“The awkward hunch on the world’s back, let it come down. The sky is wide enough for two birds to fly without colliding. Let the right have and the left too. And the world would be peaceful like the stream at dawn”.
The above words are not mine. It is a poem, though. I am not poetry savvy. However, if you find any of my writings, with a semblance of poetry, it is by accident. I don’t have the gift. The poetic quote above, is the work of Niyi Osundare. Niyi is an accomplished academia and a renowned poet. I came across this work, over three decades ago. It was in a newspaper publication. I was enthralled by the message. I took it in. It has never left me since then. Each time anyone travels the part of injustice, this message hits me. It resonates in an unprecedented degree. It is a message that, individuals and nations must learn from. Over and above that, diverse societies would benefit far more from it.
Whether we accept it or not, Nigeria is far from being at peace with itself. Lack of justice, truth and equity is the bane. Yeah, no society has it all, but, there are basic fundamentals that keep societies together and in peace. They are what I mentioned above, amongst others.
A little over six years ago, a group of Nigerians armed with brooms, came into the political scene. With the help of unsuspecting other members of the public, the incumbent government was uprooted from power. A crime free environment was promised. Uninterruptd power supply was to be made available in a matter of six months. Terrorism was to be summarily wiped out. Overall improvement in the standard of living, was spoken about with fervour. It was less difficult to get the buy-ins of the populace. Of course, at the time, they badly desired a break with the past. Change was the promise. They got one. Yes, they had it.
Today, the issue is, where has the change taken the people? What is the picture of crimes and criminality pre 2015 and now? What was/is the position of cost of living before and after 2015? What is the current cost of gasoline compared to the era before broom revolution? How well are Nigerians relating with one another now, compared to the years preceding this administration? How much of international debt are we passing over to generations yet unborn? How much percentage of our borrowings are channeled into production and infrastructure upgrade? How fair is this administration, to all the component groups that make up this country?
I hate to be perceived as a critic of this administration but, this piece is more about critique, rather than criticism. Think outside the box! If a bag of rice sold for about seven thousand Naira before 2015 and it’s now thirty thousand naira, six and half years after, something is definitely wrong. Exactly what this conversation is about. A few days ago, on social media, I saw a list of the most indebted nations in the world. America, Luxembourg, England, Germany and so on, were there. Our dear Nigeria was not there. That must have made the day of several people. The irony of it is that, the so called heavily indebted nations, happened to have the most buoyant economies with an impressive per capita income. The implication is that, those countries didn’t borrow to consume. They borrowed to invest. In our case, we borrow to service our over bloated bureaucracies and to fund our unquenchable desire for unnecessary luxury. That is where the difference lies. What is the state of our highways, as we speak? What is the cost of a bag of cement? How many kids are out of school owing to affordability?
However, six years into the life of this administration, clearly, we have seen the best. 2023 is close by and that would be yet another opportunity to test some fresh hands and brains. Power has to shift. By 2023, power would have resided in the north for eight years. Though not a constitutional matter, equity demands that, post 2023, power moves down south. Why not, the South East can be encouraged to produce the next president. They have the men and women with the requisite know how. They also have the enterprise and drive for the plum political job. By this gesture, the question of separatists’ agitation would have been better answered. You never can tell!
Recently, the issue of who keeps value added tax (VAT), became a national discourse. The position of those who are on the side of States, keeping what they generated, appears not only logical, It also appeals to common sense, equity and justice. For instance, if Edo state generates five billion Naira, Lagos state turns in ten billion, while Zamfara state contributes a paltry sum of ten million, solely because, it prohibits the production, sales and consumption of certain “VATable” items, then, Zamfara must take her eyes off the proceeds from such “evil” products. Imagine a situation where you prohibit the sales and consumption of beer in your state, yet, when the proceeds of its sales from other states arrive, you are happy to pocket it. This is the height of hypocrisy and injustice. If it amounts to evil to drink beer, it is far more evil to touch the proceeds from its sales.
As a student of logic and critical reasoning, it would amount to absurdity, to be caught in the web of contradiction. Yes, “let the right have and the left too…”that I referred to earlier on, would only make sense, if and only if, all hands are on deck. For a majority of states to sit back and wait for others to slave for them, is the reason why we are the poverty capital of the world amongst other factors. Reflect about this as 2023 beckons.
Good luck Nigeria.
