Fourteen
years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria has been described by Nigerians as
a failure as the political class have completely derailed in the practice of
true democracy. Institutions like education, health, power (electricity), among
others were more effective and stronger before the civilians took over power in
1999. Prior to this time, a Nigerian graduate was rated very high any where in
the world but today, the reverse is the case as the present day Nigerian
graduate can hardly defend his or her certificate. Politicians, particularly
those of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have served and are
still serving in different positions of authority have failed to give a good
account of themselves as the masses continue to suffer the problem of
infrastructure which include bad roads, epileptic power supply, lack of
portable water, lack of quality education and health care and insecurity.
Prior to 1999, most Nigerian
communities such as Ika land strongly depended on government for the provision
of their basic necessities and government to a very large extent lived up to
its expectation. Government sectors at that time were very organized, civil
servants were disciplined and accountable, and the citizens were very
co-operative as there was hardly any case of vandalisation of government
properties.
Civilian leaders who are
supposed to be blessings to their fellow country men and women have turned out
to become their greatest enemies. The corrupt and non-challant attitude of the
political class towards the issue of national development have always made many
to ask if there is truly hope for tomorrow. Nearly all government sectors have
collapsed because of corruption. In the Nigeria of today, nothing works
effectively as money, not selfless service has become the order of the day.
Political leaders live in affluence while a large percentage of the people
whose mandates they are enjoying in government wallow in abject poverty.
Ika, the land where we have
lithany of abandoned government projects despite several appeals to the
government by concerned indigenes and groups from the community, testifies of
government’s failure towards the plight of the people. The most disturbing of
all is the issue of the old Lagos/Asaba road which has been lingering for more
than six years that Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has been in power as governor of
Delta State. Neither the governor nor Ika political leaders have been able to
explain why work on the old Lagos/Asaba road is still begging for completion.
Not even the two House of Assembly members from Ika land have come up to inform
the people about what is happening to the road or take further step by raising
it on the floor of the State House of Assembly. In fact the Lukewarmish
attitude of the two state law makers from Ika land towards the infrastructural
challenges in their constituencies calls for serious probe. Not only the
lawmakers, some political office holders of Ika extraction equally share in the
blame, particularly for making lives difficult for their people.
By and large, despite the
failure of political leadership in Ika land, our political office holders still
command huge followership most of whom are
sycophants who sing their praises and dance to their bad musical tunes.
It is very disappointing that after fourteen years of maladministration, people
are still flocking round politicians who have only succeeded in impoverishing
their lives. However, as
much as we blame our politicians for failing us, we will not forgive those who
have all these years supported them because of the peanuts, bags of rice, salt
and wrappers they are getting. The political leaders have not shown any remorse
for not being accountable to the people that voted them into power because when
they make just one phone call, their houses will be filled with these sycophant
followers. It is the same sycophants after sharing rice, salt, magi, keke
napep, motorcycles, wrappers, etc that will come out to the ignorant public and
be preaching change. These unrepentant flowers of the money bag politicians are
not only a threat to our nascent democracy but also agents of destruction. They
educate their pay master on how to rig elections. They are not bothered about
the future or the overall development of their community, all their desires and
prayers is opportunity for their corrupt political leaders to be in office so
that they can steal more money.
The political leaders on their
parts, have decided to play god as they are not in any way ready to contribute
to the well being of their people but rather that of their groups alone. It has
therefore become very glaring now that our two house of Assembly members in
Delta State House of Assembly have completely failed us as they have abandoned
us to our faith since their failures are no longer in doubt. In view of this
deliberate failure and non-challance therefore, it is high time that Ika people
set all necessary machinery in motion to recall them to serve as deterrence to
others as only two people can never be stronger than the whole of Ika
people.
As 2015 draws nearer, it is
important that the people realize their mistakes and stop mortgaging their future
with the peanuts they receive from politicians. Political leaders are
misbehaving because they still have people who worship and encourage them in
what ever they are doing for as Martin Luther King puts it, �He who passively
accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.� There
will not be positive change until the masses stop selling their conscience
during elections. We will all continue to suffer the problem of unstable
electricity supply, bad roads, poor education, healthcare, unemployment and
corruption if we refuse to toe the path of honour and stand on the truth during
elections. No nation makes progress in the midst of corruption and lack of
accountability. Nigeria will continue to lag behind among comity of nations (friends)
until its citizens decide to free themselves from self inflicted bondage.
Irrespective of our mistakes, we can still make progress if only we can tell
our political leaders the truth and nothing but the truth and stop supporting
them whenever they are wrong. It is high time our fathers, mothers, market men
and women, elders of Ika nation, Onu-Ika, Ika Elders Forum and all stakeholders
should speak aloud without fear or
favour with one voice with a view to bringing sanity to our dear communities
for as our people puts it, �weghe gbu imi enya wua a kwan. (meaning when they
are beating the nose, the eye will be crying. Political leaders on the other
hand should toe the path of honour by doing the right thing which they are
voted to do in government for as Abraham Lincoln rightly puts it, �The ballot
is stronger than the bullet.� To be, forewarned , is to be forearmed.
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