NIGERIA @ 53: NIGERIAN ARE REALLY SUFFRING

When i blogged sometimes ago that ‘Nigeria a country at a cross road’, some of my friends and followers perceived me as unpatriotic. To them i never appreciate or see anything good in the present  political leaders. And they concluded that it is because am not staying in Nigeria i should shut my mouth up.

 How can i shut my mouth up?  In a situation where our current leaders were self-centred by putting the interests of their family and community first in their activities, the leaders who sent their children to best schools abroad while all the schools in the country were under-funded!!! The leaders who care less about national interest, how can i respect such people?

However, i am so happy when i heard that the Senators of the federal Republic of Nigeria on Thursday, unanimously submitted that ‘’the nation’s leaders, apart from those who fought for its independence, 53 years ago, had failed to provide the required leadership that could make the country socio-economically independent.’’

They also admitted that ‘’the nation’s leadership since the return to full democratic rule, 14 years ago, had taken no serious step to tackle corruption,  unemployment, rot in the education sector, decayed infrastructure and nepotism’’

What else do i want to add to these above submission? In his own words, 

 The Chairman,  Senate Committee on Rules and Business,  Senator Ita Enang,  noted that ‘’the crisis in the nation’s educational sector and the reduction of Nigeria to a mere raw material provider for manufacturing firms   in other countries,  was not good enough for a truly independent nation.’’

He said, “A truly independent nation is measured by its quality of education and economic sustainability.  A situation whereby our universities are shut for months and manufacturing companies and relocating daily to  neighboring countries is not good enough for an independent nation

“How can we claim to be an independent nation when all we do is just to produce raw materials for processing firms outside the country and nothing serious is being done to   address the high rate of unemployment “

Senator Barnabas Gemade on his own contribution urged the nation leadership to improve on the social infrastructure, the power supply and develop its agricultural potential as a strategy to tackle unemployment.

Senator Kabiru Gaya, said, “Nigeria always takes one step forward and several ones backward whenever there is a change in government.”

He also that ‘’a deliberate attempt to improve the agricultural sector and a committed effort to fight corruption was required to tackle the social and economic challenges facing the country’’.

Senator Smart Adeyemi, hit the nail on the head when he said that ‘’the problems confronting the nation was selfishness,  greed and absence of nationalistic spirit in the nature  and attitude of the nation’s leaders.’’.

Senators Ayoade Adeseun, Ganiyu Solomon, and Akin Odunsi, who in their submissions, believed that Nigerian leaders had failed the citizens.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs,  Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe,  noted that ‘’since there could be no democracy without democrats, Nigerian leaders  should encourage shades of opinion because those with contrary opinions also love the country.’’

Senate President David Mark in his own words said, “Nigerians have every reason to be anxious and to be impatient. We are endowed with abundant human and natural resources but our people are still suffering. We have to congratulate them for their patience.”