Nigeria: A rich nation being unfortunately led by poor people

Senate President Bukola Saraki said and I quote verbatim: “The Federal Government as well as the organized labor to be more concerned about the interest of the people…while the government and labor are representing the interest of the people, it is important to also ensure we avoid any action that will not show sensitivity and sensibility to the plight of the people.”

Each time our politicians come out to speak and most Nigerians are inadvertently clapping for them, I just know that most of our people are badly informed and truly do not know their enemies. Since Senator Bukola Saraki became a politician, what has he done to show sensitivity and sensibility to the plight of Kwara and Nigerians as a whole? Nothing! Can Senator Saraki stand before the whole world—telling us how much he takes home every month as a Senator?

Even a day old baby knows that “NLC and TUC” aren’t fighting for the common man; they are only fighting for themselves. I was so happy when I heard in the wee hours of Tuesday that the proposed strike action has been suspended. Why was I happy? I was happy because strike actions have never solved any problem for the common man in the history of Nigeria. Strike actions only make life more difficult for the common man. Unsuspecting Nigerians are pawn on the political chessboard!

Any protest that the Labour Union spearheads, I know it is a waste of time. I remember when His Excellencies Olusegun Obasanjo, late Umaru Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan were in power, some protests were stage-managed. What became of those protests? The Labor Union led protests in Nigeria only inflict more pains on the common man. The move that will change Nigeria will not be led by the Labor Union, it will be led by the common man; the Labor Union can join it, though.

Backtracking, His Excellency Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole used the Labor Union game to climb to where he is today. Protests in Nigeria only enrich those leading them, not those they pretend to be leading them for. When Adams Oshiomhole became the Executive Governor of Edo State, was he in power for the poor? Did he lead differently from those he met in the dirty river of our own version of politics?

If those who are dead can look back, the pioneers of free Africa would daily be cursing those who have ever led the continent of Africa in the last fifty (500 years. Gleaning from the books written by Kwame Nkrumah and other fathers of independent Africa, they wrongly thought that the only problem facing Africa was colonialism. They wrongly thought that if they could defeat colonialism that Africa would become the strongest continent on earth. They were wrong! What is worse than colonialism is ongoing in Africa.

What is worse than colonialism? Selfishness being fuelled by greed! Those destroying Nigeria and Africa as a whole are not foreigners; they are our brothers and sisters. I will not travel back in time beyond 1999 in Nigeria. Between 1999 and 2018, we have had nothing less than three (3) different Presidents and thousand other political leaders. They all came with empty promises of turning Nigeria around—becoming like paradise on earth, but they all ended up enriching themselves, their friends and family members. The 4th President and other politicians are currently in power and they would soon go down in history or become history as those before them.

It is the same story, from Cape Verde to Cameron, Gabon to Gambia, Nigeria to Niger Republic, Senegal to South Africa, and from Tunisia to Togo. Nigeria and virtually every other Africa countries are bedeviled with poor leaders. They are rich in money, but very poor in values. And any nation that is being led by poor men and women as Nigeria has always been led cannot truly move forward as those in the first world. Governance has become a source of income in Nigeria because poor men and women are swimming in the pool of politics.

For the umpteenth time, Nigeria is not fortunate (as first world countries) to be led by men and women, who are rich in vision, creativity, honesty, accountability and faithfulness. Are there Councilors, Local Government chairmen, Commissioners, Senators, Ministers, Governors…who are rich in all the mentioned values? I make bold to say that we do not have values-driven political leader for now in Nigeria!

Nigeria is very rich in natural resources and manpower, but she is bedeviled with poor men and women—who have been recycling themselves in leadership for decades. A nation that is not rich in natural resources will end up becoming rich and prosperous, on the condition that she is fortunate to be led by men and women—who are very rich in values.

Natural resources in the hands of poor men and women will impoverish the citizenry. This has been our experience since the birth of Nigeria. It is a big shame and disgrace that a nation with the biggest GDP in Africa is struggling to pay 1000 naira per day for her workers, our political leaders are being outrageously remunerated though. The 30,000 naira minimum wage approved by President Buhari is political. After the coming elections, nothing will be done about it, because most of our States are still struggling to pay 18,000 naira minimum wage.