TheCable

Most of our professionals now speak as politicians—in order to retain their jobs. And I cannot really blame them, because jobs are scarce like diamonds in Nigeria of today. To retain their jobs, they have to keep speaking like Presidential aides. Remember, you cannot speak for politicians and not lie to the common man!

Where our politicians are found determine what they say. On the condition that they are standing before traders, they would tell them what they want to hear and after that, everything said dies there. And when they are standing before students, they would tell them what they want to hear and after that day, everything said also dies there. Politicians in our clime speak and do not do anything on what they say. And they escape with it without being punished, because whatever happens in Nigeria does not last beyond a day. Once it lasts beyond a day, it is usually forgotten by Nigerians. This is what makes Nigeria the easiest country on earth to govern!

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, on Wednesday stood and spoke as a political-prophet, telling Nigerians that “the road to the country’s full economic recovery is still tough and rough.” I thought—tough and rough days are behind our people, I never knew that real tough and rough days are still ahead of them. It is tough enough now that our people have turned to beggars. What will happen in the days to come when things become tougher than we are experiencing now is what I do not know. Today, Nigerians are committing suicide because things are already tough and rough. I do not know what will happen during the time that the prophet in the Central Bank of Nigeria spoke about.

Mr. Emefiele said and I quote: “He vowed that those who work to circumvent and flout the laws of the country would no longer be spared.” The question is; does the common man flout and circumvent the laws of Nigeria? Those who flout and circumvent the laws of Nigeria are both in the PDP and APC and he is not strong enough to touch them, except he’s found another job. The laws of Nigeria are not for politicians, they are for the peasant-people of Nigeria. Remember, the laws of Nigeria that bind the poor man, set the rich man free! We cannot have a true nation until we all become equal before the laws of Nigeria.

Also, Mr. Godwin Emefiele took time to explain what the apex bank did to lift the country out of recession, but what remains unclear to the good people of Nigeria is that how can the country be lifted out of recession while Nigerians are still in it? It is only Nigeria that you would hear that our Banks are strong while the people are weak financially. If our economy is truly out of recession, what exactly are the helpless citizens of Nigeria doing in it? I have said it before and I want to say it again, a nation cannot be said to be out of recession when its citizens are still helplessly locked in the room of recession.

Furthermore, he spoke on Nigeria planning for 425million people in 2050! And this is a nation that cannot take a good care of 190million people in 2019. A nation that cannot take a good care of 190million people today cannot take a good care of 425million of Nigerian in 2050, because ours is a nation that does not plan for the common man. The only plan Nigeria has is for our politicians.

When he spoke about the policies that will make life good for Nigerians in 2050, I laughed. Why did I laugh? I laughed, because there are no policies today making life good for Nigerians, let alone making 425million Nigerians happy in 2050. Nigeria is a nation that prays but do not plan. Our leaders are fond of wasting money going to Israel and Saudi Arabia and over the years, we do have nothing to show for those wasteful trips. We do not have a solid year plan, let alone having a serious 50year plan. President Buhari is supposed to learn how to plan, not to pray. Are we not praying enough in Nigeria? What we need is serious planning, not an empty religious prayers that haven’t helped us since 1960! GEJ was in Israel, not once, but what came out of it? Nothing!

In 2017, Sheikh told the whole world how the UAE Centennial 2017 goals would be achieved: “We aim to nurture and prepare our young people to be confident of their national identity, empowered with world-class education and able to pioneer the future, positioning the UAE among the world’s leading countries. They will unleash excellence and realizing the ambitious vision of our leadership.” We do not have a national identify let alone preparing our young folks to be confident of it. And we do not have any world-class education that we can use to empower the future of Nigeria. Those who are supposed to build our education are training their own children beyond the shores of Nigeria. Remember, a nation that does not have a—national identity and—world-class education has no future!

Lastly, the goals behind UAE Centennial 2071 are for the UAE to have “the best education in the world, the best economy, the happiest communities, and the best government. Clear and practical steps will be outlined in order to achieve these goals with the highest standards and utmost efficiency.” The UAE eventually came up with practical steps in order to seize the future today. The question is; where are our own practical steps that we all will need to daily follow that will eventually deliver a great future to us in the days to come? A nation that prays—without having practical steps—that both those in the corridors of power and those on the streets can daily follow has no enviable future!