ULOG DAY #1 - ON THE WINGS OF HOPE: OUR DEMOCRACY TODAY

Today is democracy day in my country Nigeria and I am not careful to say I am disappointed.

We need to be conscious of our problems if solution must be in sight.

Today Nigeria in some regards is like a product whose owners have used the product with reckless abandon to the manufacturer's manual - THE CONSTITUTION.

The introductory lines of our constitution states thus :

"WE THE PEOPLE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA: HAVING FIRMLY AND SOLEMNLY RESOLVED: TO LIVE IN UNITY HAD HARMONY AS ONE INDIVISIBLE AND INDISSOLUBLE SOVEREIGN NATION UNDER GOD DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF INTER - AFRICAN SOLIDARITY, WORLD PEACE, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING : AND TO PROVIDE FOR A CONSTITUTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING THE GOOD GOVERNMENT AND WELFARE OF ALL PERSONS IB OUR COUNTRY ON THE PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY AND JUSTICE, AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSOLIDATING THE UNITY OF PEOPLE."

But how paradoxical has the interpretation of this solemn creed turned out for us. How sad!

picture showing Nigeria's coat of arms

Today my attention was drawn privately to a response of a governmental aide and spokesman who went on rampage exchanging words with a citizen who chided him publicly on the social media.

It was frightening and saddening because this is the problem with my country at 19years of unhindered democracy. We have rulers not leaders. Our voices are not really valued nor respected and I dare to say our views don't matter.

As a public servant, you are a servant, servants don't talk back at their masters, whether you are criticized, bad mouthed or directly insulted, as a servant of the people, you even have no reason to create long threads of derogatory, insulting, disgusting comments and replies to a comment you felt insulted your "personality".

Our young people who have managed to find themselves around the corridors and kitchen of power must first of all brace up, learn and unlearn, develop capacity to serve better.

There are certain things not expected of a public servant, one of them is vulgarity, insults, abuses as responses to a criticism.

Sometimes I agree that our young people learn first and get adequate knowledge and requisite experience to face the challenges of leadership.

Yes, we do not want old men to draw us backwards neither do we want babies to take us back to the days of playing in the sand and bathing in the rains.

Yesterday our governments at various levels traditionally took salutes in trying to mark the Children's Day of May 27, but how proud are we of the Nigerian child?

Is it quality education we have given them?
Or a better healthcare system?

For more than a month getting to two now, health workers have been on strike with the government of our great nation displaying in her characteristic snail like motion, the most ugly body language any government could afford.

It's like no body's business but yesterday we took salutes? Do we ever think?

Today we have heard speeches as usual and I'm not moved if you ask me. Until we begin to tell ourselves the truths most basic, from the PDP to the APC, to every other political parties, to the church, to the citizens avd to the power gladiators, Nigeria will continue to be on a long walk to freedom.

Few days ago, a randy preacher went on air and said "Thus says the Lord, that a certain Governor was declared winner already ahead of a yet to be conducted election. I wasn't too surprised because the church had long deviated from her responsibilities and are now partisan.

It's not time to go around buying bread, banana, groundnut on the streets, neither is it time to go around frying akara with policemen behind us, enough of these melodrama.

If you ask me, this time is for sober reflection as a nation, away from politics and sentiments. We must begin to write our stories with our own ink.

It's democracy day,
Not a happy one.