TheCable

To start with, we cannot truly move forward as a nation until we start putting politics where it belongs, asking critical questions that will take us out of the current woods we have found ourselves. Each time we allow politics to block our collective reasoning; it sets us backward as a people. Our bane in Nigeria is the version of unproductive politics we play.

We need to become wise—on the condition that we are truly serious as a people. When it comes to national issues, let us drown both the “broom and umbrella” and come together as one. We are first Nigerians before being either members of the PDP or APC. Our foolishness as a nation is that we play politics with every aspect of our national life.

We have really gone very low as a nation. It has never been this bad. Today, politicians are now using prompt payment of salaries to campaign for re-election. I never thought a day as this would come in the history of Nigeria. And I doubtlessly believe that this is not the vision of our founding fathers. Also, I do believe this was never part of the agenda when the Union Jack was lowered in 1960. We have forgotten who we are as a people. We have lost our essence. This is not who we used to be. We are fast losing our Nigerian-ness as an effect of vision-less-ness in the corridors of power!

The low-quality of political leaders we are producing says a lot about who we currently are as a people. This has badly affected every aspect of our national life. We have no standards anymore. We waste money because we have no vision as a nation. Who are we becoming in the next ten (10) years, we do not know. We are just sleeping and waking up, expecting a miracle to happen. We put our laziness and thoughtlessness on the head of God. Even if you ask our political leaders simple questions, they would say that God knows. They promise you heaven and earth and when you ask how they are fulfilling all they are promising, they would say: “by the grace of God.” This kind of warped thinking can never produce the kind of country we desire.

Everyone serving with PMB is so fortunate. They are working with a President who does not dismiss and layoff folks no matter what they do. The reason for this, generations unborn shall need to go to the school of Buhari to learn. No matter what they do, they know that they are sacred cows. If it were to be a President who believes in excellence and accountability, Hadi Sirika’s head would have started rolling on the floor right now. How can a project that gulped so much money be suspended indefinitely just like that without anyone being held accountable for putting all of us into global embarrassment? When the shit hit the fan, no one cares to explain anything because they believe they are not accountable to anyone. And it is not their fault, it is the fault of those who daily worship politicians.

An idea that was conceived and approved by the highest authority in Nigeria, branded in Bahrain, launched in London (our bona fide Federal Capital Territory) has finally being suspended indefinitely in Nigeria without any raison d’être. Until those directly involved come to the open to tell us the reason behind the sudden suspension of the Nigeria Air Logo, I make bold to say that it is a big scam—a project conceived and hatched to siphon money!

I like to quickly set the record straight. What was suspended is not Nigeria Air; it is a mere Logo (the most expensive logo in the history of humanity). They are two different things. What gulped billions of naira was not Nigeria Air, it was Nigeria Air Logo. It couldn’t have been Nigeria Air; because it had no website, no office locations… When you think we have descended to the lowest level as a people, another person comes on the scene, taking us lower than we have ever being.

Disappointingly, the vice president has been gyrating all over the country, visiting ICT hubs in the silicon valley of Nigeria, Yaba, but when they wanted to design that ignoble logo, they did not give it to our people to get the job done, they went as far as Bahrain to get it cooked. The white elephant project must not be done at home, so that some hidden things about it are not known. This should tell you that politicians cannot be trusted.

In recent times, I have been to some of our airports and you would agree with me that Nigeria is not ready yet to run its own national carrier. The level of unseriousness and mediocrity in our nation is mouth-opening. If we cannot run airports as they are being run in saner climes, then we are too flabby to have our own national carrier. We have the money, but we do not have the sincerity, creativity and seriousness. Our systems are currently in comatose, so having a national carrier would be a disaster.

Those who are familiar with the way things are done in the corridors of power in Nigeria would understand that the current administration was just playing with word when it used “indefinite suspension.” They did that calculatingly in order to stop Nigerians from asking some “yansh-revealing” questions, but the truth is; the white elephant project has been cancelled—with billions of naira in the pockets of a few untouchable politicians.