25th February/11th March: Awaited With Great Expectation

1. They claim that a rolling stone doesn’t collect moss. Without any sense of a clear long-term or strategic direction, our nation seems satisfied to continue on its current course. As a rule, we seem to be fairly at ease responding to immediate and short-term situational problems, some of which, if ignored over time, become survival-threatening. We sometimes neglect to do tasks that need to be completed regularly. We sometimes engage in regressive behaviors that push us dangerously near to the edge.
2. Despite all the hype, it’s likely that we will return to our routine of following any path that appeals to those who quietly control the country’s policies after the excitement of the eagerly anticipated elections on February 25 and March 11, regardless of changes that may or may not be made to the government. We may only achieve sporadic gains in our overall national growth and development endeavor, as is normal in our country, and we will still be happy.
3. We have seen this time and time again. Candidates make a lot of promises. But, once they take power, the majority of them alter their story. There will be few, very few even, who will object to the shift in the story. That’s everything for now. So, with varied degrees of underachievement, we all settle into our daily pattern. Even the few handful who wish to uphold some of their campaign pledges have joined in on this return to our mundane, unproductive routine. As one of our most well-known artists once sang, “Suffering and smiling,” many years ago.
4. Ironically, in our situation, the stone itself keeps becoming larger despite the fact that it rolls and doesn’t collect any moss. Many names for our stone are known to most Nigerians and even those outside of Nigeria. But, this is a country where some extraordinary things have been accomplished in the past.
5. Firstly, the Saturday, February 25th, with all of its anticipation and anticipation, is just a few weeks away. Less than five of the 18 sponsored presidential candidates for the race seem to have any kind of national exposure, at least for the time being. We already know what four of them will do if they win. The interests of these four are being projected in the media with tremendous fervor for a variety of reasons, some of which are very inconsistent. As we approach closer to D-day, more contenders will likely become more well-known.
6. Some of the sponsoring political parties’ manifestos are available to the public. Political campaigns are ongoing in all regions of the nation, varying in intensity and influence, utilizing a variety of methods and strategies and producing results that are both worthwhile and not so worthy, comical and funny, saddening and depressing, etc.
7. Who are we going to elect? What factor(s) will decide the outcome? Twice by Twice? Religion? Ethnicity? Geographical/Regional Interest Party Allegiance? Electoral Loyalty? Whose self-interest do you mean, yours or someone else’s? Grand National Trickery National Great Illusion? Interest in corporate business The State Capture? Takeover of power? Anger/Frustration? Hegemonic Struggle? National Embarrassment Prevention Plan? Great Deceit or Lies? Emotionally motivated carry-out? Big campaign war chests, perhaps? Who initiates a massive vote of selling and buying—the buyer or the seller?
8. We must vote with a high turnout. Our votes will be counted, INEC has informed us. In particular, knowing not only where we are coming from, of the election management process (with its very few and mostly very low points), but also most emphatically, how election results had been manipulated in the past, we thank the combined efforts of some INEC members and some RECs for their perseverance and tenacity. Get your PVCs, then cast as many votes as you can for whatever causes you to vote. There is no lack of interest among voters. Nothing violent. Let’s have a presidential election that is both calm and open.
9. The 109 Senate and 360 Representatives seats in the National Assembly will be decided by 1,100 and 3,233 candidates, respectively, on the same Saturday, February 25, at the same time as the presidential election. Sadly, despite the fact that these candidates’ highly important duties include passing laws, allocating money for the whole country, and supervising the activities of the President and other Federal MDAs, nothing is known about them on a national basis.
10. It’s important to stress that the National Assembly’s members must carry out the aforementioned, crucial national duties while also juggling the complexity of both their individual and collective representation of the country’s six geopolitical zones, 36 states, 109 senatorial districts, 360 federal consistencies, 774 local government areas, more than 250 different ethnic nationalities, over 100,000 grassroots and rural communities, etc. Hence, just as we would for the President, we should go out and elect the members of our next 10th National Assembly, but we must demand that it not be a rubber-stamp parliament.
