By Bolaji Tunji
I have always agonized
and been concerned about this country Nigeria. My agony in most cases
leads to headache and the problem is simply; why has Nigeria been the way it is? Why
have we found it difficult to mesh as a nation? Why has development that would
translate this country into a great country eluded us? Why is it that our
leaders, over the years have always found it convenient to show concern for
their own welfare rather than the collective welfare? Our leaders travel out of
the country. They see some of the best of facilities and
infrastructure in those countries- good road network, good medical
facilities where they go in order to take care of themselves,
unblinking electricity supply, welfarist programmes for the
citizens.
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| *Buhari |
All these our leaders see, why is it that they
do not show concern or feel such would be good for their country and try to
replicate here?
The answer I get is that our leaders really do not have any love for us.
They do not care about the people they govern, they only pay lip service to all
they claim concerning the masses, it does not touch their heart. We
are just statistics to them. We are faceless. They do not see us or feel we are
human. Decisions about citizens are always taken cold-bloodedly. The problem
did not start with the person who holds the highest office in the land,
definitely not the president. He can not do everything and he can
not be everywhere. That’s why we have ministers and other government
officials to advise and make the job of governance easier. It also starts at
our own level, the ordinary citizen. Do we, the ruled, show love to ourselves?
That Hausaman that guides
your gate, do you have any kinship with him or you only see a hired
hand, who must open your gate or safeguard you while you sleep?
Do you ever wonder whether
he has a wife or children? Have you ever wondered how he takes care
of them and what he feels being so far away from his wife and children
or we think he does not have the same feelings that we have?
When you see two people fighting on the road and one breaks a bottle, what was
the intention? And when you stab the other person, you now claim it was the
devil. What was your intention when you broke the bottle in the first place? If
you had considered the implications of that action or put yourself in the
position of the other person, would you have considered stabbing or killing
him? We are all responsible for our actions at every point in time.
At a macro level, one wonders
at the action or inaction of people charged with minding us and why it never
bothered them to take action when necessary.
The other
day, there was an accident involving a vehicle belonging to
Peace Mass Transport Company along the Umuahia end of the
Enugu-Portharcourt expressway. Of the 15 passengers said to be
in the vehicle, only two people survived. The accident occurred on
Sunday, May 22. Less than two weeks after, another incident occurred
involving another vehicle belonging to the same transport company. The driver
was said to have lost control and drove the vehicle into a ditch with all the
passengers. Again lives could have been lost.
