Evidences abound that despite the country’s huge endowments in human and materials resources, Nigeria under the current civil or democratic rule led by President Mohammadu Buhari have all the classics features of a failed state. Infrastructure such as schools, roads, and hospitals are barely functioning, as hunger and frustration now greets the society.
Before May 1999, it was believed that military rule was the headache and curses of Nigeria poverty and retrogressive nature. The military like the witchcraft agents do not let go any accusing fingers on them being the curse of the country’s problems occasioned on their incessant misrule, autocratic and forceful attributes. The military were further accused of transforming the essence of governance from public service to corrupt private enrichment.
Infact, military officers and some well to do Nigerians had lost confidence in these institutions to the extent that they no longer send their children and wards to Nigeria schools. Similarly, when they or other members of the families get sick, they do not put their fate in the hands of Nigeria experts/physicians. It is then they recognized that physicians in Nigeria operates hospitals without medical equipment and drugs.
These and many other issues awaken Nigerians mentality and reasoning to opt for democracy which could best solve the people’s problem as well as provides opportunity for the people to express themselves, make demands and see each other as oneself.
Today, the democracy Nigerians yearn for seemingly becomes further tragedy since the people could no longer purchase goods and services at ease rather forcefully placed under bondage in their own lands. Nigerians today are not better than those under slavery and bondage because of the bad governance especially as it is the country today.
There is hunger in the land, poverty greets the less privilege and food scarcity hits the states as inflation rises to 6.5 per cent, the highest in the country since independence.
There are obvious evidences of a failed state judging from the indices available to both the young and elderly, employed and unemployed, public and private citizens. Some of the evidences are hereby discussed here under as gathered by Issues Abattoir.
Insurgency- prior to the time of the general election of April 11th, 2015 that brought in the current leadership of the country, there had been heavy presence of uniform men occasioned on militancy in the Niger Delta region as well as in the Northern region. While the civil disturbances in the Niger Delta region even as presently hitting the polity, was premised on marginalization of the people of Niger Delta, where the hens that lays the golden eggs are allowed to go uncatered for; the insurgency in the Northern Nigeria was without reason. Up till date, the Niger Deltans have proofs and evidences to explain their act of disturbances while the northerners cannot.
But irrespective of the fierce nature of the disturbances the general election of April, 2015 was conducted; prior to the election the federal government under President Goodluck Jonathan, Ph.d took the fight to the home of the insurgents popularity known, called and address as Boko Haram at the Sambisa forest. That fight led to the procurement of numerous and assorted equipments which today is the main point and means for the hunt against government officials of the immediate past President Jonathan. It is however, suggested that the fight against Boko Haram was illegal, an error or a taboo otherwise why should the government of Jonathan become the flash point for probe.
Simply, the government of ex-president Jonathan fought insurgency to its minimum operation. But its doubtful why election in just a senatorial district could not be conducted because of the burning of the INEC office in a local government.
If the present leadership of Nigeria under President Buhari insist there is insecurity in Rivers State hence its reason for the failed rescheduled re-run in the remaining eight (8) local governments, then the result is simple. The truth therefore, is that there is an evidence of a failed state.
Nigeria under President Buhari’s leadership is drifting to an uncertain degree that demands change in leadership so as to halt further spread of insurgency to other parts and as well quell the ongoing poverty and insecurity in the land. Insecurity or insurgency not tackled by the power that be amounts to insensitivity on the part of the government.
When a federal agency, the INEC complains of insecurity in Rivers State, it was laughable as it does not first consider that such claims implies simply reporting their president who sworn on oath to protect properties and lives, for erring in his duty.
Hunger, the general experience of about ninety five percent of Nigerians in the country was caused by inexperienced which also brought unimaginable inflation to commodities in the market. Many civil servants are not having their salaries paid while others are receiving half salaries; those in the private sectors are not left out in the hunger caused by inflation as a result of President Buhari’s bad governance. There are absolutely the cries by many on high cost of commodities across the country. This amounts to breach of contract signed by the current administration at the centre to protect lives. Hunger kills, suffers the citizenry against normalcy, as some results to living an unholy life. There are news from some states in Nigeria where teachers employed by the federal government were caught stealing ports of soup, when beaten and interrogated, they confessed and claimed hunger occasioned on non-payment of over six months salaries. It was however, pathetic to noticed, witnessed or even heard that even workers employed by the government were caught in such act of irresponsibility. But what then shall the citizen say other than a visible draught in the land? It is an obvious circumstance of a failed state.
