Transformation actually means a complete change from one situation to another, a total departure from the old order to a new one. Transformation does not come accidentally, but require deliberate effort. To change from a failure to a successful person call for performance of some activities that will facilitate the actualization of such dreams, transformation call for practical action and go beyond mere expression or verbal pronouncement, but require a number of tasks to be performed. So it is logical to say it takes a performer to be a transformer.
The question now is whether President Jonathan is a performer able to deliver to Nigerians the promised transformation or not, time alone will tell, but the skepticism about his ability to deliver is inform by current happenings in the country. Though 100 days is not enough to assess the present administration, but the steps taken within the 100 days will surely give a clue to whether the administration is on course or not with the present situation in the country, it becomes more and extremely difficult for one to comment on the many problems instead of progress of the country. Are we to talk of the insecurity, the senseless killing of ourselves or to talk of the increase poverty in the country and the lack of direction of the country, the poor state of our health sector, poor education, and continual enslavement of many Nigerians in their own country? Nigerians had expected a drastic change from the old order when they trooped out during the last April election to choose their leaders, but the hope of many seem to have been dashed going by the activities of our elected officials within their short stay in office.
Since 1999 when Nigeria begins her present democratic dispensation, most Nigerians have not expressed satisfaction of the way the democracy of Nigeria is been run. The programmes and policies of the democratic government are more anti-people rather than for the benefit of the Nigerian populace for instance the privatization programmes is a typical example of people’s enemy policies, the privatization take jobs away from many Nigerians rather than given jobs, create more poverty and cause a number of death as a result of frustration, which the programme brings, the monetization programme is also not properly executed and Nigerians are short-change through the dubious activities of unpatriotic government officials, while legislators share monies in their various chambers, the executives awarding contracts to unqualified companies, and firms who only exists in the portfolio of some men and other foreign nationals who our leaders connived with to defraud the citizens of what our founding fathers had suffered to put in place for us. The reasons many begin to lose confidence in government and more criminals are breads and a number of insurgent groups begins to rise.
In one of my interaction with some youths during my service year in Yobe state I was inform by this youths that Boko Haram is not actually fighting western education, rather fighting the ills associated with western education, for instance corruption and bribery, which they believe is as a result of western education has cause Nigerians a lot, though I frowned at the activities of the sects, but want our elected officials to adjust in their practices.
Transformation is the language; yes the watch word of President Jonathan’s campaign is transformation that is he is out to change Nigeria to the right order, he has promised to restore the hope of many Nigerians who are fatigue from waiting for better life and the countless promises made by politicians in the past. So, many Nigerians see Jonathan as the messiah who has the solutions to the many problems facing our dear country Nigeria though most of these problems were not created by President Jonathan, they were inherited and so Jonathan can not be held responsible for the problems, but be held responsible for how well or badly he manage these problems. During his electioneering campaign he assured Nigerians that he will bring to an end their sufferings, but it seems Jonathan the transformer is not a performer and with the way things are going, it seems he has no clue on how to solve the many problems.
Aside his slowness in addressing issues needing urgent attention he is also insensitive to the degree of the problems in the country, issues that require pragmatic action is taken with levity and this approach cannot lead to positive results. For instance the crises in Jos has linger for too long and Jonathan has not shown any serious concern until recent order given to the military to take over security in the state after many lives have been loss, you wonder if our leaders care for human life? The Boko Haram bombing of a number of locations in the country, yet Jonathan only proffering solution verbally, without any practical approach to proffer a lasting solution to the problem, our borders remains very porous a situation I term very dangerous for the safety of Nigerians, while the Customs, Immigration and other security agencies remain helpless and have no answer to security challenges facing the country.
The level of insecurity in the country is getting out of hand and it seems our president has no idea on how to solve the problems at hand, the killing in Jos, the Boko Haram and many other criminals who are doing their things unhindered, it is very embarrassing to here that in Nigeria, a particular group will be causing problems and the government have no answers to the continuous threat to the safety of Nigerians. Our military men have been to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan and many other countries to restore peace in most of these war ravaged countries, but in our own case we allow the situation to linger for so long and day in day out our people are been killed and the government is continually showing less concern about the situation, the Jos case is an embarrassing situation for the government, if Nigerians will be hunted and killed by fellow Nigerians in their country and the government who are supposed to be responsible for the safety of her citizens cannot do anything, this call to question the competency of the leadership and tell you how insensitive they are to the number of killings going on, we only here of red alerts, we are on top of the situation and many other security jargons, but in real sense nothing is happening, people are killed like chicken right under the nose of security agents.
The incompetency of Nigeria security agents is not due to poor training, but poor recruitment process, where any dick and harry get recruited at a price, I was told by many who attempted to join one force or the other that they were ask to bring certain amount of money to get recruited in the force to serve their father land, I was also informed that fees ranging from 150,000 naira to 200,000 naira are charged for recruitment in the Nigerian Police Force. With this kind of situation, how sure are we that the Boko Haram and other insurgent groups in the country have not planted their men in the forces? and these men are the one foiling whatever efforts of the security agents in proffering solutions to rising threats from these insurgent groups and many lives are loss because of greed and unprofessional attitude of those responsible for this recruitment.
