By Samuel Ojo
I give God a profound gratitude for preserving our dear country. It can only be God for the corporate existence of this nation.
Call it a nation, you can equally call it a nation – state. All that matters, is that God has a purpose for her existence.
Nigeria will bounce back again if our politicians see politics as service instead of self enrichment.
Politics is not a profession neither a career but a vocation. Our president can afford to leave behind a legacy that will earn him name in the Guinness Book of Records.
Can we afford to have in this political era, men like Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe, and Ahmadu Bello of yesterday.. The likes of Anthony Enahoro, Herbert Macaulay and Adekunle Ajasin to say the least.
Herodotus, the father of history affirmed that without event there can never be history. These late elderstatesmen left behind political values that our present politicians should emulate.
Across the nation today, politicians of their time are virtually not in existence but for being in authority they can decide to make things work for a better Nigeria.
The current president, regardless of his imperfections and the groanings in the land, one can not close eyes to his giant efforts on road construction and rehabilitation, enactment of a new policy on technical education and a peanut relief to student vide a loan scheme.
Some few years ago, l travelled through Sango Ota to the boarder leading to Portonovo, it was a serious eyesore, even when President Obasanjo was in power. He could not achieve such a feat.
A few months ago while travelling from lbadan to Akure, l felt a relief from the usual hazards of the road. Today, the road is better.
The leaders should know that when those they lead are in comfort, God will give them peace.
Nigeria is blessed with enormous resources that if our leaders are visionary and purposeful ,this country will be a place of pride.
Politicians should not see and treat followers as slaves. Both have common heritage and use their privileged positions to develop the nation.
Today, we hear stories of huge allocation to States, except few ones, but there is no concrete evidence of prudent investment to justify such allocations .
There is no accountability, no human development and capacity building. The president could mean well but what of the sychophants, praise singers and boot lickers who surround him.
This is where Mr. President needs to come in if truly his speech to the nation on October 1 on regaining the profits of the fuel subsidy is to be realised.
The issue of immunity deserves a review. Many are hiding under immunity to steal our commonwealth.
Cross – carpeting, anti party activities, thuggery and docile legislative assemblies cannot reshape Nigeria. A political ideology that will help the welfare of the masses is required to bring Nigeria back to her fortunes.
The beauty of democracy is not in rigging elections for judiciary to determine our leaders.
Judiciary is to be a hope for the common man but we are living witnesses to what tbe system is today.
At 66, we can all have a rethink and rebuild this nation. Nigeria can be great again.
Ojo, a public affairs analyst and former spokesman of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, writes from Akure
