It is rather unfortunate as to invite the word disappointing that the Muhammadu Buhari government has failed to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians despite the promise of doing so which the retired general made ahead of his elections both in 2015 and 2019. The primary responsibility of government is to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens. As I write, no one is safe in this country. Kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, theft, violence against persons and many other civil and criminal vices are very much conspicuous on Nigeria’s landscape.
More so, the atmosphere in Nigeria today is filled with uncertainties of both political and economic dimensions. And while we live in hardship, perceiving the miasma of hopelessness as poverty takes its toll on the majority of us, we are also facing the challenges most nascent democracies face. Majority of us are not aware of the democratic process, which if used, would have given us a means to deal with all our problems. Religion and culture are also essential factors in this regard.
In any case, in spite these setbacks, agitations are ongoing here and there in advocacy of good governance. And while many of these agitations are driven by genuine concerns, many others are not without regional, religious or ethnic sentiments. This again, points at another setback we must deal with, as a people, if the nation must progress.
Unfortunately, as it appears, we are yet to appreciate the level at which these sentiments have affected, negatively, our development. On the fault lines of either political, religious, ethnic or religious inclinations, most of us like only our own and don’t like the other’s. Ours is always right whilst theirs is always wrong.
As a result, we don’t have the requisite power to make our nation a better place to live, work and worship. Buhari and by implications, the Nigerian government has failed us especially in matters of security. But in a democracy, we are the government. We, the people formed it. Therefore, in an idle situation we can determine its parameters.
However, given that we aren’t one people, we can only helplessly watch as the hope for a greater Nigeria is dashed. We will continue to be having a repeat of Chibok, Buni-Yadi, Dapchi and Kankara while the only thing the President can do is to strongly condemn the abductions and killings.
Mukhtar Jarmajo,
Gombe.
