearly budget in the country, which has turn a ritual in the country Nigeria was said to have never been implemented, though those accused of not implementing the budget never argue of not implementing the budget at all, but only said the budget is implemented to 15-20 percent.
So, one will not be surprised that the campaign promises of all these votes seekers will never see the light of the day. Yes as experience in the past as shown us so. Though we have people seeking the position for the first time and also serving governor contesting the most exalted sit, but the question to ask these people is how much of their promises they have fulfilled in the past? If they have not been able to meet the need of their people while in office in the past, what new thing can they do now! Now as the main deciders, we the masses are heavily armed with our voters’ card and fully prepared to go and vote. This is the time to listen and listen well, a time to be prepared to take and make note of all these promises.
We have heard the 7-point agenda, that has never come to pass, vision 2010 which later culminated into vision 20:2020, are we to talk of the Obasanjo power project that has been a mirage till today and so many promises, which never saw the light of the day while some are kept for election period like this Abuja-Lokoja road dualization has been used as a tool for campaign by present and past leaders, while the road continue to claim the lives of innocent Nigerians even if the money voted for these projects have been ‘utilise’ for personal use by “these people” and Nigerians never ask question and we think we don’t suppose to ask questions, even those who attempted to ask questions are seen as ‘abnormal’ people by the same masses.
This time around we must all be ‘abnormal people’ we will votes for our candidates, but the candidate should know that all campaign promises is a must executed or we revolt against their continue hold onto power without fulfilling their promises. It is criminal to promise and not to fulfill the promise made. So, criminals must not be in power. The most foolish thing to do is to keep doing the same thing and expect a different result, we the masses with our great weapon, which is the voters’ card, must add that extra to the ordinary we use to be so that we can be extraordinary people by so doing the change we are agitating will come by.
Suleiman Nasiru wrote in from No 1B Rimi Road off Rimi Drive, Angwan Rimi Kaduna. And can also be reach on 07030476699 or sirkknas at gmail.com
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