I have never thought that I would speak about the government, whether good or bad because when it comes to talk of government or politics I sometimes distance myself from it or I'll just pay attention but never talk. What prompted me to make this post was my colleagues at work today, we were discussing different things as usual and then we went into politics, most of them were blaming bad government for not doing this or not doing that.
How about we the masses? What are we doing to help the government? Do we just want to sit and fold our arms and expect the government to do everything for us, how's that even possible?
I do not know about other countries but let's take Nigeria as a case study, during election, the contestants promise us different things, ranging from free electricity to good schools, they even start projects during that period just so they can get people to vote and one they enter power, all is forgotten and gone. Why make a promise that you can't keep? When people are being treated like this, when they are forgotten like nothing, theyfeel abandoned, like their cries for help are falling on deaf ears. It’s heartbreaking to see leaders drive past suffering communities in fancy cars, ignoring the pain they could ease. It's truly heartbreaking.
Yes, it's true that when leaders fail to serve their people, the whole nation suffers. Schools will run out of books, hospitals won't have medicine, no work for people to do. But the government is not just the issue, we are also at fault.
Sometimes, the government tries to help, but we don’t meet them halfway. Other times, they see our struggles and choose to ignore us, focusing only on their own wealth and power. When bad leadership is mixed with our inaction, the nation will be stuck, no progress whatsoever. When the government is helping us, we should also try to help them so they can help us.
Let's take for example, in a community where the government builds market and the traders litter it and leave it to fall apart, who would you blame?
Or schools are built and teachers refuse to show up or parents refused to send their children to school, who would be held accountable?
For instance, a government might start a farming program, giving out seeds and tools, but some people sell them instead of planting. This isn’t to blame the people entirely poverty can push anyone to desperate choices but we have to take responsibility too. If we don’t work with the government’s efforts, we’re part of the problem.
I strongly believe that if we want to move forward as a country, we need both sides to change. Leaders must listen, act with honesty, and put people first. We, the people, must support good initiatives, hold leaders accountable, and take small steps ourselves like keeping our communities clean or voting wisely. Bad governance hurts, but together, we can heal and build a better future.