To say I am surprised will be an understatment but being and objective social critique after much though and listening to peoples view, there could not have been a better time to wish my fellow Nigerians Happy Democracy day.
I must confess we are not where we ought to be but nevertheless, we are not where we used to be. Reading the Presidential speech today critically, I must confess I was filled with hope as well as displeasure.
Of a truth, the last one year has been looking for way out to rectify the economy of this great nation, which I commend the Buhari led administration for and I do hope that this will turn out to be the early morning Joy that comes after a long night weeping.
My fellow Nigerians, I cannot say I am not as sad and displeased with the situation of the country ranging from the high cost of living, increase in the cost of goods and services which include transportation, the Fulani hardmen crises, increase in exchange rate, poor power supply among other.
I believe that the administration should have put in-place contingency plan before embarking on most of there reforms or agenda to ease the burden of the people.
Why I am disappointed is that the people who are making this change will have little to feel Interms of the effect of the pain, while the poor masses who are still struggling to make ends meet who happens to be the majority of the population are the one's bearing the pain.
I think the administration should have done better in balancing the weight of the burden.
Further more, we are not still getting proper accountability from our political office holders as it ought to be in an ideal democratic society, the political office holder still do not carry the terrifying consciousness to avoid mistake because of the electorate, which I also feel should be improved upon.
However, I must say that the activities of my fellow masses are not also encouraging, we must know that change is a process and must come through continuous struggle which begins with every individual, but the rate at which we have condemned the government for every little thing that is being caused by ourselves is not that encouraging for the growth of the nation.
First, At the notification of any change, we have tried to use it as an avenue to exploit our fellow masses instead of uniting to look for a way out, we have suddenly hoard our goods, increased the prices of our goods exorbitant to a state of making the nation weep, all because we now have an avenue to push our corrupt nature to. for instance, I discovered that a small biro that cost #20 before now cost #70 in some part of the nation. this is unjust and uncalled for. Yes you are right that the aim of business is profit maximization, but we must be careful to exploit ourselves even when we know we are facing the hardship together.
We cannot condemn the government for all the hardship we are facing, we must ask ourselves in what way are we contributing to the hardship, the government cannot be every where, they announced #145 as the selling price of petrol, yet some sell above#170. Business men and women, transport organization, petty traders, enterprenuer, private exterblishment, we must be awear that whatever we throw to the society is still coming back at us, yes things are hard and costly but it should not be an avenue to exploit the suffering masses, knowing fully well that people at the apex will bear just little. It is my cry that we have a change of attitude and lets join hands to build this nation than to destroy it. change must start from individual.
Also, I get confused at most comment and reactions, it gets me confused because I cannot give rational explanation to some comments, either to say the comment were made as a result of illiteracy or ignorance. I once question someone on the high cost of some of his produce, and all I get is dollar has risen, not even that the cost of getting it from the wholesaler rose, when you engage an average Nigerian in a form of discussion, before you go to far, you will hear words like "this is the change ooo", aside from the fact that some arguments are tribalistic, every lane man on the street has one thing to say about the current Nigeria situation. The problem is never in them having something to say but its in them saying the right thing, they speak emphatically as if they have facts, proves or where physically present when the things where happening. this is what Francis bacon calls the " The Idol of the Market Place" both ignorance and illiteracy are contributing great harm to what is happening in the nation than we expect. My fellow Nigerians, please lets stop spreading information without facts, and creating unnecessary fear and atmosphere that those not exist. lets stop confusing ourselves.
Nigeria Labour Congress, my pen must shift to you before I stop writing, I must ask you a critical question on why you embarked on a strike that is fruitless, you have succeeded in wasting time and resources, aside the fact that the union was divided Interms of compliance with the strike, it has expose your loop holes. I never saw any reason for strike in the first place, maybe that was what you discovered latter, what I saw was an avenue to negotiate for increment in workers salary, since things are hard in the nation, then a negotiation should begin on how to elevate the workers state to be able to cope with there new wage bills, instead you wasted three days without result. State who have been oweing workers salary for months, hmmm!! your consciousness did not notify any sympathy message to them even if you cannot fight for them. Anyway I think NLC should go back to the drawing board because there activities are getting questionable of recent.
Finally, to my fellow Nigerians, I still demand us to be patient even though things are hard, Let us keep our fingers crossed and watch where this administration is leading us to, one thing that we should be happy celebrating about this day is the fact that we are now in the era where our thumbs now count. on this note I say happy DEMOCRACY DAY TO ALL NIGERIANS.
