Of recent we were told that a former Head of State diverted a borehole meant for his community to his house. This may be true or false but it is common to hear that transformers, bore holes and other things meant for communities have been diverted to a single man’s house and the interesting thing is usually that that same man is so rich he can buy ten of such without even noticing.
Had he allowed his people have it he will even incorrectly get the credit and the benefit will be more for him. But he is not thinking.
Often we also hear of how people take bribe for things that even affect them negatively. A road safety officer who has wife and children roaming the streets, has the training and has seen what bad drivers have done on the road including actual blood gushing out of kids that have been crushed, yet he will collect a thousand Naira from someone who failed eye and sign test and give him a driving licence to drive in the same city his family lives. Why? He was not thinking.
Any sector of our Nation you look at you can’t trace the decay without seeing a link to how people don’t think. How people don’t see how things affect them and how people go for quick fix solutions; I need to cook soup today so bring the money and forget what will happen after.
The same reason those who even think democracy is the solution still do not vote and when they do they collect money and sell their votes. Just pick any sector it is the same story of our hating details and wanting quick fix to our problems and ignoring complexity and understanding of implications.
Davido told the IGP that the youths are saying “all SARS operatives should go home and sit down” Aisha Yusufu wants all of them sacked because “how can you reform serial killers” lol, first of all you can. Second of all not all of them can be tagged serial killers. Third, let us even sack all of them what will the outcome be?
So you mean a group of trained Policemen, trained to fire deadly weapons and face gun battles and chase criminals should all be fired and they will go home and be reading newspapers. The same people that even as officers of the law you said they were robbing you, they should just be dismissed like that and they won’t go into crime. When they go into crime who will fight them? The ones we are rushing to train? This is how short our analysis of issues and situations are.
We use the same attitude in criticizing government. To us, whoever defends any government policy is surely a “stooge” or “paid” or “supporting bad leaders” everything must be black or white, when the government is not perfect ALL it does is wrong and anything you say of it that is negative is correct. The small mindedness is alarming, and it is hurting everything.
This is why all our leaders are termed “clueless, incompetent, inept” because if anything is bad in Nigeria then the leader must be totally useless otherwise what is the point. We don’t agree there are wicked problems; problems that have no clear solution that you have to manage. This is why politicians lie to us because we will not understand or accept the truth. Why will they not tell you they will give you 24 hours electricity in 6 months when if they don’t say it their opponent will say it because you will believe it no matter how much you are told it is actually impossible.
This is why they will tell you that in a State that cannot pay salaries they will create more jobs. Because you only want to hear jobs and don’t want to face realities.
We think Nigeria needs “good leaders” and once it gets it everything is perfect, such small mind. Small mind that removes any relevance from details. You forget that no one can be more committed in leadership than the business man who is running is coming trying to make money for himself. He has all the motivation, he puts in all the work, but most times he fails! Sincerity, hard work, goodness, commitment and all does not guarantee progress of a business or a Nation, you must know what you have to do, how you have to do it, the problems you will face and how to survive them; the details we are avoiding.
The new one is that everyone trying to understand issues or make you understand them “done dey talk too much, pem” And these are the leaders of tomorrow? Thank God tomorrow has not come.
The United States Affordable Care Act is 2,700 pages long. It has another 20,000 pages of explanation and regulations. Just for health care and yet opponents are still picking holes and rubbishing it. You want the best government but can’t read, formulate and understand the details. This is why all your woke Presidential candidates were saying “I will hold meeting to decide”. I even saw a campaign promise that went “I will find ways to make social welfare work for our people” that is how intellectually lazy we are.
The solution is to educate yourself. Be aware and this does not mean fight over everything as they have come to define being awake and aware. It means actually knowing an issue. Is it high cost of food you are complaining about? Make effort to know what causes it so that you can even know if there is something you can do for yourself or society. So that if you even become the leader you will know what to do.
Is it “the same people keep coming back to leadership” you are complaining about? Take time to know why it happens like that so you can know if we have hope, if you can change anything and if it is bad or good and how you should relate with it.
Is it Police brutality you are complaining about? Take time to understand the factors. I have asked before why is the corruption gap between the Nigerian military and Police so wide and my elder brother said it is because the Police relate directly with civilians. He may be right or wrong but at least he has a theory from which we can discuss and find out the truth. That is being aware. Be aware, that is how you change Nigeria, not by quick fix.
The good thing is that you no longer need much to be aware. Just be here on social media and follow the right people and conversations and actually engage for knowledge, not for clout. If that culture goes round the people you call bad leaders will even be running from leadership because the population will be highly aware and they will naturally take you to task. But we like the quick fix; go and block road and shout an hashtag, curse whoever is leading, those ones are easy. Even though they finally do not actually solve problems.
Ohwojeheri is CEO of Minhaj Publicity Benin
