11 Dec 2008 |
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I’m not a student of history, but the little I know about history in general is that it mainly informs us of what bad government is. Taking about governments and Presidents; where will the place of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua by in Nigerian history? Unwilling President? Chained President? Sleeping President? It is no longer an issue of debate that Yar’Adua’s administration lacks vision. It is ineffective, chained and has brought everything in the country to a standstill. In his state of confusion, he even went as far as administering an oath of secrecy for the first time to political appointees in the state house. So I ask; is Umaru Musa Yar’Adua the worst thing that happened to Nigeria? A leading contributor to Nigeria's poverty is poor governance, manifested in corruption, political instability, violence, absence of the rule of law, and ineffective government. The function of government ought to be: make sure we have good water to drink, quality education, good roads to drive on, enough electricity to turn your light bulbs and your record player on, and whatever smaller amounts of regulatory assistance is necessary to make this society work. Government that is ineffective cannot raise adequate taxes nor make the best use of government revenues. Ineffective governments are also unlikely to make efficient investments in physical and social infrastructure that benefit the poor. Ineffective governments are equally less efficient in delivering the required social services to the poor. It is corrupt and a threat to democracy. Yar’Adua’s government consists of a gang of men – incompetent “administrative imbeciles” forced on him by the same dragons that chained him and have held the country captive. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. It was Leonardo da Vinci that said, “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” But Yar’Adua was never willing, he never had a vision for Nigeria , he never knew the level and gravity of enormous tasks that waits the Nigerian President, so, how could he feel the urgency? How can he apply? How can he do? Because Yar’Adua wants to avoid criticism, he is doing nothing, saying nothing and he is going to be nothing whenever the history of our transforming country is complete. The present state of inactivity and deprivation of all accustomed stimulus is not rest; it is a preparation for the tomb. Is this present state of inactivity in all sectors of our national life a preparation for the tomb? So I ask again, is Umaru Musa Yar’Adua the worst thing that happened to Nigeria? Only time will tell.
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