A Nation in Fear, A political Class in comfort: Has Nigeria Hit Rock bottom?

 Nigeria as a country is blessed with massive human and natural resources, yet majority of it’s citizens are finding it difficult to secure the most basic necessities of life. All over in Nigeria, especially the northern part of Nigeria Fear has become part of everyday life. so many farmers worry about returning to their farms without being kidnapped and many households sleep with one eye opened because they are worried about being kidnapped. Majority of Nigerians wake up each morning not sure about what the day will bring.

I find it difficult to explain the situation of the Nigerian State today without asking a question that I know so many people will find uncomfortable; Have we hit rock bottom? Have we lost the country? Is Nigeria a lost cause?

Even before we were colonized and right through colonization, and after colonization, after all the military coups and a Civil War, and even so many economic hardships, our history is not one of total prosperity, I believe that it has never been as bad as it is right now.

But amidst all of of these issues that we are facing today, there is still something that is even more troubling to me in Nigeria today. It is that those entrusted with the responsibility of solving these problems often seem to have other priorities than these urgent issues. in fact, some are even allegedly beneficiaries of this insecurity that is ravaging our beloved Nigeria.

The first most important responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and properties of its citizens. In my opinion, and in the opinion of many experts, without Security, every other national goal becomes difficult to achieve. What does a stronger economy mean to a farmer who cannot safely reach his farm, what does a new classroom mean to a society if you cannot guarantee the safety of their child in the new classroom.

With time we can see that the relationship between the government and the people has weakened, because the government has failed to protect them, and the people have accepted the fact that they cannot rely on the government to protect them, so therefore the trust is completely broken.

One of the worst impacts that insecurity has had on Nigeria shortage of food, because when farmers cannot farm, the country cannot eat I don’t think Nigeria can ever address food insecurity if it does not address insecurity in itself. When farmers plants less, they harvest less and therefore supply less to the market, making food cost more.

What I find most insulting and even contradicting is the extravagant lifestyle of those elected or selected in power. In a country where majority of its citizens live below the poverty line and where many families cannot afford basic necessities, in a country where tapwater is a luxury and access to good health and good roads are nonexistent, I find it rather insulting the kind of Lifestyle those, entrusted with providing these amenities live. The large convoys, the luxury SUVs, the private jets, the Ivy League schools that they send their children abroad. it really tells a lot about the priorities of the political class.

Why should a parent in a politicians constituency worry about the safety of his children when sending them to school or even how equipped a classroom is? While those elected in office. Send their children abroad to study. Why should a family have to raise money to rescue a kidnapped relative when those in power are cruising around in SUVs worth hundreds of millions of naira.

I’m not saying that the public officials should live in poverty or should not have Security or that their children should not have good education. What I’m saying is that the people also deserve to live in Comfort. They also deserve to have Security and they also deserve to have quality education. Political office is a public trust not a private reward. The measure of a successful leader  should not be by the size of your convoy or by how many rooms you have in your house, it should be by how safe your people are under the quality of schools, hospitals and roads you provide for your people. When the people who are elected to lead a nation, live a certain lifestyle which is different from the reality of the people they govern then resentment begins to grow and trust begins to disappear.

Look at the APC presidential campaign flag off happening now in Kaduna for instance, security personnel were deployed across parts of Kaduna ahead of the presidents arrival for the campaign launch. we’ve also seen reports and pictures circulating online that appeared to be security personnel, guarding, posters, and billboards of the APC. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with providing extra measures to protect the president, but every citizen, including the president deserves to be protected. And then this raises a question that has been brewing in my mind, do the political class have other priorities than protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians? Do their priorities lie more on campaigns and winning elections?

A billboard is not a human life, a campaign poster is not a farm land, and a political rally is not a village. If the government can mobilize personnel to protect political symbols and entities ahead of a flag of campaign for the president, why are vulnerable communities being neglected, and not being accorded the same security that the presidential campaign is being accorded.

Our future as a country cannot be built on the protection of billboards, it must be built on the protection of human lives and properties.

My question to those in power is, if you can mobilize security personnel to protect your billboards and posters, when will every Nigerian be able to have the same type of protection as your posters and your billboards?

                                                                                Yusuf Nasir Zahradeen