- By Bernard Ogbe
Be it divided in chief or divided in law, the combination of both is disastrous to a nation that wants to grow.
“The nation is divided as never before, and this ripping division has taken place under the policies and conduct of none other than President Buhari”- Wole Soyinka.
As strong as Wole Soyinka is, holding my lines of respect for his great works, his boldness to measure up with the politics of Nigeria, Africa and the world, I respectfully agree to disagree in totality with the above assertions for Nigeria is viable for change by a reset and the willingness to effect the needful.
The prospects of our leaders pass to achieve democracy is highly appreciated. The follow ups by our leaders, as painted, should not remove from us, that spirit of our talented Nigeria nature and believe to do that, which the world seem impossible. This spirit, though seem long gone in almost all facet of our existence but never would it be on extinct to rewrite our future and revive the beginning with the ends.
The economy of a nation determines the trends to which basic infrastructure and other institutions are created to satisfy the quest of a nation like Nigeria of divers tribes to evict complaint of which ends gets what and in what equality.
There are factors that drives the economy of a nation. I stand corrected, good workable and peaceful environment for investors, local and foreign. Electricity that aids manufacturing and productions. Good and accessible roads to the ends of establishments. The perfect coordinates of these factors see no ends to the yielding economy of a nation.
In 1999, there was this believe that President Olusegun Obasanjo was to be that messiah, Nigerians longed for. The outcome of his reign is a testimony we share today that had contributed to this said ripping division.
Going by basic experience and what is on the paper as the amount budgeted and spent on electricity, the results are practically before us as the run away of companies that generated job opportunities for citizens was an evidence as democracy progressed. Was that on the account of the Buhari’s government?
I have great displeasure for some of our leaders that a mention of their names in the history book of my fatherland is to me an apology to our existence.
A country without solid foundation should not expect miracles to happen overnight with a government, ready to work and rewrite the wrongs for it’s easier to destroy than to build.
Where’s our operation feed the nation? Where’s our Ota farm? Where’s the food security to fall back on as a country if we have disasters like the world faces presently in this Covid pandemic, having all boarders lucked. Living us to fend with what we have and can produce? The emptiness of the Nigeria of yesterday is what Nigerians faced in the Hunger of just two weeks luck down. -No food security.
I have strong affirmation with like minds of Nigerians to say, Nigeria heads to no division rather a new generation would emerge to correct their wrongs. To set the nation at the pace deserving for the days of the old are gone and Nigerians should have a rethink to install a President that matches the surge of the present generation.
President Olusegun Obasanjo had made his contribution to the nation in his pre-eminent abilities for eight years. He had endorsed President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He supported President Goodluck Jonathan to an extent he made him assail by laying him bare in the public with the act of tearing his PDP membership card and further endorsed the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 general elections. It was like that romance would last longer to effect Nigerians but was disrelished in the twelfth night and President Buhari turned enemy all of a sudden.
Does it mean he’s yet to find that Nigerian, that could emend what he was unable to in eight years? What could be the motives of this jumping and dumping of those he upheld? Should it take Nigerians more than trice to discern that those he upholds and endorsed eventually end with same results of the past that had plunged us into the depths of the present?
I see no reasons to hassle on what ever open letters of his to the nation for he has the liberty, right and freedom of expression. How well could his hackneyed words be trusted is a self battle for him alone as Nigerians, have the right to recount the trends of how things unfolded.
It’s high time Nigerians started a look in a different direction and leave behind, our aged compatriots to mouse through their past records of faults and errors while a new generation reset new records of history to befit the present dispensation having new visions and goals.
It would please Nigerians in all humility to request a lengthy way forward as elaborated of the failures of the government. Does it mean we should succumb to the ripping division? Would history smile or groan bitterly to the effects followed in the process of this assumed ripping division?
The fate of the nation is in our hands to decide and Nigeria would not be the first to witness such in the world. However, what have we done to retreat and point the faults to make corrections as a nation? Does it mean we as an entity does not have the ability and capacity to turn the tables around?.
There’s no fear to say parts among citizens lost hope in the Nigeria government long before President Buhari’s tenure. They mostly believe a way to survive is a better hopes and that, in all conjugation had led to the rise in the corruption that had crippled the economy of the nation.
My generation is strong, bold and out to thwart the over aged politicians to give way to smart and brilliant Nigerians to overhaul the economy of our nation Nigeria.
Bearing in mind, in a country of multiple tribes, race and religion, It’s unrealistic to separate tribe and race from the political routine of a nation where religions stand neutral. In the United State, for the black race to advance to the White House as number one citizen was a mirage until nature made the whites succumb for the blacks to raise the first president in the person if President Barack Obama. That was the black race struggle in the unity of purpose with like mind, in a most civilized United States of America.
2023 is going to be a very decisive year in the Nigeria history. The nation would rise and go for what they want. The struggles, pains and tears of our heroes pass shall speak and intervene for a nation divided among themselves would have and ending solutions.
Bernard Ogbe
Writing from Abia State
bernardogbe@gmail.com
