The year was 1993. IBB was in the last stage of his 8 years rule. His tenure is almost coming to an end. The clamour for a new Government was high. His Structural Adjustment Policy has affected the livelihoods of many. The economy was failing, the Naira weakened and...
Nigerians should vote for whoever they like from whichever party. Nobody will be allowed to mobilize resources and thugs to intimidate people in any constituency. That’s how I want to go down into Nigeria’s history, as a leader. - Muhammadu Buhari, 2023. The year was...
56 people eating Nigeria like termites - Hamza Al Mustapha The year was 1998. Abacha, the Head of State, had just died. Abdulsalam Abubakar, the Former Chief of Defence Staff, was in charge. He quickly enacted a transition to a civil rule program to replace what many...
I felt I should leave Lagos for him. In fact, I could easily have taken over Lagos, but I did not. Atiku Abubakar, 2018 The year was 2003. The duo of Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar were gearing up for their reelection campaign. The two had a falling out,...
In less than a week, Nigerians will get to exercise their democratic and electoral rights in carefully selecting and choosing new leaders that will steer the affairs of the country and represent them across local, state and federal levels; with the hope of bringing on board people that will – among many other things – secure the country and improving its economy.
The last 8 years have been characterized by a turbulent administration; with glaring insecurity caused by banditry and kidnapping in the North-West and North Central, IPOB uprising in the South – East and the lingering Boko Haram insurgency in the North – East. The Nigerian economy took hits and was severely battered, with double digit inflation figures and millions of Nigerians plunged into poverty. Recently, the cashless policy, which is good in the long run, has caused untold hardship to many Nigerians, with protests and riots in some places.
As Nigerians head to the polls, they’re left with clear choices of who they want to steer the affairs of this country; a leader who can tackle the insecurity ravaging the country, a leader who can improve and strengthen the economy and mostly, unite a nation whose unity is precariously held by few loose strings.
Nigerians should elect a leader with a clear-cut vision on how to effectively utilize the millions of youths that are unemployed and underemployed. They should vote vote a leader devoid of religious, ethnic and regional bias for the betterment of the country. Someone who will prioritize education – enrollment of the millions of out-of-school children roaming on the streets – and will put to an end the incessant industrial strikes bedeviling the public universities.
Nigerians should opt for a leader that listens and doesn’t infringe on their rights – whatsoever right that may be. We have seen how this administration banned Twitter, one of the most popular platforms that gave young Nigerians a voice, for six months. We have seen how the government cracked down on young Nigerians protesting police brutality during the #EndSARS protests. We have seen how the government has tried to gag press freedom through the introduction of the social media bill. No sensible Nigerian should bring forth a leader that will enshrine this.
As Nigerians go to the polls, they should remember that the greatest mistake they made was placing all their hopes in the hands of one person; thinking that one person alone would ‘change’ the country. They should know – and if they do know – they should remember that change and nation building is not a job that can be done and achieved by just one man. That it is a collective responsibility of everyone to play their part in making the country work for everyone. They should know that there is no magic wand that will swish away the problems of this country and that there’s no messiah that will come and save us.
Related: Like 1979, Like 2023
Luckily for Nigeria, the problems are clear – and that’s half the problem solved. It is left to us to choose what is right over what is easy; to look away from hype and what is in vogue and to opt for options that will put first the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria.
My name is Rabi Abdullahi, I am 17 years old. I grew up in Tsibiri, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.My father had a millet farm, and my mother didn't work. She cared for our home and all the children- I have six brothers and four sisters. Our village's...
The best candidate might not win— Olusegun Obsanjo, 1979 The year was 1979. The electoral umpire then, FEDECO, had just approved the formation of 5 parties to contest the 1979 elections. The parties were the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which was believed to have...
As you move in the streets of northern Nigeria or you stop for a refuel at a filling station, wait for your car to fill up in a motor park, wait to pick up your kids in front of school premises or make your way in the market place, you are bound to encounter street...
Many girls living in northern Nigeria are either school drop-outs or are out of school. A survey conducted by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) showed that only 45% of girls in northern Nigeria are enrolled in school. These girls face...
What makes a man is The title of a song released by an Irish pop vocal group/boyband popularly known as “West Life” in the album “Coast to Coast”. Also, a question that ought to be no longer rhetorical in the mind of every single member of the Northern Nigeria...
Yara manyan gobe This is a popular northern Nigerian saying meaning children are the leaders of tomorrow. You ask a child what he wants to become in the future and he replies with "I want to be a footballer”. This is okay because, at that stage, the child is replying...
Interfaith is a social concept that aims to create harmony and inspire cooperation across different religions. Its chief goal is transforming religious communities united by harmonious relations and the common good. Syncretism is the assimilation of different...
“When I was your age, I was taking the first position in class” Is a sentence we’ve heard from almost every parent and has gone on to build a lot of pressure on every child. The only thing we were pushed to was to get good grades, pass our exams and ignore...
What is the meaning of the term “black beauty?” is it a compliment meant to flatter people who are dark-skinned and look good, or is it in fact meant to downgrade darker women? Thinking about the possible meaning and origin of the word, it occurs to me how...
Over 12 million girls are married out before the age of 18 according to UNICEF statistics. Child marriage is being practised across countries, cultures and regions. We have to stop stealing adolescence from our young girls. Northern Nigeria is one among many other...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
0 Comments