Thoughts on 2015 elections

The disdain that some of our politicians have for the people exhibited in anti-people policies like fuel scarcity in the midst of abundant crude oil, suffocating economic policies, lack of consideration for people’s plight in policy formulation, total disregard for people’s right in execution of government policies etc, stem from their realization that Nigerians are easy to manipulate either by ethno-religious sentiments or crisps of naira notes. If not, petroleum scarcity or illegal increase of petroleum pump price would not persist without official reaction from government, few months to general elections.
My position is that illiteracy, poverty and docility of Nigerians have contributed immensely to the pitiable state of our nation today and the hell which living has become for majority in Nigeria.

Invariably, in advanced nations of the world, where level of literacy is high, people are conscious of their fundamental human rights including the right to vote and be voted for. Election is taken serious and the elected are conscious of the power wielded by the electorate hence the interest of the voters and the nation are taken into consideration in policy formulation, execution or implementation. The absence of the aforesaid is responsible for the underdevelopment in our clime.

The coming elections bring another opportunity on the doorsteps of Nigerians to determine the fate of our present political office holders from national to the local level. It is a rare privilege to determine their fate whether to continue to wallop in abject poverty or have a new lease of life. This is a wake-up call on Nigerians to make use of the opportunity either to make or mar their livelihood. Consequently, reflections by every Nigerian on the state of the nation and state of individual are imperative at this juncture. Reflections should be on the quality of life they live in the last three years as well as before that period. They should reflect on their representatives at all tiers of government, are they representing them or themselves?

This is what 2015 elections offer Nigerians, and unless the offers are judiciously used, the suffering would continue notwithstanding the few crisp of naira notes, okada gifts, bale of ankara, even tokunbo cars dolled out as empowerment or dividend of democracy out of billions of naira stacked in foreign and local banks.

Adewuyi Adegbite,
Apake, Ogbomoso.