Sometimes one is forced to believe that some sections of supposed patriotic bodies such as Labour Unions and Civil Society groups are also part of the conspiracy against the Nigerian people. Otherwise how can one explain their stand against sustainable policy options in favour of profligate populist actions that inflict severe hardships in the long run.
When other countries were busy saving money and even assets such as crude oil for rainy days they were busy encouraging governments to declare windfalls. When countries were discarding scams such as fuel subsidy, they were busy protesting it’s removal, yet never making efforts to either expose the fraud in it or expose the scam for what it is. While in other climes underhand deals by the rich and powerful elicit massive protests, here it is only when government tries to crack down on such deals that the unions protest. And the reason is simple.
Some of the Labour oligarchs and the Civil Society Lords are equally unaccountable. They never account for their actions and expenditures to the workers or even the law. No one questions their actions and expenditures. No one audits them or even when it’s done the reports are never made public. Even their congresses, conventions and annual meetings are often stage managed with delegates selected rather than democratically elected. The whole country is run on fraud in virtually all sectors.
The hardships faced by Nigerians today are products of our previous squandamania, profligacy and accumulated wastage of our resources. Patriotic individuals, groups and organisations must rally round the government to address the roots of the matter. Protesting, striking and playing to the gallery will be suicidal. We have failed to save for the rainy day so we have to be drenched before a new shelter is provided, no two ways about it.
We have failed to stop the bleeding of our nation’s resource lifeline so we cannot stop the nation from fainting. We have allowed powerful individuals to override weak institutions so we cannot stop these institutions from failing us. Now is the time to know what real patriotism means. You either stand by the government to institute a permanent, sustainable and long lasting solution despite the hardships or rant and railroad the government into taking stop gap measures that will only postpone the evil day.
If we don’t get it right today, given our fragile socio-economic configuration, the long term effect will be so ferocious that it will consume the nation and live us worst than Somalia. I am just thinking aloud and I hope some people will reason with me. Those who don’t? Well, it’s their right not to as much as it’s mine to.
Ahmad Sajoh, mnipr, Commissioner of Information, Adama
