Nigeria: Highways of Horror

8 September 2002
column

WE live in a country where the government would prefer to be begged, cajoled, lobbied, and atimes, out rightly blackmailed before it performs its statutory functions in line with its social contract with the citizens. In our clime, when a government builds a road, hospital, a school, or even provides employment and security for its citizens, the government expects to be praised to the high heavens for doing what it ought to do. Besides, a retinue of traditional rulers and political jobbers must as a routine pay a special courtesy call on the government's chief executive as a supplication and to express subservient gratitude for what the powers that be have done for them. In some cases the chief executive names structure after himself.

Like in the Orwellian world, we have the Ministry of Truth that disseminates falsehood, Ministry of Food that presides over famine, Ministry of Justice that perpetrates injustice, and all such contradictions. Unfortunately that is what governance and social relations have been reduced to in Nigeria. At the same time when government in its apparent arrogance and omnipotence and pervading wisdom elects not to do any of the things it is constitutionally required to do for its people, as is often the case, the citizens themselves sulk and resign to fate and prayers. They take it as one of those things because, ab initio, they did not have much faith, hope, trust and confidence in the government to deliver the goods.

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