11. In the past, we had seen evidence of rubber-stamping. Power separation, sure. Disputes of any kind between the legislative branch and the executive branch are not acceptable. For the welfare of the country at all times and throughout time, for the good of all regions of the nation, without discrimination, favoritism, or display of power, mature interaction between the two arms is always necessary.
12. In particular, the President has a challenging job that might be claimed involves an excessive concentration of power that is sometimes not employed in the interests of the country as a whole. As was already said, the National Assembly likewise has its work cut out for it. Both are important institutions for the country. Everyone must gain the respect of the other in addition to earning their own. The National Assembly shouldn’t treat the Executive as inferior since it is not. A request from the executive branch should be turned down if it is obviously counter to the interests of the whole country and its citizens. This has happened previously. Party allegiance shouldn’t be a justification.
13. Before continuing, we should review the two extremes of how candidates for public office emerge from their party-sponsoring organizations. Keep in mind that we formerly had well over 70 political parties. It seems that little progress has been made in the process of political party leaders emerging to run for office.
14. On the other extreme, certain political parties looked urgently for candidates to be their standard bearers. In a few other cases, a single person forms a political party and then becomes it’s sole owner, its be-all and end-all, exactly like a little anticipated business risk taker creating a one man firm/sole proprietorship.
15. At the other extreme, there are the high-wire political intrigues, plots and counterplots, horse-trading, inflated and/or damaged egos, accusations and counteraccusations, ill feelings, defections and realignments, etc. that occur when the candidates for our main political parties first appear. Most of the time, these bad political actions leave behind severe wounds that last for a very long time.
16. We shouldn’t forget to honor the political parties of the past for some of their high standards (party hierarchy, management, organization, discipline, focus, fundamental growth and development programs, democratic behavior, ideological ethos, etc.) as well as some of their political trailblazers’ defining characteristics (oratory, long-term vision, foresight, top-notch planning and mobilization ability, etc.).
17. It’s important to remember that at some point, the government created two political parties, one leaning somewhat to the left and the other leaning slightly to the right. (In actuality, no individual or entity may claim ownership of either of the two political parties.) And keep in mind the absurdity of the same government overseeing the most free and fair presidential election that was ever held, only to later declare it invalid.
18. We anxiously anticipate Saturday, February 25.
19. The election of state governors and members of the state houses of assembly will take place two Saturdays later, on March 11. Except that only 28 of the affected states will have gubernatorial elections, this will effect 31 of the 36 states in the union. The 28 state gubernatorial seats will be filled by a total of 837 candidates, all of whom are supported by political parties, while 10,231 candidates are running for the state houses of assembly.
20. The 17th of March is, in one’s opinion, just as important as the 25th of February, if not more so. Subnational organizations are the main driving force behind national growth and development in more sober-minded countries since the sum of all of their efforts genuinely demonstrates where the country stands in the global growth and development rankings. Our 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government units occupy every square meter of the country’s 923,768 square kilometers.
21. With all the magnificent resources at their disposal, the 36 states and the FCT must devote their individual and collective hands to the work. The 774 local government councils must all do the same. We must stop allowing them to be exploited as puppets in state takeover. They need total autonomy. Also, this will inspire considerably more qualified individuals than we had before to run for elected office at that level. The third layer of governance is made up of local governments. Instead of some of them serving as close outposts of the state executive office, they should all operate completely as such.
22. One significant advantage subnational organizations have over the center is that each state executive is given trust authority over the land, one of the most important conditions for growth and development. Other factors include their sheer size and distribution across the entire nation, as well as their glaring underutilization of the potential they possess to give even the smallest ethnic nationalities a sense of belonging—a potential that the major ones occasionally assert with an almost arrogant impunity. Thus, like you, we are eagerly awaiting March 11th.
