By Zik Gbemre
Once again, we would like to appeal to every Nigerian lawmaker at the Federal and State levels, elected political leaders and their Personal Aides and Appointees, to please click on the links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUz1BIWZqyA, posted in February 14, 2020, and: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sATuK-2drOE&feature=youtu, posted in December 17, 2019 – both by The Guardian News, UK, to watch and listen to the short speech videos of the United Kingdom Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson, and learn what is expected of them as Public Office Holders.
There is nothing that is so inspiring and encouraging to a citizenry, when they see their elected public office holders rendering their resolve and commitment to fulfilling their election campaign promises, and also backing it with concrete actions, for the good and interest of the masses that voted them into office in the first place. It is not the sort of political leaders we have in Nigeria who, more often than not, say one thing and end up doing something else entirely different from what they promised. The last time we witnessed such inspiring speeches from obvious dedicated public holders in Nigeria, were in the days of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo.
In the said video posted in December 2019, which after they came into power, Boris Johnson reminded his Team of how they are a “people’s Government, and a people’s Cabinet,” and that they are GOING TO DELIVER all the priorities according to the desires of the British people. He noted how it was obvious that people voted for them in the election, and there is need for them to repay the public “Trust.”
Johnson also reminded his Team that, though they worked hard to be elected, but they have not seen anything yet, as they are expected to work even harder. This is because the people have “high level expectations”, which they will “DELIVER”. He went on to ask his Cabinet, to mention some of the infrastructural projects and manifestos they have promised to deliver to the people, and they all chorused the exact number of what was promised to the people – from number of hospitals, number of those to be employed, etc. This shows how concise and precise these people are when it comes to having party manifestos and adhering to campaign promises made to their electorates.
And in the second recent video, the UK Prime Minister reiterated his earlier resolve and commitment made by his Team – on the fact that they are “HERE TO DELIVER”. And just like the last time, Johnson asked his team to repeat and mention some of their promised projects and programs that would be delivered to the people. Reiterating their seriousness to deliver on their promises. What we find more interesting is the body language, the disposition and serious-mode of the UK Prime Minister, while delivering his short speeches in both videos, of what his Government is all about. There was some element of conviction and trust that he will deliver on everything he has said and promised to the people.
This is something we do not get to see in Nigeria’s public space with our supposed elected and appointed Government Officials. It is either they are reading out a well scripted note written by their aides, of what they know themselves that they will never deliver to the people; or they are blabbing here and there without making any sense, or sound convincing as public office holders ready to deliver to the people who elected them into Government.
Looking at the example with Boris Johnson, it is a complete contrast to what we see here in Nigeria, where our political leaders at all levels of government are only very good at making campaign promises, almost about everything. But only to end up not fulfilling any of them, or haphazardly doing some, which is usually in their favour for future election campaigns. For our Nigerian politicians, campaign promises made are just like ‘castles built in the air’ that eventually turns to avenues of public funds looting and pilfering. The whole situation makes us wonder when on earth are we going to have ‘patriotic political leaders’ like those we see in the UK and US?
We must realize that no foreigner or foreign nations will come to solve our national problems for us. Nigerians, especially the political leaders at all levels, should stir up the Will and desire to genuinely develop our country. Escaping from the country in search of so called ‘greener pastures’ in other foreign countries will not help us or our future generations.
Our current leaders in government circles both at the Federal and State levels, keep telling the people that they understand the plight of our youths and the unemployment situation in the country for instance. Yet, their daily actions and inactions are saying something else entirely. On the one side, the government says they are ‘worried’ about the increase in criminal activities and the unemployment rate in the country; but on the other side, we see “absolute waste” of public funds at the Federal and State levels through their salaries, bonuses, allowances and fringe benefits. The situation at the National and State Assemblies in terms of recurrent expenditure is far worst. Whereas, countless Nigerians are living below one dollar a day, and our young ones that are supposed to be leaders of tomorrow are made to face dehumanizing conditions of poverty, lack and hardship.
While we urge the present crop of political leaders in the country to learn from the UK political leaders example, they should wake-up from their slumber and start addressing all things that are wrong in our Nigerian society – by fulfilling every campaign promise to the people.
Zik Gbemre.
February 18, 2020
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