Insensitivity or lack of transparency in governance – overtime anyone either individual or corporate entity that lacks transparency in the affairs and the welfare of his subordinates is considered as insensitive being, this underscore the fact that the welfare of citizenry is of utmost necessity and importance which must also be transparent.
A government not understood by the governed is regarded as lacking in mode of its operations. The current government in Nigeria under President Buhari flanked by some former greedy and corrupt governors is not in anyway sensitive to the plight of the citizenry. His policies are not clear if at all there is any. The only programme of the President administration is fighting corruption. But the federal government led by Muhammadu Buhari of the APC has failed to defined “corruption”. In the administration, members of the ruling party at the centre are not corrupt, former office holders now in the ruling party are not corrupt, infact they don’t know the meaning of corruption because to them they did not steal public money, therefore without any form of remorse, positive response or assurance by Mr. President – evidence of failed state.
The fall in currency value on N350 for a dollar is an indication of a failed economy which without mincing words has caused inflation to the rate of 6.5 percent the highest since independence in 1960. For a country to be progressive and working the currency of such country and economy must be encouraging, stable and attractive for investors to come in.
Who is the investor that would come in when the Nigeria naira has been devalued indirectly? Aside from the genuine reason of ineffective government, inexperienced as well as inefficient and incompetent administrator, it is certain that all the so called subordinates are after their pockets rather than effecting the noisy change they yearned for. Unfortunately the average Nigerians are calling on God not to let go whatsoever is responsible for the untold hardship inflicted on the people in the midst of plenty. These are signs of a failed state. A situation where more than an average Nigerians are gnashing their teeth in poverty is a true nature of a failed state and economy.
Regrettably, none of the over two hundred (200) electioneering campaign promises made by either Buhari himself or his party, APC is delivered to the citizenry after fourteen (14) months in office, cannot be probed alongside others. To them falsification of certificate is also not corruption, failure to present budget as at when due was not also a corrupt practice while alleged incomplete declaration of assets is a mother of corruption. Appropriation of state’s owned facilities to oneself through indecent means cannot be corruption. According to the present government, siphoning one’s state monies for election of another state indigene is not corruption, hence cannot be probed but the sources of a political party’s campaign funds are act of corruption, therefore must be queried. What a country, without feelings for others and transparency in governance?
In Nigeria today another future of a failed state is the obvious action of witch hunting perceived enemies through a government agency that ought to be independent in the course of sanitizing any considered battered area in the system. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – EFCC has turned out to be such agency used against suspected opposition to the government in power other than going after corrupt individuals who must have served or serving the government in various capacities.
The lopsided incessant arrest of Nigerians suspected to be members of other political parties without touching the obvious corrupt members of the APC is alarming, yet saddened it is, that a man who boasted to change Nigeria within three (3) to six (6) months if given the mandate could not even published his blue print on how to administer the country, a strong indication of his lacking in administration and readiness to pilot Nigeria affairs.
Issues Abattoir had consistently, discussed the inefficiency of Mr. President in governing Nigeria. Indeed, Nigeria is bigger than that man in a democratic set up like Nigeria. Mr. President is neither new to the Aso Villa nor new to the country but unbelievable that such boastful individual could not deliver on his promises rather resorted to traveling for a year.
It would be recalled that President Buahri was on a trip when his government was toppled in 1985, yet he speedily embarks on endless tours probably to reach out to places he had not been before he left office in 1985, it is suggested.
More worrisome, it is alien in Nigeria system since democracy that the country’s budget overstayed its due period, such was an impeachable offence. Saddened, it was that even when delayed beyond expectation, it was surrounded with issues of padding or not, assent or not. The Nigeria 2016 budget according to the country’s minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun would not be fully implemented. At this juncture, it is doubtful if thirty percent of the budget could be implemented, if it is, then something must be wrong somewhere.
The mother of all corrupt tendencies orchestrated by the current administration is what Issues Abattoir considers as “looting the looters return funds”. Where are the recovered funds from the nameless Nigerians? How much are the funds? Where was it deposited?
A government that branded itself an integrity government above all odds must have to publicize her activities to seem to be working. When an integrity government as they brands themselves turns around from what it supposed to do, then everything is wrong.
Advertently, Issues Abattoir after careful examinations and considerations of the above indices of a failed state posits that the only alternative to remedy Nigerians and the nation is to without hesitation begin the processes and readiness to vote Mr. President out of office in 2019.
Nigerians must as a point of duty allow the pains they are going through now to guide their decision for 2019 because it is factual that the current leadership cannot come up with any good moment for Nigerians.
The time to take the decision for 2019 is now. ###
With James Mgboineme
jamesthenewswriter@gmail.com.
