Nigeria is a country blessed with natural and human resources, a population of about 180 million and the largest economy in Africa. Nigeria produces about 2.2 barrel of crude oil daily and also produces thousands of graduates with qualitative and sound education every year. But unfortunately enough, we lack leaders that can harness all these natural gifts freely given to us by God.
Mismanagement of resources is the order of the day and that is why we found ourselves today in a situation whereby social vices are rampant. Kidnappings, armed robbery, clashes between herders and farmers, oil bunkering, Niger Delta avengers and the most dangerous terrorist group, Boko Haram.
In the 16 years of democracy in Nigeria, high cost of governance is the real enemy of Nigeria’s progress. It comes by way of excessive number of advisers, assistants and personal assistants to political office holders; huge salaries and allowances to political office holders; large number of official vehicles and unnecessary foreign trips of politicians and civil servants; security votes for governors; undisclosed extra budgetary expenditure and arbitrary increase in the number of government agencies.
Federal lawmakers constitute 0.0002% of population but they receive sizeable amount of State funds expended on their upkeep. If these funds are judiciously distributed, it would have saved the lives of Nigerians who lost their lives at the Mediterranean Sea trying to get to Europe with the expectations of getting a better life.
Nigerian lawmakers earn the highest salaries worldwide. The number of committees both at the Senate and the House of Representatives must be reduced. The Senate has 109 members with 67 committees while the lower chamber has 360 members with 96 committees. Compared with America, the US Senate has 100 members and the House of Representatives 435 members with only 21 committees each as well as four joint committees. Something needs to be done about this.
Another problem is the pension for former governors. A governor who served his state for only a period of either four or eight years get pension for life while a career civil servant who served his /her state for good 35 years would end up with nothing compared with what a former governor would get.
We voted for change where resources would be equitably shared; after two years of the Buhari administration, nothing has changed. We cannot have peace and security in our country unless these injustices are addressed. Our dear President Buhari, if these cannot be addressed by you, who can do it? If they are addressed, you would have left a legacy that would be remembered for years to come and your name would be written with a golden pen, and the future generations would not blame you.
Comrade Hasheem B Ahmad,
<[email protected]
