This is a follow up on my previous post, Is There Really Hope For Nigeria. Today is the D-day, the day many have anticipated, others have dreaded and some are absolutely indifferent about. It’s the day Nigerians decide – or at least I hope that’s the case because there are some ready to make the whole election process turnoniown.

So against the backdrop of my previous post, I have deeped this inevitable crossroad that Nigeria is at, the question of whether today’s election will determine Nigeria’s future and a hope for its development or if it will further sink us into this pit of underdevelopment… I have indeed thought of it, and I can say without a doubt that today’s election, no matter the outcome, will have no significant change on Nigeria’s development. Now, now I know this may sound like I have zero hope in the future of this once great country, but I’m driving at something so please hear me out.

Imagine this; if suddenly the government is changed to one with utmost altruist intentions for Nigerians, great policies, proper and qualified representation in the offices and the best eleven for our diplomatic missions, just imagine that. It is a very great dream that I won’t want to wake up from, but I’ll tell you what, that great dream will not only be short-lived, it will turn into the worst of all nightmares that I or anyone else would’ve ever had.

If you are following me, you may ask “why?”, and I’ll tell you. First, and should I say the most important of all, is that Nigeria’s problem has eaten too deep into the country and its citizens for just a change in government to be the answer. A common quote from the bible that says, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” This can be likened to what Nigeria is today. It’s like a building with a faulty/shaky foundation; changing the roof of the building and repainting it won’t solve the problem. A slight tremble of the earth will bring the whole building crashing down including the new roof and new paint. So you see, glossing over the problem, or managing the problem won’t cut it. The foundation needs to be fixed. The real problem (the foundation) should be the target, that’s what needs fixing. Not the roof, not the windows, and definitely not the chipped paint.

Next you may want to ask me, “what is this foundation that I speak of”, and it’s simple, the citizens. The people. You and I. Yes, it’s that simple. We make up the country, we are Nigeria. Nigeria is truly problematic and we see it everyday; if it’s not police harassment, it false arrests, and if it is not any of those, it is either the officers are being bribed or another corrupt politician is discovered. So much drama in this country. This dysfunctionality has been enabled by some because they’re benefiting from it. Those sneaky little lizards that think everything is meant for their deep pockets. Anyway, I digress.

The corruption and rottenness of Nigeria isn’t only on the part of the politicians. Many citizens, the youths especially and not surprisingly, are corrupt. If the youths, leaders of tomorrow, are already as corrupt, is there really hope for Nigeria’s future? The touts, scammers, yahoo boys, and other gangs you name it have pervaded our country and their poison spreads as fast as the venom of a black mamba, rotting and decaying the center of this country. As if that is not enough, there are the ones that pay their way through any and everything, those I call ‘The Privileged’. All you need to do is have money and you can command and control just about anything. If it’s a criminal with money, the money can wipe away his/her record and leave it clean, a blank slate, Tabula rasa. Throw a little coin here and a little cash there, and voila you can be advisor to the President because you know, money talks. And the sad part is that it doesn’t stop there, no it doesn’t. Nepotism and favoritism are the order of the day in Nigerian politics. My cousin that studied fishery and has a degree in farming can become the Minister of Finance tomorrow just because I am fortunate to find myself in a position to make that happen. That exactly is how politics is run in this country and who makes that happen? The people, not the government, not the system, not all of that. It is the people.

Election has started and cases of disturbance and violence have been reported. Thugs have scattered and vandalized ballot boxes, many voters have been bullied and harassed because of their ethnicity, some others have been coerced into voting for particular persons. How this is still happening in the age that we are shows just how backward Nigeria is and how much work needs to be done in it. And all of these are wrought by the hands of the people.

The problem of this country as I’ve said earlier has eaten too deep to its root, us. So, if you change the government, it won’t change the other underlying problems of the nation that starts with the people. Changing the government alone is like changing the roof of a building with a faulty foundation. It’s not enough and it won’t fix the problem.
My conclusion is that a change in government is part of what Nigeria needs, but that’s not the only thing. A lot of work has to be done and it requires the collective effort of every Nigerian.

P.S: Thank you so much for reading through. Please leave a comment 😘.

Also, thank you Streem Books for the picture. http://Check out Streem Books (@StreemBooks): https://twitter.com/StreemBooks?s=08