The naivety of planners was evident in the way in which the potential problems were handled in the lead-up to independence. Despite the early warnings of writers like Awolowo and experiences of other West African postcolonial countries, it was assumed that with the establishment of democracy, tribalism and ethnic difference would fade as people learned to identify themselves primarily with the nation rather than with their own ethnic communities.
Democracy is built on the equality of citizens; the freedom of these citizens to associate with one another for the realization of their ideals and the defense and promotion of their interests; and the freedom of these citizens to choose between the different political platforms of various political parties and candidates, and see to the actualization of the platforms they have voted for, if their choices win.
But in Nigeria, people have effectively been disenfranchised by their own circumstances on the one hand, and their leaders’ perfidy on the other. As a result, Nigeria is approaching a situation where democracy is being practiced without democrats and elections are being conducted with scant regard for the electorate. The ballot is not respected by the government and the price of protecting it is too high for the people to pay; but the bullet, once universally feared, is now generally out of fashion.
The biggest blunder of Nigeria’s ruling class has been its failure to build strong and stable social system to provide the kind of atmosphere that democracy needs to take root and flourish.
The concrete foundation of any country is based sorely on the unity, you cannot attain, unity without peace and justice. You cannot attain peace and justice without love and honesty.
To enable us understand this further, let us look at our national anthem that we all stand up everyday to honor. Those who composed our national anthem had this in mind when they wrote in the last verse of the first stanza thus " One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity"
Have we really considered the weight of this verse as we recite when the opportunity present itself? Have our leaders really tried to govern this county in an atmosphere of fundamental rights, as enshrined in the Untied Nation chparter on freedom? Has it not been a situation of the strong always oppression of the weak?
I wonder sometime if our leaders take time to read and digest the national anthem like the pupils in primary and secondary schools. The second stanza, verse five and six which speaks of building a nation " In love and honesty to grow and living and true" Have we related to ourselves in love and honesty Where the Kaduna man is saying that the oil in Delta belong to Kaduna? Where is the Niger Delta people have been completely deprived of the control of their natural resources?
The petroleum industry bill, PIB. designed to take care of the interest of all had been kept in the cooler by the majority enthic groups in the national assembly for almost seventhy years now, where is the justice in that? The last verse of our national anthem says "To build a nation where peace and justice shall regin". It is indisputabel that, a country where peace and justice reigns, progress is guaranteed. The composers of our national anthem cited this fact and all of our past and present leadership have accepted it as such. It therefore follows that all the past leaders including the present leadership have failed to govern with justice, honesty, fairlness and equity. They are all therefore the botcher's or spoilers of our country nigeria.
They are the ones who have made it impossible for the nation to attain great developmental strides. Hence, all of the challenges we face today as a nation can we have leader who can govern with justice, fairness and equity? Until we have that, the country will continue to elude us, you can never stifle the free spirit of man, no matter how hard one tries.
If the only permanent solution is a foundation of peace, justice and equity then all of these are not in place for the past 56years after our independence, the people that we have placed in postions to lead us as messiahs both past and present, have not do well, they are the spoilers 'botcher's'
The spoilers 'botcher's' are those who have allowed this country to be sharply divided along enthic and religious lines all through the years. The botcher's are those who have sold our commonwealth to their friends and cronies. The botcher's are those who have refused to have true census figures thereby denying the nation the opportuntity of proper plannig which would have supported Boko Haram to develop into the monsters that is has become today. The botcher's are those who will approved projects but failed to followed it up to completion. The botcher's are those who laundry our Money to other country, to enriched themselves.
The 'botchers' are those who through their leadership have encouraged the fulani herdsmen to become agents of religious anf ethnic genecide. The botchers those who always represented the Niger deltans people for peace dilogue without know reasonable result. The botcher's are those who preach democracy yesterday when were in oppostion and now that they are office have endoresed the fascist approach of obtaining justice.
The botchers are those who openly canvassed the activities of Boko Haram and fulani herdsmen in the past but today are asking the press to suppress news of the activties of the selects. Botcher's are those who canvassed the rule of law yesterday and today bound judges who have not dispensed justice in their favour.
The botcher's are those who cried for credible and fair election in the past but today are openly subverting justice and the democratic process. The botcher's are those who refuse to acknowledge the rights and privileges of others to their God given resources and talents. Botcher's are those who want to change the facts of history, to suit their own whims. Botcher's are those who have chosen to fight Corruption with corruption, there should be no distortion or selective treatment. These are the botcher's of our nation and until these ones are removed or forced to cahnge their ways, they will continue to hinder our collective growth because they are in power.
We, as Nigerians must understand our differences and arrive at a general consensus on the need for us to summon courage and vote only those good Christians and good Muslims from amongst us who will save us from the hands of the present manipulators who have no respect for human feelings and aspirations. We must arrive at a consensus that only a collegiate leadership of knowledgeable, humble, patriotic and committed Nigerians is voted into office. We have had enough of this contraption.
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