23. Given that elections are on our thoughts, how many of us are perplexed by the occurrence of our political parties’ massive crowds during campaigns? Campaigning for Party XYZ in City LMN. There is a massive throng around. Days or weeks later in the same city, Party ZYX shows up to a huge audience. The people in these enormous crowds, aside from each party’s flag-bearer, his or her team, and party officials, are primarily those without a specific political party affiliation, those who attend any gatherings for fun or business, or members of two distinct crowds, Party XYZ and Party ZYX, respectively.
24. Does party loyalty today show any genuine evidence? How deeply ingrained the anti-party ideology is. Does this just apply to the elite? Will it ever reach a deep level in the future?
25. On a different level, should we not be concerned about the ongoing use of courts by a certain class of politicians and political opportunists to sabotage the whole political process, from pre-election through election and post-election, for some self-serving and selfish reasons? Isn’t a significant portion of the problem the management systems of the majority of our political parties?
26. Could pollsters’ projections of some of these individuals as sure bet victors and the extraordinary fervor and zeal with which the media is projecting certain contenders not worry us as well? What will happen if things do not go as planned, given all the hype that has been created?
    What are the goals of the aforementioned 27? Simple. After February and March of 2023, we have a significant national job to complete. Remember how it was said at the very beginning that there is no sense of a consensus or clear national direction in our country? It appears like every organization is far more concerned in advancing its own agenda.
27. It cannot be emphasized enough that what we urgently require is a clear, inclusive, ever-forward-looking sense of direction that will benefit everyone and in which everyone, both individually and collectively, can strive for happiness, progress, and prosperity as well as create a progressive and prosperous country that is highly respected both within and outside of its borders.
28. We almost have everything we need to accomplish the aforementioned goals and many more.
29. Remember that the concept of national grandeur was extensively encouraged even throughout the DFFRI era (1986–1993). Remember the article “The Building of a Really Great Black African Nation-State” that was part of the NIGERIA AT 55! events and that was published in two national newspapers, The Guardian and Vanguard, in October 2015.
30. Nonetheless, this was most obviously not a lone voice in the far wail. In order to help all of us achieve better and quicker growth and development than we are presently accomplishing, hundreds of thousands of other Nigerians have done and will continue to do the same in the recent past and far into the near and distant future. By no means, shape, or form, do we seem to be doing so. Indeed, we seem to be moving in the other way in many facets of our growth and development efforts.

This required a moment of reflection, 32. Each nation in Black Africa has the potential to be great, right? If that’s the case, why do we still call for it now and in the future? After all, there had already been quite obvious progress in that direction in several regions of our nation. The issue seems to be far more serious. We don’t appear to be able to do the right things correctly or, more importantly, to do them sustainably over an extended period of time until they are ingrained habits. Then you work to make even more advancements and find new, inventive methods to achieve them.

This inspiration gave rise to the first phrase of this contribution, “LET TRUE DEVELOPMENT BEGIN” 33. Many years ago, when things were not quite as bad. Does this imply that there was no prior development? To put what is being stated in greater perspective, let’s look at a few instances.

34. Since we gained direct control of elections, we have had a variety of results, the worst of which date back to colonial times. We have assurance that our votes will be counted in the much-anticipated 25th February/March elections. Most of us are ecstatic, however other people are cautiously optimistic, which is to be anticipated. This is progress. What follows is a natural question: How will elections look in the nation in 20 years? No, it’s too far for us to go in ten years. Consolidated and improved upon or returning to our supposedly “normal” methods of operation? Keep in mind that the process of political growth encompasses more than just elections.
35. More illustrations. Basic living essentials are promised, including free food for everyone. The meal has vanished. We instead import food. There is now widespread hunger. Before, it wasn’t like that. Remember that we were once a recognized exporter of several crops during the colonial era. By…, water for everyone! How many of us now have portable water available to us? Health for everyone by… How well-maintained are our primary care facilities? By…, education for everyone! What kind of education, from pre-primary to post-secondary, is provided by our complete educational system? Do your own fact checking on any important point from the national growth and development process.