As earlier stated that our problems were not created by Jonathan but inherited and nobody is holding him responsible for them, but Jonathan is Nigerian President and as such is charge with the responsibility of proffering solutions to these problems. Like our education, the sector has been bad ever since due to incompetence of some of the ‘stakeholders’ in the past who have continuously to make policies which have no bearing with our problems, developing curriculum without recourse to the societal needs, embezzling funds meant for educational development purposes, employing unqualified personnel, misplacing priorities, poor or lack of research and development, teachers are not adequately motivated to do their work, inadequate facilities in our schools, students are meant to study under trees and some times in dilapidated buildings, science and technical laboratories are not available for practical works, bribery and corruption among schools personnel, examination malpractice which has become the order of the day in our different levels of education.
All these and many more are the problems bedeviling our education sectors and this need urgent attention. Though the present education minister has shown concern and has set the ball rolling as regard solutions to the problems of education in the country, but more is required to be done and her efforts should be supported by all and the President should give backing to the minister to ensure our educational sector is sanitise and produce the rights human capital to solve the perennial shortage in this area. Also incentive be given to teaching profession to encouraged the younger generation to pursue a career in teaching, God forbid that this sets of teachers might be the last sets we might have as the profession is not attractive enough for new comers, teaching should not be a last resort as the case is presently. Jonathan has assure Nigerians that education sector is a key to the delivering of his transformational programmes, that he should ensure is done for the younger generation to repose their confidence in the leadership of the country once again.
Jonathan need to coordinate the country, he must ensure every sector is working separately, but towards achieving one goal and that goal should be to actually transform Nigeria, end the sufferings of many citizens by ensuring every sector is working well for the betterment of the people of Nigeria, as it is now nothing is working, our sports is in a sorry state, the crises in the football house must be brought to an end, our abysmal outing at various sports competitions must be concretely and critically analysed with a viewed of finding a lasting solutions to many problems that has enveloped our sports sector, the era of hiring and firing should be over, as the measure has not yielded any positive results, we must go back to the drawing board to draw up a lasting solutions to our sports, as sports is a viable means of employment and not for recreational purposes alone. So, the need to tackle problems in the sector with all seriousness. Other sector of the economy, like the transport, Agriculture, science and technology and many other sectors must be revive, Jonathan should provide us with a direction as regard where we are heading to, he must come out to let us know where he is taken us to, and know the exact place we will be by 2015, as a transformer Jonathan must also shows Nigerians that he is a performer by practically executing all his transformational programmes for the benefit of Nigerians.
Our transformer President must be informed that the situation is getting out of hand, and he must discard whatever his kitchen cabinet members are telling him and come to terms with the pains of the ordinary Nigerians. the boys are not smiling, neither the girls are happy, even the elderly are frowning. Yes everything is not well at all and Nigerians can no longer wait for the promises that have no fulfilment date; he should be informed that we need a performer and not only a transformer. But the speed with which we expects to see changes are not forthcoming. So many problems and its obvious the leadership has no direction and where there is no direction, solution cannot be guaranteed and the reasons we are crying after suffering to ensure the government of Jonathan is a reality, it is increasingly becoming obvious that the leadership has no plan for the youths the youths who work tirelessly for the actualization of Jonathan’s election.
Yes a number of youths were killed during the election that saw Jonathan into Aso Rock as the President of Nigeria, but his approach to leadership is only favouring the money bags politicians who decides who and who is employed and who does not get employment in government ministries and parastatals, they have special slots and those who have no relation with the politicians have no hope of getting anything from the government. All these must be stopped, Jonathan must wake up to face the challenges of delivering his campaign promises to millions of Nigerians who are waiting patiently to get their own share of the democracy dividend, our politicians have been promising since 1999, the young and old are not happy with the President’s approach to governance.
It is very dangerous to continue like this, I mean the continual incapacitation and neglect of the Nigerians youths is very threatening to the relative peace we are enjoying now, we keep graduating students without any plans to provide them with employment, we claim we are preparing our graduate for self-employment when the atmosphere is not encouraging, we must not continue to deceive ourselves there is no any deliberate plans by government to ensure our gradates are self-employed as the conducive atmosphere is not created the needed facilities not provided, the financial muscle to starts business is not provided and the right training is not provided as Nigerian kind of education is geared towards papers qualifications and every Nigerian students strive to pass exams anyhow without necessarily understanding the underlying principles of the various courses taken in schools. Jonathan has promised transformation and Nigerians wants to see things change for the better, by so doing Jonathan will be seen as the transformer and a performer.
Nasiru wrote in from No 1B Rimi Road off Rimi Drive, Angwan Kudu, Angwan Rimi, Kaduna. And can also be reached on 07030476699or sirkknas@gmail.com.
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