This piece was sent in by ESAN OLUWATOBI
LIVING LEGEND
VOICE OF THE VOICELESS
My fellow Nigerians, I cannot say I am not as sad and displeased with the situation of the country ranging from the high cost of living, increase in the cost of goods and services which include transportation, the Fulani hardmen crises, increase in exchange rate, poor power supply among other.
I believe that the administration should have put in-place contingency plan before embarking on most of there reforms or agenda to ease the burden of the people.
Why I am disappointed is that the people who are making this change will have little to feel Interms of the effect of the pain, while the poor masses who are still struggling to make ends meet who happens to be the majority of the population are the one's bearing the pain.
I think the administration should have done better in balancing the weight of the burden.
Further more, we are not still getting proper accountability from our political office holders as it ought to be in an ideal democratic society, the political office holder still do not carry the terrifying consciousness to avoid mistake because of the electorate, which I also feel should be improved upon.
However, I must say that the activities of my fellow masses are not also encouraging, we must know that change is a process and must come through continuous struggle which begins with every individual, but the rate at which we have condemned the government for every little thing that is being caused by ourselves is not that encouraging for the growth of the nation.
First, At the notification of any change, we have tried to use it as an avenue to exploit our fellow masses instead of uniting to look for a way out, we have suddenly hoard our goods, increased the prices of our goods exorbitant to a state of making the nation weep, all because we now have an avenue to push our corrupt nature to. for instance, I discovered that a small biro that cost #20 before now cost #70 in some part of the nation. this is unjust and uncalled for. Yes you are right that the aim of business is profit maximization, but we must be careful to exploit ourselves even when we know we are facing the hardship together.
We cannot condemn the government for all the hardship we are facing, we must ask ourselves in what way are we contributing to the hardship, the government cannot be every where, they announced #145 as the selling price of petrol, yet some sell above#170. Business men and women, transport organization, petty traders, enterprenuer, private exterblishment, we must be awear that whatever we throw to the society is still coming back at us, yes things are hard and costly but it should not be an avenue to exploit the suffering masses, knowing fully well that people at the apex will bear just little. It is my cry that we have a change of attitude and lets join hands to build this nation than to destroy it. change must start from individual.
Also, I get confused at most comment and reactions, it gets me confused because I cannot give rational explanation to some comments, either to say the comment were made as a result of illiteracy or ignorance. I once question someone on the high cost of some of his produce, and all I get is dollar has risen, not even that the cost of getting it from the wholesaler rose, when you engage an average Nigerian in a form of discussion, before you go to far, you will hear words like "this is the change ooo", aside from the fact that some arguments are tribalistic, every lane man on the street has one thing to say about the current Nigeria situation. The problem is never in them having something to say but its in them saying the right thing, they speak emphatically as if they have facts, proves or where physically present when the things where happening. this is what Francis bacon calls the " The Idol of the Market Place" both ignorance and illiteracy are contributing great harm to what is happening in the nation than we expect. My fellow Nigerians, please lets stop spreading information without facts, and creating unnecessary fear and atmosphere that those not exist. lets stop confusing ourselves.
Nigeria Labour Congress, my pen must shift to you before I stop writing, I must ask you a critical question on why you embarked on a strike that is fruitless, you have succeeded in wasting time and resources, aside the fact that the union was divided Interms of compliance with the strike, it has expose your loop holes. I never saw any reason for strike in the first place, maybe that was what you discovered latter, what I saw was an avenue to negotiate for increment in workers salary, since things are hard in the nation, then a negotiation should begin on how to elevate the workers state to be able to cope with there new wage bills, instead you wasted three days without result. State who have been oweing workers salary for months, hmmm!! your consciousness did not notify any sympathy message to them even if you cannot fight for them. Anyway I think NLC should go back to the drawing board because there activities are getting questionable of recent.
Finally, to my fellow Nigerians, I still demand us to be patient even though things are hard, Let us keep our fingers crossed and watch where this administration is leading us to, one thing that we should be happy celebrating about this day is the fact that we are now in the era where our thumbs now count. on this note I say happy DEMOCRACY DAY TO ALL NIGERIANS.
This piece was sent in by ESAN OLUWATOBI
LIVING LEGEND
VOICE OF THE VOICELESS
