IF THE RICH SAYS HE IS RICH, HE IS NOT LYING BECAUSE HE HAS FOOD, IF THE POOR SAYS HE IS POOR HE IS NOT LYING BECAUSE HE CANNOT AFFORD THREE SQUARE MEALS A DAY.
All we needed was to be true and original to ourselves, immediately after independence, we thought we had arrived not knowing that we were just starting an Israelite’s journey. They could see the ‘promised land’, but getting there took them 40 years from Egypt. After independence our future as Nigerians was glowing, we had the basic infrastructures to build upon, transport – rail road and water system, education/health – primary, secondary and tertiary as well as other basic amenities to survive.
So how did we get to this sorry pass? Instead of following the steps of those who colonised us and adapting their aggressive economic policies and service to the public, we decided to give the American style a try. Our problem was compounded by the oil boom of the 80s and, instead of reducing our supply of crude oil into the international market, we pumped out more. Rather than making judicious use of the income from this boom, we failed to improve on what was already on ground due mainly to lack of vision or foresight on the part of our leaders.
Inability to appreciate the emerging e-world where research, evolution and innovation rule have kept us in the back waters of development. Our leaders [on the other hand] have been investing whole heartedly in corruption deceit, embezzlement and power tussle. So, here we are still crawling like a baby in the 50th year of our political independence.
In the good old days as they say our leaders went to school when schools were actually schools and many foreign institutions of higher learning were collaborating with Nigerian Universities because of the perceived standard. Today however, no Nigerian University is found among the top 500 globally – no wonder we now have half-baked graduates of Nigerian Universities.
The Big question is who destroyed the educational system, who do we blame? Leaders who choose not to invest in the Nigerian educational system but have their children and wards in European/American/Asian Institutions or teachers who are trying to ‘improve’ their lives by every means possible, abandoning the saying that “a teacher’s reward is in heaven”.
Do we talk about the health sector where our leaders would rather go abroad even to Saudi than put facilities and proper structure in place for healthcare delivery. Can we blame the half-baked Nigerian Doctor who would rather negotiate generous remuneration for self than concern himself with the primary reason for being a doctor i.e. saving lives.
So, who is rich?
