Fatalities of having Visionless Leaders -By Kareem Itunu Azeez

As the global village seems entangled in the magical maze of an enemy we cannot see, yet its icy hand could be felt everywhere, let us how we give credits to those whom credits are deserved. This is countries doing the best they can for their people in these trying times no matter how small, or how huge their population is, there is always a touch of humanity in their acts, from Europe to Asia down here in Africa.

Previously, I had concluded an article with the new challenge that may arise post-COVID-19, should it end anytime soon, especially in third world countries, where there are excess of multinationals, and even importantly, a group of people with leaders such short of ideas, and rather plentiful in greed and carelessness. I already assumed the shift in the supply curve, once there’s post-COVID, that assumption is certain but the era isn’t ending anytime soon.

The level of development of a country shouldn’t just be decided by its immediate environs, but also the ideas and its intellects at home and in the diaspora. In the Africa case, these intellects were usually transported in the canoes of slavery many years ago, but today, they have decided to put on the chains of immigration, to develop places that had feasted on their lands for so many years, because the supposed home is not safe to them, this is even against the story of this colonial history of underdevelopment. Nigeria state is one of this State that was formerly colonized but it’s people still preferred pretty good neo-colonialism.

For every six black people across the world, one is a Nigerian, for every ten intellects across the world, one is a Nigerian, either by roots or by naturalization. But back home, it’s nothing to write about, for example, in Los Angeles today, there are more Nigerian doctors, than we have in the whole of Nigeria, qualified and controlling sophisticated ideas in Changing the narratives of the human life, there should be no wonder why the superpowers understand the importance of Nigerians, irrespective of how some elites have decided to tarnish her image.

The Coronavirus has made six out of every ten Nigerians to stay at home, due to the various social distancing rules and a way to continuously curb this menace, but I must be frank in shedding out my sincere opinion, that till current day, I still doubt the originality of the figures televised to us on a daily basis, about the incessant increase in the pandemic, and while some countries have reached their peak of this pandemic, like the USA, Germany, Italy, and even the English, countries of the Subsaharan, are however seemingly climbing the ladder on a geometrical progression, simply because they lack the basic preparedness and necessary equipment to battle such pandemic.

In Nigeria, the numbers continuously go up, yet the people said to be infected remain invisible because we haven’t seen them, apart from the late Chief of staff, that reports said he was killed by the virus, not to the Satisfact of the people of Nigerians because from time on ages it’s leaders are known for their terrible lies, which is why at a point on a radio station, someone had asked in agony, “Are we sure this people ruling us are truly human beings”? Because no normal human would have the means to take care of his people but allow greed to cloud his/her judgment how much more someone elected to govern the affairs of a group of people diversified as Nigerians.

When Donald Trump said, “Nigerians would do anything for ventilators” the question running through my mind was, what has the Nigerian government discuss with Trump for him to make such statement, hate Trump for who he is, but you can’t take away the fact that he is blunt and straight to the point man, he wouldn’t hide or pretend to say what he doesn’t mean, but in this case, scrutinizing his words, and judging by the situation at hands, he wasn’t being sarcastic, that is why he has promised that America would help Nigeria with a massive 200 ventilators, and for our leaders, it’s a very big boost and a shout of joy to them because they had lacked the sense to think straight. Note, however, it’s a joy and not a shame to receive help from America, as a matter of fact during pandemics like this, countries depends on countries, even America at this period has one-time been assisted by China and even Russia, so in our case, there’s no shame, but for the people we have, it is a ridiculous situation.

The trouble as of late lies in the national assembly of a group of visionless people, the other day, it was highly reported that the current speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila has proposed a bill to the house given more powers to the NCDC, when matter such as this such arise in the future, for cases when pandemics come global and unnoticed, the problem wasn’t the bill all through, but for the fact that it was reportedly copied from a Singaporean bill of as early as the 1980s’ except for some minute changes like names and the rest, it was an embarrassing situation. Does that mean we can’t even boast of anything new from those who decide the future of the country, yet they rake in millions of naira monthly for doing nothing? They proposed bills that benefit not the average Nigerian, so I ask, wouldn’t it rather be better if a bill that are stamps giving out palliatives to the vulnerable Nigerians irrespective of regions should event like this ever occur be passed? At such people can stay at home, but no, their knowledge understands that not.

When they say invest in education, the truth is, this today’s Nigerian politicians won’t invest rightfully in education, because investing in education evoking the what Sam Adeyemi, (God bless his soul) would term the Spirit of Alutarism, whereby there would be no tribalism, people would understand much more than be slaves to politicians and their hunger games. But much more, people would be able to ask the right questions.

The fatalities of having Vision-less Leaders, therefore, is what we are enjoying in Nigeria today, lack of futuristic planning, lack of the basic amenities of life, however small they are, education which is the life of every state, it all seems as though we are doom to collapse one day, and this shall continue for the time being, until perhaps that revolution is revisited in young minds who are really desperate for a difference, a people bonded by truth and neutrality of Creed or religion.

It is unfortunate to be a Nigeria at this time, especially with this current group of leaders, who lack sight but blinded by greed.

2023 is near the horizon, Nigerians have the opportunity to choose a leader, as usual, this pandemic has exposed us to even more dangers of having visionless leaders like ours currently, the power lies in us once more, wether to take those miserable bags of rice, and t-shirts advertising greedy and careless politicians or rather vouch for the idealistic ones, who really are determined to do something for the poverty-stricken structure we have currently, in us lies the mantra.