Our Crisis As A Nation
After a period of relative optimism for the nation’s 11 years old democracy and the prospects with which it comes with, since its return, political observers have raised concerns that Nigeria’s democratic institutions are being rolled back by the very people who are entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing them. There is in fact little to show how far we have come to realize our dreams 11 years after our quest for having a truly democratic country, in which the citizens live happily and enjoy the dividends that come with the system.
Democracy is a system which sought for the establishment of responsive and responsible political institutions that can guide the citizens in promoting good governance, guarantee security of life and property, ensure accountability, prevent corruption, respect human and civil rights, and ensure popular sovereignty. While democracy gives the citizens the power to choose their leaders, it will not be effective without improved ‘governance’ that shapes how resources are used and who has a say in those decisions.
However, the state we found ourselves today can rightly be described as the ‘State of Nature’ in which each decides for himself how to act, and he is the judge, jury and executioner in his own case whenever disputes arise—and that at any rate, this state is the appropriate baseline against which to judge the justifiability of political arrangements, the Hobbesian state. The spate of kidnappings, boxing in the House of Representatives, disregard for rule of law, collapse of public infrastructure, open stealing of public funds meant for development purposes, unemployment and many more social and economic problems all combined to qualify Nigeria as a failed state.
Although Nigeria cannot fit completely into a description of a failed state, but there is indeed a thin line that separates it from that status. A failed state is described as one that has a shattered social and political structure. It can be understood from a broader definition of what a strong state is in comparison to a weak one. A strong state is one which offers high levels of security from political and criminal violence, ensure political freedom and civil liberties, and create environments conducive to the growth of economic opportunity. Good governance’ has also become one of the central requirements set for modern states to qualify as ‘strong states’ and includes the provision of national and individual security, public order, logistical and communications infrastructure, education, medical and social services, water, energy and environmental protection.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former UN Secretary General described the situation of a failed state as a state with a collapse of state institutions, especially the police and judiciary, with resulting paralysis of governance, a breakdown of law and order, and general banditry and chaos. Not only are the functions of government suspended, but its assets are destroyed or looted and experienced officials are killed or flee the country. What more do we need to qualify the state of our nation today?
With a population of 150 million and a youth population of 80 million, Nigeria have a frightening figure of over 64 million unemployed youth and an estimated graduate turnover of over 600,000 graduates yearly. This means roughly, over 70% of working people are either unemployed or underemployed and of the 150 million, only 4 million people were on paid employment, while over 60% of youth ages 15-29 are unemployed. That is why kidnapping becomes rampant.
And in terms of development index, the country has the world’s worst development indicators outside conflict and post conflict zones. According to the Human Development Index report 2010, 70 million people in Nigeria live on less than a dollar a day, 7 million school age children out of school, roughly 1 million children under five die every year and maternal mortality rate are among the worst in the world (with 42,000 death annually).
How do we find ourselves in this sorry state? We started on a very sound footing during the first republic, with a very patriotic and focused leadership, but all of a sudden things degenerated. Nigerian society has changed beyond recognition. It is estimated that in the last eleven years alone, Nigeria has earned from oil revenue, about N39 to 40 trillion. But what have done with all these monies. One of the key features of a responsible government is to ensure that all citizens – especially the poor and other vulnerable groups - have access to basic services. Our Constitution places the responsibility on government to ensure that such services are progressively expanded to all, within the limits of available resources.
But all these monies were squandered, mismanaged or pilfered. Virtually all basic services are dead, water, electricity, roads, transportation, housing, health, sanitation and refuse disposal, social welfare and education. Today, our dear country is competing with countries like Somalia, Afghanistan for the position of a list of failed states. What pains me much is how virtually everybody – in the media, academics, civil society and what have you reduced our national debate to trivial issues like zoning and rotational presidency. What a nation? What a nation!!!!!!!!!!? After 50 years of independence we failed to realize that our problem as a nation was and is not as a result of which part of the country the leader comes from, but our failure to address our basic problems.
The only alternative we have is painful and the sooner our leaders realize that the better because it would not be good for anybody.
Democracy is a system which sought for the establishment of responsive and responsible political institutions that can guide the citizens in promoting good governance, guarantee security of life and property, ensure accountability, prevent corruption, respect human and civil rights, and ensure popular sovereignty. While democracy gives the citizens the power to choose their leaders, it will not be effective without improved ‘governance’ that shapes how resources are used and who has a say in those decisions.
However, the state we found ourselves today can rightly be described as the ‘State of Nature’ in which each decides for himself how to act, and he is the judge, jury and executioner in his own case whenever disputes arise—and that at any rate, this state is the appropriate baseline against which to judge the justifiability of political arrangements, the Hobbesian state. The spate of kidnappings, boxing in the House of Representatives, disregard for rule of law, collapse of public infrastructure, open stealing of public funds meant for development purposes, unemployment and many more social and economic problems all combined to qualify Nigeria as a failed state.
Although Nigeria cannot fit completely into a description of a failed state, but there is indeed a thin line that separates it from that status. A failed state is described as one that has a shattered social and political structure. It can be understood from a broader definition of what a strong state is in comparison to a weak one. A strong state is one which offers high levels of security from political and criminal violence, ensure political freedom and civil liberties, and create environments conducive to the growth of economic opportunity. Good governance’ has also become one of the central requirements set for modern states to qualify as ‘strong states’ and includes the provision of national and individual security, public order, logistical and communications infrastructure, education, medical and social services, water, energy and environmental protection.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former UN Secretary General described the situation of a failed state as a state with a collapse of state institutions, especially the police and judiciary, with resulting paralysis of governance, a breakdown of law and order, and general banditry and chaos. Not only are the functions of government suspended, but its assets are destroyed or looted and experienced officials are killed or flee the country. What more do we need to qualify the state of our nation today?
With a population of 150 million and a youth population of 80 million, Nigeria have a frightening figure of over 64 million unemployed youth and an estimated graduate turnover of over 600,000 graduates yearly. This means roughly, over 70% of working people are either unemployed or underemployed and of the 150 million, only 4 million people were on paid employment, while over 60% of youth ages 15-29 are unemployed. That is why kidnapping becomes rampant.
And in terms of development index, the country has the world’s worst development indicators outside conflict and post conflict zones. According to the Human Development Index report 2010, 70 million people in Nigeria live on less than a dollar a day, 7 million school age children out of school, roughly 1 million children under five die every year and maternal mortality rate are among the worst in the world (with 42,000 death annually).
How do we find ourselves in this sorry state? We started on a very sound footing during the first republic, with a very patriotic and focused leadership, but all of a sudden things degenerated. Nigerian society has changed beyond recognition. It is estimated that in the last eleven years alone, Nigeria has earned from oil revenue, about N39 to 40 trillion. But what have done with all these monies. One of the key features of a responsible government is to ensure that all citizens – especially the poor and other vulnerable groups - have access to basic services. Our Constitution places the responsibility on government to ensure that such services are progressively expanded to all, within the limits of available resources.
But all these monies were squandered, mismanaged or pilfered. Virtually all basic services are dead, water, electricity, roads, transportation, housing, health, sanitation and refuse disposal, social welfare and education. Today, our dear country is competing with countries like Somalia, Afghanistan for the position of a list of failed states. What pains me much is how virtually everybody – in the media, academics, civil society and what have you reduced our national debate to trivial issues like zoning and rotational presidency. What a nation? What a nation!!!!!!!!!!? After 50 years of independence we failed to realize that our problem as a nation was and is not as a result of which part of the country the leader comes from, but our failure to address our basic problems.
The only alternative we have is painful and the sooner our leaders realize that the better because it would not be good for anybody.
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