The sad case of the Nigerian political transition
There is a saying that “the truth is either bitter or funny”
I saw a photo collage one where the then president of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Jonathan asked the then president of the United States Barrack Obama to tell him a joke. Obama replied by saying happy independence. It was a hilarious picture that clearly explains how Nigeria has struggled to get good leadership and governance since their independence in 1960.
After the independence declaration and celebration of 1st October 1960, Nigeria got into self rule and since then the story has been same old same old. A lot of attempts on change proved abortive.
It is claimed that due to the due to the high level of corruption within the civilian rule, the military took over the reins of the nation but what is evident is that even the military administration did more harm than good to the scheme of things of this nation.
There was the Idiagbon or Buhari regime, the Babangida regime and most notably or notoriously the Gen. Sani Abacha regime. One can hardly look back or read about those times with a smile on the face. The rate of poverty, assassinations, corruption and the lack of freedom of speech is a subtle way of describing the effects of the military administration in Nigeria.
Something profound occurred in 1986 during the Babaginda regime. He declared that the time for military rule was over and organized a set up to aid transition back to civilian governance and this time a democratic system of government, it was dawn atlast.
There was a measure of excitement in the air. Everyone craved that change and it could not have come sooner. Nigerians had had enough of the military dictatorship.
The worst was yet to come though as that administration was taken over by General Sani Abacha. A name that resonates with tyranny in the heart of Nigerians. He promised to fulfill the promise of his predecessor General Ibrahim Babangida. Which he never really intended to do I dare say.
It should be noted however that General Babangida looked to fulfill his promise of restoring civilian rule and only the annulment of the June 12 election of 1993 stopped that.
Thankfully, to say the very least General Sani Abacha died in 1998 to the pleasure of many Nigerians. The circumstances surrounding his death are still suspicious and Nigerians have basically been fed rumours about it but at least he was out of the seat and the country could finally get back on track.
On May 29, 1999 Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as a democratically elected civilian president. Suddenly all the doom and gloom of night had passed, dawn had passed and now it was noon.
So much was expected of the new system of administration. Anticipation was high. It sounded like our beloved Nigeria just received its own messiah. Like I said earlier it was noon.
Almost two decades after and the citizens of Nigeria can hardly look back with excitement. It’s the same old story. So much is expected and even promise and so little and more often nothing at all is delivered.
Young graduates have no job, the state of electricity in the country is pathetic to say the least, security has seemed like a trek to an unknown destination that one may never reach or even realize that he has gotten there.
The government and leaders continue to play pranks and tricks on it citizens, feeding on their need for change and stability.
It is sickening to think that since 1999 till 2018 such matters as good roads, schools, water, electricity and food supply still makes up a huge chunk of the manifesto of our leaders.
The question is this; have we moved forward since the civilian administration began, have we retarded or are we stagnant?
The stand out problematic feature of the civilian administration is that fact that it is the same people who were involved in the military regime that are still in charge. So, it was just a change of name without a change of personnel.
To whom much is given, much is also expected but by almost every means the civilian administration of Nigeria has not produced as much as is required of it.
This anonymous proverb makes it clear: The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe because its handle was made of wood and they thought he was one of them!