Nigeria has had a lot of opportunities to set itself on the path to progress. The aftermath of the pogroms of 1966 provided an opportunity to recognise that it would be useful to have some space between the constituent units of the country so the different regions could grow and evolve to a point where they would recognise the value of putting aside their distrust and hostility to work together.
The handover, in 1979, by the then military ruler, General Olusegun Obasanjo, to Shehu Shagari’s civilian administration was another key opportunity that was frittered away, and the fortuitous way in which the Abacha situation was resolved in 1998 gave Nigeria yet another chance to sort out its issues. The chance provided by both the demise of Abacha, and then his rival, MKO Abiola, a month later, is one that also was not taken. Nigeria has constantly failed to utilise these openings but has instead chosen to keep applying the same terribly flawed approaches that were responsible for our failures.
Unfortunately in 2015, Nigeria (myself included) decided that the best way to solve the perceived problem of corruption was by voting for the living embodiment of everything that was wrong with Nigeria. I am not sure if we were trying to multiply negatives to get a positive or if we were going for something akin to vaccination. Whatever it was we thought we were doing did not work. The Buhari administration came into power on a wave of public approval that came from deliberate self-delusion and Nigeria’s strange commitment to pain and failed approaches.
READ ALSO: Nigeria e-government agency targets elimination of corruption with new digital platform
Muhammadu Buhari’s track record was well-documented and it eloquently showed his thoughts (or lack thereof) on education, civil rights, religious freedom, economic policy, ethnic unity, and all the other little blocks that ought to be important if we are to successfully convert this geographical expression into a nation. The signs were there, but as Nigeria typically do, we chose to argue with life rather than accepting the lessons It had clearly shown us.
So Mr Buhari became president and went back to the same policies that failed woefully in the middle of the 1980s. As expected, his ill-thought policies have produced relentless rises in poverty, insecurity, and unemployment. Coupled with police brutality, these culminated in the EndSARS protests.
The government’s reaction only surprised people who do not believe in using a person’s history as a guide to predicting future behaviour. We literally saw the actions that ranged from peaceful protesters being shot down in Lekki to hoodlums being ferried around the federal capital in black government SUVs to attack peaceful protesters.
These responses were typical of how Nigeria handles opportunities to do the right thing. It is baffling really. This is Buhari’s final term. One would think that he would see this as an opportunity to start repairing his reputation in the eyes of the people by agreeing to police reform, sacking the IG of Police and a significant portion of the officers responsible for the solidification of such a heinous culture of extortion, armed robbery, and mass-murder in the police force.
Mr Buhari would have also endeared himself to the people by using the wave to commit to political reforms to ensure that the next elections produce a peaceful election that reflects the will of the people. He could also have kept communicating with the people especially the younger portion of the populace by addressing the economic issues that have impoverished roughly a hundred million Nigerians and left them unable to see a positive future for themselves. Most Nigerians would have happily accepted these overtures and forgiven him for past wrongs.
Our standards are that low.
Nigerians are weirdly given to being very kind, understanding, and forgiving when dealing with those who embrace the role of the Villain. It is the people who behave decently and respectfully that we are ruthless and brutal with.
We can also talk about how Bola Tinubu could have responded to the grouses and deaths of the peaceful young people protesting at the Lekki Tollgate and remembered what the hopes of Lagosians were when Nigeria went back to civilian rule in 1999. Mr Tinubu could have decided to focus needs of his people for once and committed to using his influence to redirect Lagos and the parts of the Southwest that he has influence over into a much more positive path.
What we got, instead, was bluster and a Lagos State House of Assembly that accused the Lagos youth of being drug addicts who were ungrateful enough to not appreciate that Covid-19 palliatives meant for them were better off hidden or used as birthday party-packs by politicians.
It is an opportunity thrown away, which we will rue as food inflation continues to hit the pockets of Nigerians, leading to the next uprising, which will possibly be uncontrolled.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
