Blowing Dollars !!!

There are some things that happen in this country that simply blow your mind; actions that are literally a shameless slap in the face; which scream out to all and sundry that "So long as I'm in power I can do whatever I want."

I read in last Sunday's Punch Newspaper that the President was shelling out US$250,000 bundles at south west traditional rulers.

Ponder on this for a few ticks;

1. Nigeria's dollar reserves are the lowest they've been for a decade.

2. The price of crude oil is at it's lowest for over sixty years.

3. The dollar to naira exchange rate has never been so high, and continues to increase at an alarming rate.

4. The financial markets have been taking a battering since January, and continue to do so.

5. Electricity supply may as well be non existent.

The poor continue to experience copious amounts of pain and grief, the comfort levels of the middle class continues to decline at breakneck speed, and even the rich are starting to experience a rather uncomfortable nervous twitch.

And yet, our Oga At The Top is blatantly spraying US Dollars across the land.

First of all, where exactly is this money coming from??

Secondly, even the smallest ounce of sensitivity or care for the plight of the people he is responsible for should tell him that such actions are bad for both the exchange rate and the economy.

This is not an anti-Jonathan or anti PDP article. My concern is for the State of Nigeria - Our Nation.

Yes, I know we're all suffering from electionitis at present. We've grown tired of the posters, the billboards, and the tv and radio adverts.

We in Lagos have grown especially tired of the traffic caused by both parties' political rallies, and the president's incessant visits. Indeed in my view the fact that a whole city comes to a very uncomfortable 'traffic standstill' every time the president comes into town suggests to me that contrary to the way things should be, we the people are the servants, and the government officials are very much our salacious masters.

It is for this very reason that we must not allow tiredness to creep in. Yes, it's been a long and painfully slow walk to this upcoming election. But now is not the time to allow mental fatigue to get the better of us.

Pay attention to your options and ensure that you choose widely.

Figure out the things that are important to you, and choose wisely.

Visualise the type of country you want your children to grow up in, and choose wisely.

 Think about the type of system you want your children to grow up in - Transparency or Corruption - and choose wisely.

Think about whether or not you want Government Accountability, and choose wisely.

Think about whether or not you want an Education System we can be proud of, and choose wisely.

Think about the Job Opportunities that may or may not be available for your Children after
University, and choose wisely.

Identify what it is needed to put Nigeria on the path to Greatness, and choose wisely.