I almost did not write this column this week as my laptop had powered out and there was no fuel for my generator. The sit at home strike (Occupy Nigeria) and street demonstrations (the latter haven been hijacked by street urchins and thugs) virtually kept me out of touch with the world, until last Friday morning when a good Samaritan gave me the opportunity to charge my laptop and other IT tools. Incidentally, it was exactly three days to the commencement of the sit - at- home action that the electricity transformer in my neighbourhood, decided to take a break having provided electricity on a regular basis for some months now. Of course with the strike, asking men of the Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN) to take a look at it was out of the question. So here I am, struggling to put my thoughts down in a hurry hoping that the electricity generating set, being powered by the little fuel available would see me through.

While cooped up in the house for some five days and virtually cut off from the world, I occupied myself by reading everything I could lay my hands on, including old newspapers and magazines. It was in one of these that I came across an interview with a young Nigerian, who had just started a website, where one could get local information on anything Nigerian. I found it interesting, but one thing that caught my attention was a statement credited to him to the effect that Nigerians were in the habit of complaining a lot about the country. He added that they were generally negative about the government and its programmes.

I thought it was unfortunate that he saw things this way. I am sure that by now he too must have started complaining about the way things are run here. The interview was conducted a few months after he just come back into the country i.e. early 2010.  I won’t be surprised if he was in the forefront of the young and articulate people gathering at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota Lagos on a daily basis to express their displeasure and anger at a government that appears deaf and dumb.

Indeed, deaf and dumb this government is. How could you hold out so long against the demands of not just a few but the bulk of the population? Those young people out there on the streets, (not the miscreants) are our representatives and they are verbalising the views of the people. I keep in touch with what is happening through the ordinary Nigerians in the local community where I reside, (you'd be surprised at the kind of information at their disposal!) and what they say, is what everybody is saying. Return the subsidy (if there ever was one), put the palliatives in place, demonstrate your sincerity and willingness to eradicate corruption in government, cut down on the cost of running the government, then we shall all be prepared to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to move the economy forward. Isn’t that plain enough?

However, like a neighbour said, it seems this president - Goodluck Jonathan - is bent on going down in history as the first president from a minority group who had all the opportunity to nurture the nation into the giant it was meant to be, but who decided it must come to smithereens in his own time. I wish him all the luck in this kamikaze he has embarked on, because the way the strike is going, he will be the loser in the end.

FROM MY MAILBOX

Our leaders are not sincere. the way they handle us is tyrannical in nature  The minimum wage approved for workers is far below what most of them spend on feeding their dog. ASUU strike is not addressed, the Boko Haram menace is staring us in the face  they are working toward a dismembered nation by giving quit notice to 'non-indigenes', now Jonathan has added pepper to our already decaying wound. I begin to suspect a hidden agenda. The Americans that predicted Nigeria’s disintegration in due course are now in support of a policy that poses a 'keg of gunpowder' to our existence as a nation. Mr. President should be wary of ministers that are implanted for the purpose of causing confusion in Nigeria. Let the palliatives start before subsidy removal; it is then we can trust the government.

— Remi Adebisi. 08060373463

• • • • • • • • • •

I am in support of our Finance Minister, for subsidy removal on petroleum products if truly President Goodluck Jonathan is going to ensure adequate oversight, accountability and implementation of the various projects meant to make the subsidy removal worth it. Truly, the pains are burdensome and that is because the NNPC has not over time, maintained the local refineries. I think we should give the Federal Government the benefit of the doubt. My respect still goes to this astute lady Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

— Sesan Adebayo-Oyende, Somolu Lagos. 08073887783

• • • • • • • • • •

Madam, the view of the road tends to change when a conductor finds himself in the driver's seat. That is for our "comrade" oshiomole. What Nigerians fear is the ultimate destination of the proceeds from the deregulation; after all where are the proceeds from previous austerity measures like SAP and others?

— Dayo Oladeji, Saki, Oke Ogun. 08027278748

• • • • • • • • • •

Good morning Madam Front Row, a Vet Doctor should be at the zoo, not running the country. Please intervene about on this fuel matter, before we start eating ourselves, no more food in the house,

— Reader, from Sanyo Area Ibadan. 08057127636

• • • • • • • • • •

It is unfortunate that President Jonathan forgot his poor but noble and civil background so soon. Taking the advice of his aides, one of who publicly said he could not remember when last he personally bought fuel at a petrol station and the other just jumping in and out of the country on invitation to implement World Bank ideas, leaves much to be desired. President Jonathan should be told in clear terms that Nigerians voted for him to practice DEMOCRACY in its full meaning and policy implementation. Nigerians want to enjoy the rights and privileges of a TRULY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY which has eluded them for so long. Let our President listen to the voices of reason and ignore sycophants in government. God will deliver Nigeria from astrologers and enchanters who are working towards the actualisation of their prediction.

— Sunday Ajayi, Ilorin 08056722138

Comments (0)

Show/hide comments

Show/hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment