Nigeria’s foundation not well laid, says Braithwaite (1)

Nigeria project at 55

THERE is no doubt that the educational level in the country has risen from what it used to be when we obtained independence in 1960. The youths are more enlightened and if any political leadership tries to force anything down their throats, this could spark off a major crisis any time. To that extent, I’m satisfied.

We started our political journey appealing to the youths to embrace radicalism, to take their destinies in their hands because they represent the backbone of any country and we would not like our youths swallow hook line and sinker any rubbish.

The reason the country remains like this over the years is because we have in Nigeria today irresponsible and selfish elites, who are very greedy. They take our money abroad for enjoyment and that is why corruption is thriving because they take advantage of all of us, that is the reason I described the Nigerian elites as irresponsible, but the young people are beginning to realise that they can take them up. To that extent, I am cautiously satisfied.

My hope and disappointment with Nigeria

I am disappointed because the kind of money in this nation over the past years is enormous. Take the petroleum windfall and others for example; you will discover that this country is not poor at all. Nigeria is very rich, yet we have nothing substantial to show for it, especially in the area of infrastructure.

It takes almost four hours to come from the Mainland to the Island in Lagos, especially in the morning. I am sad when I see people, especially young people who would have to leave their homes as early as 5am from the Mainland and wouldn’t get to their places of work on the Island, until around 9 am. The loss of manpower on the road is un-bearable. By now we ought to have had good road network in Lagos alone that would make the journey pleasurable.

The infrastructure is not just there and without it how can we grow a sustainable economy? Without a sustainable economy, how do we give people jobs or sustain those with jobs? It is painful that in 2015, infrastructure in Nigeria is still not there. No potable water for the poor people, electricity is just beginning to be relatively steady and that is unsatisfactory. Security is just not there with all the money.

A country like Ghana doesn’t have 20 per cent of what we have but light there is relatively stable. From my reckoning, we have 500 individual Nigerians worth more than $5 million, and apart from them, we still have another10 billionaires in terms of dollars. This is not right because these are peoples’ money and the tyranny of it all is that salaries of civil servants are not paid. It’s cruel that people with family are not paid their salaries for over seven months. It is demeaning.

I am not satisfied that people remain complacent. It is our entitlement to hold such government into account. We need more than peaceful protest to let these people (tyrants in government) know that they do not have the impunity to oppress us. Law enforcement in Nigeria still tilts towards protecting the corrupt big men.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been talking about his readiness to effect changes, he specifically promised to deal with corruption and probably he said he has been given a list of those who are corrupt in the system and that he knows where they are, but for how long are we going to wait for him to act?

All we are getting is ‘talk’ from him; it is about time he start doing something. He should make Nigerians feel significant change in their miserable lots.