Open Letter to Honourable Members and Other Distinguished Leaders -By Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim

Dear Honourable Members/Distinguished Leaders,

As Nigeria celebrates 59 years of independence, I decided to share this open letter to all of you so that we would do the celebration in a grand style. I am writing this open letter to you as a young Nigerian. Let me state from the onset that I am not referring to any person in any position of power but everyone. Below are some questions I would like you to shine more light for us.

When you emerged as the winner in the recent elections held, we thought you would be more helpful and acquire more governing traits. We thought you would carry everyone along, whether he or she voted for you or not. Because you are now a leader. A person like you is someone that his people need to be proud of. We thought you would bear in mind that you are representing your people, not your pocket, family, and relatives alone. We thought you knew that you are standing for people’s interests, not animals.

Dear Honourable leaders, you would not tell me that you are unaware of the falling standard of education in Nigeria. What are your efforts towards raising it? Or haven’t you made any attempt to curb it to the best of your ability? Don’t tell me that you never organize an essay writing competition, Quranic competition and any other competition in an attempt to figure out the best young students among your people in order to inspire and motivate them by giving them scholarships to study in polytechnics, colleges, and universities ranging from home to abroad?

Don’t you know that there are best performing students from poor families but they could not afford to further their education? If yes, what did you see in living your people illiterate? How many classrooms/libraries have you built with your pocket money not even funds allocated for that? Or do you want to tell us that you cannot do that but you can buy mansions here and abroad, buy exotic cars and expensive attires? If an Emir, HRH Alh. Abubakar Shehu, himself could build a school and a hospital, what prevents you from doing that?

Distinguished leaders of our time, is like you are portraying a clear difference between you and your early predecessors. If no, why don’t you care about your people’s health? Or do you want to say you are unaware of mothers that faced difficulties during delivery or have even died? Why do you run away from here whenever you are sick? Is it that you don’t trust the workers or you know that there are no good health facilities? Then what effort are you making to reduce the number of children dying of poor health in Nigeria, as a leader? Do you ever move a motion on health? Why? Is it because you are in Abuja, let the poor die? Ordinary common primary health care center (PHCC) lacks solar whenever there is no power supply at night and other equipment, why? Is it the resources we don’t have or what? But you have millions to spend on musicians, political campaigns, and other unnecessary things.

As a serving leader, do you come to your constituency on a monthly basis to see your people, their social amenities and hear their problems? The most important area of concern is water. Does your constituency have pure pipe-borne drinking water? If yes, fine. How long would it take you to drill boreholes? How much would it cost an honourable person like you? Do you want to tell me you cannot afford that? Okay, where is the allocation for that? Can’t you drill 10 boreholes in your constituency in a week if you wish? If you have thought of poor electricity, why won’t you use the solar system? Don’t you have boreholes in your houses? Why should your people continue to drink water from the same place as their animals? Do you do the same? Is it not a shame on you as a serving leader with the given mandate to lead, allow your people to carry buckets roaming in search of water? Is Nigeria not supposed to have this at 59 years of independence.

Your excellencies, in my place, I always cite an example with one, Alh. Ibrahim Sulaiman who is not an elected leader like you but he drilled borehole and distributed it to neighbouring houses. Why can’t you do this?

Even in terms of electricity, we should have passed this level. Whenever I listen to news about a country, celebrating a long time without power failure or interruption, I wish it is my country. Why don’t you pay attention to electricity? Is it because you have generators and solar panels? Or is it because you don’t live here? Don’t you know that with electricity our economy will be boosted, many people will not be unemployed, many people will be eating food? Or don’t you want to end unemployment? How many jobs have you created? Did you build any factory? If yes, keep a good job but where and when for the benefit of your people?

Another question here is do you care to construct and repair roads linking villages to the city? Or is it that you don’t care because your cars know not potholes?
What are your efforts towards attaining a united, just and corrupt-free society?

You may wish to answer this as a leader as you may one day campaign for return to this or another seat. May be with the answers, you might still be voted in depending on how good your answers are.

Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim