Nigeria: The Problems of Bad Governance,

 

To be honest, governance in Nigeria has become very tiring and unbearable for everyone. Every day we hope for stable electricity, but the company in charge still turns it off. Politicians speak very well during campaigns and make empty promises, but once they get into office, they do nothing. Instead, they put citizens in a very tight corner. Our roads are in very bad condition. There are large potholes everywhere that can damage cars. If you travel by road from Onitsha to Lagos, your body will ache for a week, not to mention the Benin Road, which causes accidents almost daily. Yet when it is their turn to travel, they use flights. The government announces billions for road projects, but we do not see good roads. Instead, we see them flaunting wealth they did not labor for.Hospitals exist, but there is no medicine, no electricity, and not enough doctors. You have to buy basic drugs like paracetamol outside. Poor people die from diseases that can be treated, while top officials travel abroad to treat minor headaches.Education has become poor. Teachers are not paid for months, so how can they teach well? Children go to school and return unable to read or write properly. Yet the children of governors graduate with good degrees abroad.There are no job opportunities except through connections. University graduates sell phone credit and ride keke or buses because their certificates cannot provide food. This makes innocent people suffer because of lack of funds and connections. Leaders say "Nigerian youths are lazy", but they should create jobs first.Security is a major issue. Criminals collect illegal taxes in villages. When you travel, you must pray seriously to arrive safely. Police officers who should protect us collect small bribes on the road with no shame at all.Electricity is a constant problem. Fuel costs 1,300 naira per liter, so we depend on generators. Some people have installed solar panels because of fuel inflation. Mobile networks consume data quickly, the government keeps increasing electricity prices, and we still deal with poor network service.Water does not run from taps anymore. Almost every compound now has a private borehole, while some people go to the stream to fetch water. During the rainy season it is easier, especially for the poor who cannot afford a tap or a borehole. You cannot depend on the government for clean water; you must provide your own, which should not be so.Now about the Nigerian currency. The naira has lost value badly. One dollar is now more than 1,600 naira, but the minimum wage is still 30,000 naira. How can anyone survive? A bag of rice is now very expensive. The worst part is that they have not only increased the price of goods, but also reduced the quality and quantity.Every year the government budgets trillions of naira, but villages remain the same as in the days of our forefathers. No new bridges, no new hospitals, no running water. Only the clothes of politicians and their long convoys change.During elections they remember us. They share rice, fabric, and 2,000 naira to deceive people into voting for them. After they win, we do not see them again until the next four years. This is how they use us.The court system does not help poor people. If you do not have money, forget about justice. But a rich person who steals billions gets bail and may even receive a traditional title. Justice is only given to those with connections, which is so unfair.We pay taxes, but we do not see what the money is used for. No electricity, no water, no good roads, no security, but if you fail to pay tax, you will be punished. Only suffering comes quickly.Young people are leaving the country every day because life in Nigeria is hard. Doctors, nurses, and technology experts are all leaving. Who will stay to build the country? The same politicians who damaged it.They borrow money from the World Bank, IMF, China, and other places, and expect citizens to pay it back. They live flamboyantly while their people suffer daily, not because there is no money, but because greed has entered their minds. The national debt is now too high.They removed fuel subsidy and said life would improve, but look at where we are today. Nothing has improved; instead, things have become harder. Transport costs doubled, food prices tripled, but salaries remain low. Who did the subsidy removal help?Those in higher authority travel with large groups for simple meetings. Hotel bills, feeding, and allowances are all paid from public money. But when it is time to pay pensioners 20,000 naira, they say there is no money.They fight for power, not for the people. There is literally no difference between Party A and Party B. Today they insult each other, tomorrow they attend parties together in matching clothes. Yet it is this same set of people we have in leadership.Until we hold them responsible and refuse to sell our votes for 2,000 naira and the small food items they share during campaigns, these problems will continue.Nigeria will surely improve, but words are not enough. We need leaders who have the fear of God, who are wise, and who have integrity. Until then, we will manage, we will pray, and we will work hard, because that is our reality.The country is very hard, but we will not give up. In the end, we are the ones who will fix it by the grace of God, because if we continue to depend on man alone, things will only get worse.

Written by:

AJIYEN COURTNEY GBUBEMI

(Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University, Abraka)