By Faith Abu
Nigerian youths what’s your take on this? Are we still silent to the manipulations of the political elites and their collaborators? We can’t continue on the merry go round suffering and smiling while they move motions to fill their pockets. We can’t keep mute when a cabal is feeding fat on the ill health of the President. The motion they should be moving is how to move Nigeria forward while the so-called cabals should also be thinking of formulating policies that will make the quality of life of Nigerians better.
People who are serving in this government advocated for change, more than two years after they came to power, we are yet to see the promised change. In my opinion, it is still business as usual for the political elites and their collaborators. The problems associated with our basic social amenities are still there.
Besides, the prices of goods in the market have skyrocketed, the quality of life of an average Nigerian has reduced, armed robbers and kidnappers strike at will and serious mistrust among the major ethnic groups pervades the land.
Democracy as was defined if memory serves me correctly supposed to be “Government of the people by the people for the people’’. As it implies, people have the freedom of speech.
Nigerians came out in 2015 to vote in the current President who promised the masses heaven on earth especially youth employment. But where is that promise today? Shortly after the present administration was inaugurated, Gari which is the food of the poor became gold that ordinary Nigerians cannot afford again. The situation has not changed.
Though one must give credit to the present administration for the N-Power Initiative , more still need to be done to address the problem of youth unemployment in the country. Nigerian youths are very smart ,vibrant and also hardworking all their lives they struggle to get whatever they wanted like the saying goes nothing good comes easy. Therefore, the political class must encourage them. Doing this will reduce crime rate in the country.
Things are supposed to be getting better in the country and not to be getting worse. Electricity tariffs going up, food prices going up and there is general insecurity, then you begin to ask yourself, where is the promised change?
Nigerians wake up let us be a people united with one voice. For those agitating for Biafra, I can understand your plight, you have been marginalized, there is no doubt about that, but come to think of it there are over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria which of them hasn’t suffered marginalization?.
Nigerians should remember that a nation divided against itself cannot stand, just the way a tree cannot make a forest. Let us put aside our differences and embrace ourselves, sit down and talk peacefully on how we move our nation forward. War cannot help any country succeed, ask the Syrians who are killing themselves today how it all began.
We must learn how to use our diversity to our advantage by electing leaders who have vision to do what is right and not selfish politicians who will keep enriching themselves at the expense of the masses.
State governors should remain in their states doing right thing, strolling to the market to correct some ills going on there like the then Military Governor of Kaduna Lawal Ja’afaru Isa who rode on his bicycle to check the price of kerosene when it was inflated by marketers as at that time. Governors should do their best to ensure peace reigns in their states like former Governor of Kano State Rabiu Kwankwaso did. He would not allow riot and killings in Kano
In my opinion, former Senate President David Mark is also a man to emulate. Forget about few mistakes he must have made as a politician, the man is full of wisdom with the way he handled the Senate for two terms without thinking of sabotaging the peace of the land. He was able to keep the peace and sanity of the National Assembly while President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua was receiving treatment abroad before he passed on. The current leadership of the Senate has something to lean from that.
Let us continue to pray and work for our dear country that God will keep us together in unity and peace
