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2023: Nigerians must vote wisely

By Agunloye Adewunmi Bashiru
01 April 2022   |   3:32 am
Sir: The agitation for which part of Nigeria will have the privilege of producing someone to assume the position of president of the country come 2023 has started to generate tension and panic.

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Sir: The agitation for which part of Nigeria will have the privilege of producing someone to assume the position of president of the country come 2023 has started to generate tension and panic. Nigeria, a nation already faced by myriad of challenges from insecurity, high unemployment rate, lack of electricity, abject poverty, falling standard of education to mention but a few, can be described as an ailing nation that needs urgent cure.

What Nigeria needs currently is peace and stability, good governance, leadership not based on ethnicity, a president for the purpose of all Nigerians whether you are from the south, west, east or from the north.

For 23 years of democracy in Nigeria, Nigerians have not enjoyed continuous and sustainable dividends of democracy. Our electricity is not stable, many folds of insecurity – terrorist’s attacks, kidnapping for ransoms, herdsmen senseless killings, high level of corruption, police brutality of citizens- continue to be cankerworm to the development of the country. Dilapidated education infrastructures and falling standard of education, high unemployment rate, lack of qualitative health care and facilities, no social assistance for vulnerable citizens, high standard of living among others are the ‘devils’ inflicting pains on the citizens.

Successive governments have failed in providing basic needs of life for the majority of Nigerians such as health care, affordable housing, food, standard education at the primary and secondary school levels. Majority of Nigerians are living in abject poverty, university, polytechnic, and college of education graduates are unemployed resulting in graduates being engaged in fraudulent activities such as internet scam (yahoo yahoo), armed robbery and ritual killings.

The Nigeria Police is among the worst law enforcement agencies in the world because of the corrupt practices of its personnel. Our Police extort, collect bribes, and as well brutalise citizens at will. The police personnel are not totally to be blamed for this shameful act, how do one expect a junior police officer whose monthly take-home is just a meager N47,000, which is less than $100 to perform credibly, diligently, and professionally without resort to extortion, bribery, and corruption. Also, how do police with lack of modern weapons to fight criminals secure the lives and properties of the citizens they are expected to protect.

What Nigeria and Nigerians need at this critical period is good governance no matter which section, geo-political zone, religion, colour or race. Nigerian youths need a president that will create different job opportunities for them to survive; and put an end to the activities of terrorist group and other criminals terrorising the citizens.

Come February 25 and March 11, 2023, Nigerian teeming youth should use the advantage of its population strength to vote for candidates that can transform the country. It is another opportunity to change our destiny by voting wisely for the unity, progress, and stability in Nigeria and by doing so, it will eliminate the pains the citizens are passing through now.

Agunloye Adewunmi Bashiru a Public Affairs Analyst can be reached at bagunloye@gmail.com

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