BY ANDREW DARAH
Many Nigerians believe Nigeria is not working due to the high level of corruption which has eaten so deep.
President Muhammadu Buhari promised to eradicate corruption, and this was the major reason he was massively voted into office as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But since his assumption of office, the level of corruption in Nigeria has increased.
Right now Nigeria is not only dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency as the case before Buhari came into power, it has added armed banditry, killings and massacres, kidnappings and armed robbery all over the country. The level of unemployment has doubled, worsening poverty, misery, health failures, and social dislocations.
It’s a clear fact that all nations were once poor and chaotic, but several have successfully transited from poverty to prosperity, from anarchy to order and stability. Some are, however, still stuck in extreme poverty and chaos. Nigeria, sadly, is an acute example of the latter – still stuck in extreme poverty and chaos.
Truth is, Nigeria is not working: its politics is broken and decadent. Nigeria languishes at the bottom of every global development and governance index.
But the good news is that, we can make Nigeria work again.
Nigeria can work again if we all obey the laws of the country.
The following are some of the ways to make Nigeria work again
Anti Corruption Agencies:
Anti corruption agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC should be allowed to operate the way they deem fit, and no corrupt leader should be shielded, neither should any of their officers be exempted from facing the law when they are found culpable. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) all such agencies should be headed by men and women of proven integrity who will not compromise standards or act corruptly themselves.
Civil Societies:
Civil Societies such as Campaign for Democracy (CD), National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADL), Committee for Defense of Human Right (CDHR), etc. should continue their good work of correcting the ills in our country.
Government Policies:
Governments exists to see to the good orderliness of society. Government policies should be based on national interest. Policies should be aimed at enhancing the welfare of all the people. Government should evolve policies that aim at correcting the ills of the society.
Job Creation:
The Governments, both States and Federal, should deliberately create jobs for school leavers. Government should also create healthy business and investment environment that will encourage both local and foreign investors, who will in turn create jobs for school leavers to reduce unemployment among youths.
Infrastructural Development:
Government should construct new and maintain existing infrastructural facilities such as roads, railways, airports and seaports etc. stabilize, expand and improve on electricity power supply, water supply etc. to encourage business and economic productions, and to improve the quality of life.
Religious Organizations:
Churches and Mosques should increase their efforts in inculcating in their members the fear of God, desirable attitudes and values that enhance common good. Religious leaders should emphatically condemn corruption among their members especially the influential ones and those in secular positions of authority. To do this effectively, they should shun gifts and also live above board in all their dealings.
Public Opinion Leaders:
Public opinion leaders are citizens who stand for the common good of the country and speak against the ills of the society. They should not relent on their efforts and should be protected by law. The press should be given unfettered freedom to practice their profession in accordance to the law. The press should not fail to publish the opinions of the public in the mass media.
Education:
The school is a formal agent of socialization. The teaching of citizenship education, civic education, social and religious studies in schools will help to solve some of these problems. Schools should be equipped with needed facilities that will enhance quality education whose products will not become vagrants and miscreants in society.
Personal Discipline:
If individuals engage in self-discipline which is self-control that brings about emotional stability, train members of their family to do the same, there would be a reduction of contemporary social problems in our country.
Security Organizations:
The police, the SSS, and other security agencies should be given specialized training on how to detect crimes and fish out criminals of all descriptions, whether terrorists, suicide bombers, militants, armed robbers, kidnappers etc. and bring them to face the law.
The present government led by Buhari while campaigning in 2015, promised us security, employment opportunities, good roads, stable economy, upgrading and equiping of schools, infrastructural development, good standard of living, and many more. For so many years we have been praying and waiting for these promises to be fulfilled, but it’s like we are not on same page, because our leaders seems not to be worried even as we move close to another political dispensation. They feel it’s going to be business as usual and the people will believe same old and outdated stories. Anyway, they can prepare to tell same old stories but they can’t force people to believe them this time around. We have been told liers for too long, we have believed in their liers for too long, so this time around there must be a twist. There is need for a radical change and in pushing for this change we all need our instrument of change which is our PVC.
For those of us that already have ours, congratulations for we are battle ready, while those of us who are yet to collect ours, let’s storm INEC office within the stipulated dates and time to collect
Try as much as possible to go get your PVC because the only way you can be part of the movement to bring about the desired change in 2023, is for you to obtain your voters card and vote in the election.
Your PVC is your power to effect the change we are yearning for
Let’s vote for someone who is determined to bring change. Someone who can make Nigeria work again
Youths lets not get discouraged with the difficulties of getting our PVCs as already been experienced in some INEC offices, remember that nothing good comes easy
Get your PVC, for we must get it right this time and make things work for us in our dear county Nigeria!
