2019 Polls: The Danger of Zero Governance

Democracy or politicking in Nigeria is a game of personal and sectional interests, rather than the conventional definition of government of the people, by the people and for the people.

The Nigerian political class over the years has shown their unprogressive political calculations and fixing as it affects the three tiers of government, with little or nothing to show in terms of governance of deliverables to the electorates. Immediately elections are over, those declared winners, start foistering under-development on the Nigerian populace in the name of building structures ahead of the next general elections.

The aim is to start mosquito campaigns in a bid to retain power or set up structures that will lead to the imposition of a stooge to replace them in case they are not eligible to recontest for the same position.

The annoying aspect of this ugly development is that funds meant for human capital, infrastructural and other forms of development are diverted for personal use in preparation for the next election.

Little wonder the country continue to suffer infrastructural decay, salaries of public servants unpaid amid plenty and perceived political opponents muzzled/intimidated.

It’s most shocking that our media space is daily pre-occupied with political discourse that dwell mostly on personalities in government, instead of delving on issues that put people in government to task as regards their achievements.

Debates such as immunity for legislators, State Police, who heads what, tribe and religion of personalities that occupy government positions, take centre stage in public discourse, both in the conventional and social media.

Unfortunately however, the media which ought to initiate agenda for developmental questions to be put forward to people in positions of authority, has unconsciously fallen for the aforestated emotional, sentimental and personality-driven issues.

There’s no gainsaying the fact that the two major political parties in Nigeria today, APC and PDP are heavily fractured. This is not unconnected with the 2019 political ambition of key gladiators from the local government to the State and up to the federal government. The schemings by political figures ahead of the 2019 polls is getting more intense, with little or no attention given to development, economic revival, diversification of the economy and peace building.

The State, federal legislators and the governors are the worst culprits of the political mind-games, hence most States in Nigeria are still in deep recession despite the increasing monthly federal allocations, financial relief packages from the centre and IGR uncounted for.

The governors are simply withholding State funds, manipulating local government elections and sponsoring media propaganda in preparation for 2019 elections, thus abandoning infrastructural and human capital developments which are key planks in governance.

As 2019 approaches, political gladiators will continue to fight themselves, while governance suffers.

Editor-In-Chief

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