36. The “LET TRUE DEVELOPMENT BEGIN… SERIES” aims to get us as a people, as a society, and as a country to seriously consider why our country hasn’t made any significant and quicker overall, all inclusive, and sustainable growth and development progress despite having enormous and highly diversified resources at its disposal.
37. The Series boldly offers a solution to our most fundamental issue—the absence of a very long-term, strategic national purpose—providing a sense of national direction that all good citizens from all regions of the nation and all Nigerians abroad will be happy to contribute to and greatly benefit from, as well as one that will inspire all People of Color, everywhere in the world. This national goal is to “Transform Our Country, Nigeria, Into A Really Glorious Black African Nation-State,” as stated in the Series.
38. As can be seen from the Series Statement, the follow-up actions to the aforementioned include more information about the history, how to work together as a country to achieve its varied goals, etc. Work has been continuing as contributions to the Series as the interim coordinator and to set a positive example as an engaged participant. The Creation Of A Really Great Black African Nation-State, Building A Strong Basis For Nigeria’s Greatness, Which Way Nigeria?, Arise All Grassroots Communities, “Again, A Case for Rural Development,” etc. are among the drafts of manuscripts that fall under this category.
39. The Series Statements are being polished and prepared for release.
40. There is a strong belief that the LET TRUE DEVELOPMENT BEGIN… SERIES will assist us in sincerely starting to work toward the accomplishment of our strategic national objectives: • At each situational level, including the national, state, urban centers, local government areas, grassroots communities, rural areas, etc.; and • At each level of growth and development action.
    To achieve this, we must take all necessary steps, both individually and collectively, to guarantee that the elections in February and March 2023 are held in the most transparent and peaceful manner possible.
41. We cannot continue on the same road that has resulted in increased suffering, hunger, and poverty rather than wealth and happiness for the individual, the community, and the country. Hence, rather than for the normal reasons connected with elections, the 25 February and 11 March elections are anticipated with considerable anticipation. We eagerly anticipate the completion of the 25 February and 11 March elections so that we may properly settle down to start working on this very important and especially crucial national task.
42. We have advanced well in some areas while really regressing significantly in others. Overall, though, we should have performed much better after 62 years of independence in terms of nation-building, state-building, economic growth and development, social development, political development, spiritual, ethical, and moral development, cultural development, infrastructural development, integrated grassroots community, and rural development, among other major national growth and development fronts.
43. There are also difficulties with organization and motivation, mobilization of groups, planning and effective execution, proper and effective national and subnational coordination, effective and efficient performance monitoring and evaluation, and the scandalous waste of all of our enormous resources, among other issues, all across the country. It should be clear that this is not only a leadership problem. As individuals, as a nation, as a community, and as patriot citizens, including those of our people living abroad, it calls for our full support and participation.
44. Lastly, there is nothing novel about this that hasn’t already been considered, spoken, or covered extensively both here and internationally. The fact that this is not the nation one marched for as a secondary school student, with high aspirations, during Independence in 1960, continues to serve as the primary motivator on a personal level.
45. More than 62 years have passed; the year is 2023. But this is not a private affair. Other Nigerians in their millions also had similar experiences. Thus, by working together to build our nation into a Really Great Black African Nation-State, we must all endeavor to make life far better for us all than it was at Independence.
46. With or without the amazing resources we are fortunate to have, there is absolutely no justification for us to remain where we are right now. Our ultimate goal is TRUE GREATNESS. It won’t be delivered on a golden platter. It will need everyone working together, and this has to be reiterated constantly.
47. Therefore let’s choose candidates who will support this crucial national endeavor and who will also work with us to pursue its goals in a methodical way. Come February or March. No gain without suffering, they say. What if profound thought is the key to success? Thus, extrapolated to the national level, leads to a lack of profound nation-centered thought and excellence at the national level.
48. Because of the very important national work we must do after the elections in February or March, cast intelligent votes.

Miniechat

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