The issue with Nigeria is not just bad leadership. Nigerians are not just cultured to make things work or expect that things should work. Unconsciously we have accepted this. This is the reason why more Nigerians have more than one mobile lines in case one network decides to mess up. This is the reason we have multiple bank accounts and move around with multiple bank cards hoping that at least one should work. This is also the reason why it is no big deal that u do a transaction by 9am and get your sms alert 12 noon the next day.
As a people, we graduate thousands of engineers everyday yet these engineers cannot manufacture what we consume. We love cars and mobile phones but we cannot manufacture them here. Not only that we cannot manufacture cars and mobile phones, we cannot attract the manufacturers of these equipment to have a base here even though Nigeria is the highest consumer of almost all, if not all of these gadgets/ equipment/ machinery.
Nigerians are some of the highest travellers. Our International airports are busy with inbound and outbound flights, Yet we cannot boast of a domestic airline that airlift passengers abroad regularly. So every year, these foreign airlines make a sweep of our FX because they have sold tickets to us and have to repatriate funds to their parent companies/ countries. We are so bad that we import almost everything yet we cannot handle the port terminal operations. A good chunk of our ports are operated by foreign companies.
It is pitiful that we claim to have many good hospitals and doctors, but even the best hospitals here are quick to refer patients abroad for better medicare. The kind of service received in our hospitals cum the attitude of the nurses and co… hmmn
The fact that we cannot refine enough of our oil for local consumption speaks volumes.We just cannot refine our fuel and provide our electricity.
We have also accepted that the rich and mighty in the society should be excused from blame and should be untouchable. We have devised many ways to just make some of the individuals who have contributed to the problem higher than high. We no longer blame the people in charge. Rather we blame an imaginary force ‘CABAL’. Under Yaradua govt, we claimed it was the cabal that didnt want GEJ to be president. Under GEJ, we also chorused it was the cabal that was enjoying from oil subsidy. GEJ is good but the cabal is bad. Under PMB, the same story of Cabal being behind the maladministration. PMB is not corrupt but the cabal is bad. We are afraid to call names of individuals.
One thing predominant is the wickedness in the mind of some of us. The same individuals that will say we should leave the elected officials who have been fingered in a robbery or fraud case citing political witch hunt are the ones that will beat up and kill an innocent man that he is a kidnap suspect or put pepper in the private part of a lady for suspicion of being a thief.
Little wonder we dont choose the best from the very good candidates. We choose the one we believe will hurt us least
There is a structure that must be pulled down. The culture must change. We need to be asking ourselves how we got here and what can be done.
Photo credit: leadersjip.ng
