Reminding the government of her duty to the people

Time and time again I have talked seriously about the corruption in Nigeria, the sort that is currently sinking the nation and making her poorer as the day goes by. Before now, I have proffered a thousand and one ways in which the present government could handle this problem of corruption but the more I do this, the worst the situation becomes and the more the people become cynical about the government. The same government they voted into power. Not once not twice, I’ve asked myself, what would happen if someone who is caught in the act of corruption is sentenced to life imprisonment, beheaded (pardon me if this sounds brutal, maybe we should strike it out), firing squad etc? Will it bring corruption to its lowest point of existence in our society or will it increase it? Your guess or rather your responds to this is as good as mine. Unless and until the punishment of corrupt individuals or groups in this country is heightened, we might never move pass its line of action and the damages it cost along the way, might be too damaging to be fixed in the nearest future.

Some days back, precisely on the 7^th of March this year, I received a one line text message from a politician friend of mine that says “why do you always attack the government?” Exactly, that’s just how many from the government sees it, attack! If you are reading this my friend, here is the answer to your question; I don’t derive any joy whatsoever in “attacking” the government as you so eloquently put it. I only try to remind the Nigerian government of her duty, of the promises they made when they placed their hand on the Holy Bible and pledged to uphold the constitution which by extension, drive towards the protection of the lives and properties of the citizenry. I write to remind them that it’s only going to be in their interest if the already fed up Nigerian people keep holding together their calm. I write to remind them that the more they appear to be indecisive and unresponsive to the pains and plights of the people, the more they pose to be the problem. I write to remind them of the numerous promises they made to the people during the time of their campaign etc., since they seem to have forgotten. This, I don’t see as an attack.

Make no mistake to think that we are moving in the right part and that development is on its way because it’s not and we are definitely not moving in that right part and if you think we are, then we are moving in the wrong part of the right part. Come to think of it, how many days did Farouk Lawal spend in remand? He barely spent eighteen says and while he was there, he received a first class treatment. Its only when rich men are imprisoned, that prison houses are well looked upon, the lights are checked, the bad roads to the prison are fixed, air-conditions are put in their specific rooms and the security guards are happy. These are the things that need to be checked out; treatments should be equal, to everyone irrespective of whether or not you are rich. The government needs to be reminded of that because from the look of things, they seem to have forgotten.

Just as it will be in the best interest of the government for we to remind them of what their duties are, it will also be in our own best interest that we keep reminding them, of their responsibility, using every any available medium, because the more quiet we keep, the worst things gets for us.