It is only in the dream that a rat will fall in love with a cat.
Nigeria is a great country, despite all our short and long comings. A nation of great people, in all ramifications, it is a collection and conglomeration of the good, bad and extremely ugly. Trust me; it has extremely wonderful persons, great citizens and somewhat indescribable leaders.
The nation’s production line is non-stop in terms of human resources, wonderful writers, doctors that can hold their own anywhere, yet our hospitals are messed up. Lawyers that are law personified, yet innocent people languish in jail; counter motions and no motions. Computer whiz kids and witches, fathers of social media activism and children of yahoo-yahoo, in all fields of human endeavour we compete; we do very well.
What then is the problem, some call it the Nigerian myth, others say its ‘our way’ to others it’s a problem deeply rooted in bad leadership. Some say and correctly that we are a victims of our own self-destruct nature. After all these leaders do not fall from the sky, they are Nigerians too, products of the system one must admit. So what then is the problem?
 
We are a nation of amazing contradiction. We produce a Maitama Sule and compliment him with a Sani Abacha, we get Wole Soyinka and tag him with an Alao Akala, for every one genius we are blessed with a collection of rascals…
We all know the problem or at least have a version of what the problem is, many a reports and submissions lie in archives of possible solutions but we are just content being where we are, or at best complaining about the problem, which is one good hobby.
Irrespective of how one feels, we are trailblazers, record breakers. If we are not the happiest, we are the most religious and yet we engage in some of the most sadistic religious conflicts, sociologists and psychologists are still short of the most appropriate classification of human species that we fit into.
We are blessed with leadership that build bridges where there are no rivers. Spend more money feeding animals in their various state houses than providing for those they claim elected them.
In the above paragraphs I have deliberately strayed from what was supposedly my admonition, and that is on purpose, although for the discerning mind I have only highlighted the discrepancies we find ourselves as a nation as we approach another election year.
Many of us have forgotten how the opposition called Jonathan the drunken sailor fisherman…that was in 2011, and the elections were by the corner, again another election is by the corner, and Nigerians are again engaged in the usual punches.
Despite the best of efforts of moderates like us, it is like asking boxers to shake hands before a fight, the Jonathanians and the Buharists.
Buhari is old…how old, Buhari is strict, how strict. He is an Islamic fundamentalist, of the Shiite order or simply Al-Qaeda. He is Boko Haram, and I mean he is corrupt mare, which bank gives #27M for a gambling operation…
I do not know whether it’s me, but the truth is that he is not erudite, scholarly or possess the Obama feel. And for Jonathan with a Phd and that lovely cap, he is neither erudite. But for one, I like his scary old school principal look that tells you “dare come to school late”. Are these the issues, certainly not?
But beyond Buhari, and I hope many recognize that Atiku is equally Fulani, and for those hailing Jonathan…is he the answer?
In the spirit of elections, comments like those of Rotimi Amaechi only highlight the disdain that many have of the Jonathan presidency; it’s not so much about Jonathan but the PDP as a political group that is overwhelmed by itself, because the likes of Ruben Abati and Doyin Okupe have made terrible comments too. I mean whichever way; for our elite, it’s a case of bastards and bigger bastards.
What does the amiable fisherman bring, for once can we look beyond the incumbency and the money to throw around, what really has Jonathan done to impact on lives, how will a Buhari presidency be different and impact on lives?
In all the failed Buhari attempts, what is the guiding philosophy, and common, away from those ‘TAN’ished rallies, what’s Jonathan going to do differently, or what more can he do that has not been done.
Are Nigerians asking the real questions, are we content the way Nigeria is presently structured, do we continue with the senseless killings up country, and the thuggery, robbery, arson, down south? All the stereotyping and labeling does it suit us, rascal South Westerners, drunken Ijaw fishermen, murderous Hausa and Fulani men, crooked Ibo men and many more?
Are we permanently confined to men that call god or the ones God calls, why should we still in 2014 be required to pray and fast while others share the money and break the fast for us? Why is governance still not a planned effort but one that is cemented to luck…so when it’s good we take and when it’s bad we simply nod?
Which of these men that want our mandate has a spreadsheet of how, when, where, which…they all do not have a timeline on deliverables.
There are people that want power back to the North but not Buhari’s North…
Of the men vying for the abused seat of Nigerian presidency why are we again faced with the burden of picking from a basket that has question marks written all over? Again it is business as usual; the preferable is not available, so the available has become preferred.
Buhari is strict but every crook and harry is queuing behind APC, Jonathan has been finding his feet and our money disappearing too. Despite my largely cautious pessimistic view, I believe that change is possible, how; I really do not seem to know these days, when…I am beginning to fear, not in our lifetime.
I therefore end this admonition challenging, the Fulani man, the Fisherman and other allied co-travellers to go on national television and in words that the market woman, the economist, professor, and spare parts dealer can understand, start to tell us what they want to and can do for this slumbering giant. Let us all say enough of empty promises and film tricking of gullible citizenry.
Between Buhari, and Jonathan they are still far away from the issues and substances of what Nigerians in normal circumstances deserve as a reward to sustained democratic practice. Sadly seems we are content living the dream than facing reality.
Till when–only time will tell
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Yours In High Regards
Prince Charles Dickson
234-8033311301, 8057152301
