Today is May 29the, democracy day in Nigeria. A day set aside by the government starting during the Obasanjo administration to celebrate the return to democracy in Nigeria. May 29th is the day when the first president in this new dispensation was sworn in.
This year’s celebration was marked with a mid-term report of the transformation agenda of President Jonathan. Today marks two years of Jonathan administration as an elected president which also corresponds to the middle of his four year term. Today also mark two years of running the transformation agenda. So the government decided to read and present a report card to the nation in a grand occasion at the Aso rock.
Although I didn’t pay much attention to the goings-on at the arena which was televised live, I listened to parts of a few presentations; specifically those of the minister for national planning and the minister of finance. While driving I heard a man talking about dream in a poetic rendition.
The parts I listened to look like a praise singing day for the person and the administration of President Jonathan. While I am of the opinion that the government is doing something the comments were not in consonance with reality. In fact according to them the government is doing excellently and the transformation train is heading in the right direction.
The minister of national planning does even know the name of the party he belonged to. He said he reported to the national executive committee of Democratic People Party. I believe strongly that he cannot sing the nation anthem since a simple name like PDP he cannot remember. His praises for administration is phenomenal and his disdain for a particular media organization looked like the topic of his presentation at first.
The minister of finance was quoting some figures and saying that the economy is growing. Then I asked myself that if the economy is growing how come people are complaining on the streets on Nigeria that things are hard and that money is scarce to come by. As a personal experience, I have a few products to sell, people are interested in having them but they have no money to buy them. I don’t see how the growth in the economy translates into sales of my product. Mal. Nasir El-Rufai tweeted a few weeks ago that economic growth that does not translate into food on the common man’s table is no growth. I agree with him totally.
The minister of finance was quoting figures on how the movement of goods through inland waterways has doubled. I asked aloud that who gave them these figures. A person nearby answered that they are cooking up these figures. If what she said is correct, we are yet to see cargoes in Lokoja. Trailers have not reduced on our road. We have not seen the economy of these river ports towns improved. I still don’t get how these figures or growth came about.
The poet who I listen to talking about dreaming was very optimistic. He asked Nigeria to dreams of so many wonderful things and which incidentally are what Nigerians have been dreaming about. But I think it is high time we woke up and began to take action to make these dreams a reality. Maitama Sule has told us the dreams he had about Nigeria but up until now we have not see the realization of these dreams. The question is this: are there leaders we have today able to lead Nigeria to this dreamland?
Like I said earlier, I didn’t follow the event throughout. I don’t think the other speakers will be any different from what these two have said. After all, these two seem to be the livewire of our economy. Nigeria is yet to see the dividend of democracy we are yearning for.
Where is our hope, O God? Our hope is in you, O God.
God save Niegria!
#2015OnMyMind
#PoliticalGabriel
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