INTRODUCTION

It is no longer news that Nigeria as the giant of Africa endowed with abundant natural and human resources is faced with challenges, which,if not positively confronted will bring about her death and citizens in no distant time. It is time we meditatively ask ourselves questions with the aim of practically proffering solutions to them.

What has kept us so long in this state of developmental and economic comatose? Who are responsible for our numerous challenges and problems? What must we do to free ourselves from the shackles of poverty and the chains of democratic slavery?Time is far spent and years is far gone for us to stop the music, drummers and dancers alike!

This time, we need not only take the bull by the horn, but must butcher the bull if need be.

This Article aims to X-ray the challenges being face by Nigerians, law as a redeemable tool, conclusions and recommendations on achieving the needed salvation in our political space.

THE BANE OF NIGERIANS

It is true that we are blessed with abundant human and natural resources in which if properly utilized, Nigeria should be “sounding” hope in the minds of Nations both near and far. It is very unfortunate that the reverse is happening. Nigeria today is confronted with so many challenges among which are:

Corruption and Lack of Accountability: corruption is the very bomb that have claimed many lives in Nigeria, it is the enemy that has kept us where we are. It is an enemy without empathy and sings very loud in Nigeria.
Although corruption is a worldwide phenomenon which has been with societies throughout history but operates in a deadly state in Nigeria. In Nigeria, corruption has become endemic and its consequences are far reaching on the socio-economic fabric of our society. It undermines democratic institutions, retards economic development and contributes to the current insecurity. It is indeed the greatest of all bones in the throat of Nigerians and practically driving Nigeria to her dead end. It is more heart breaking because everyone of us is guilty of it.

Corruption is not only prevalent but prominent among Nigerians, from political leaders to Government appointees, civil servants, public servants, judiciary, security agencies, religious bodies, including followers.

Corruption, either directly or indirectly is the bane of poverty in Nigeria, various reports and researches have suggested. The Corruption Perceptions index, released annually by Transparency International (TI), also gives credence to the pervasive corruption in the sub Saharan country. Nigeria has always floated at the bottom of the list, among the most corrupt nations in the world. It is not surprising that just as the country continues to rank very high on the index, there is a proportionate decline in the Human Development Index released every year by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). This goes without saying that as resources meant for human development are being feathered away, Nigerians sinks into a deeper abyss of poverty.[1]

Lack of accountability is like leprosy in Nigeria, virtually all political leaders are infected. Our wealth are unaccounted for, we wallow in the abyss of darkness when it comes to accountability. Oh what a tumor in our brain and bone in our throat!

Poverty: poverty lives in Nigeria and feeds on Nigerians. Poverty is artificially created. It is our deed that brought poverty on us. It should be well understood here that our Government derives joy in our suffering, state of squalor and servitude. Although Government from time to time set up different Poverty alleviation programs. From the time of former president Olusegun Obasanjo different poverty alleviation programs have been born, but these are painfully avenues for Government and individuals to loot funds. From National Poverty Alleviation Program (NAPEP) to the Subsidy Reinvestment and Economic Program (SURE-P) and TraderMoni under the current administration are all avenues where Government and political appointees’ source funds for Jamborees and to further impoverish Nigerians by sucking dry her economy. Interestingly, Nigeria found herself in this hole despite large scale poverty alleviation programs of successive Governments.
Development Consultant and Public Analyst Jide Ojo, opined that lack of continuity of these programs, “there is a lack of framework, legal structure or policy and proper coordination.”[2]

Evidently a report by Brookings Institute crowned Nigeria, the poverty capital of the world, taking over India, a country with seven times the population of Nigeria. Their findings were partly based on data drawn from The World Poverty Clock.[3]

Lack of Sincerity and The Importation of Lies intoGovernance:any Government that lacks sincerity and truth, opens the gate for wroth, decay and moral decadence in any society. There is no gain saying nor putting this down that the want of sincerity in our administration and the embracing of falsehood by Government and its functionaries has dealt a great deal on Nigerians and responsible for the various threat of balkanization. This singular factor informed the birth of several irresponsible organization in Nigeria that now pose as threat to our safety and well-being. The culture of lies and insincerity has spread its tentacles to virtually all sectors in Nigeria. In an ideal and sane society, political leaders are meant to positively serve as role model to their citizens, however here in Nigeria, it is the reverse that is the case.
There is no truth, life, sincerity and hope in the broadcast of our Government. This has practically pushed Nigerians to various forms of criminality ranging from armed robbery, Terrorism, Banditry, Kidnapping and Cybercrime. This is indeed a disgrace and calamity that has rendered Nigeria vulnerable among Nations and fast destroying the unity and progress of Nigeria.

Lack of Political Will to Implement Human Capital DevelopmentPrograms and Policies:it is painful that anything that will benefit Nigerians does not interest our Government. I have reiterated this many a time in my Articles. In this part of the world, Government will shut boarders, remove subsidy from electricity and petrol without plans to assist farmers mechanize their farming, without increase in salary and wages. However in the face of economic hardship, politicians go about in their luxury and place on fat salaries and abnormal allowances at the expense of the citizens and the economy.
What a country!

A country with abundant human and natural resources cannot pay salary, it cannot develop her potentials, it has given birth to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and internet fraudsters as a result of unemployment. One would ask, where and what are these innumerable natural resources of ours used for?And the simplest answer would be, our innumerable resources can be find in estates, houses, industries, factories, companies and bank account of our visionary Government and political appointees.

In Nigeria, “the more we look, the less we see”, this is our bane! However our challenges and problems are not insurmountable! We don tire to sidan look!

The law could serve as a redeemable tool.

THE LAW AS A REEDEMABLE TOOL

In no little way, the law could salvage our numerous problems and challenges. Roscoe Pound defined law as a tool for social engineering. It aims at regulating the activities of man if rightly put in place to serve the said purposes. An active and a lively legislation could dry up our ocean of tears and liberate our sinking ship. Recently, former president Olusegun Obasanjo raised the alarm that Nigeria is drifting towards a failed state sighting insecurity, threats of division and cluelessness of the current administration. I posit that what the former had said is not only true but the current state of things in Nigeria.

However, legislations prescribing life imprisonment for looters could put our country on a workable path. Acts providing for easy recalling and permanently black naming insincere and wealth thirsty politicians could brighten our faces. Most importantly an Act de-marketing and de-commercializing Governance with the aim of re-investing saved funds in Human Capital Development could delete us from the ugly book of poverty and lift our youth from the pit of Terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and cybercrime. Law establishing an agency to regulate and oversee the day-to-day activities and expenditures of Government will save Nigeria from debt. Putting in place Legislation barring politicians with corruption cases, moral laxity and integrity test will do a lot more.

More importantly, legislation establishing a micro finance Bank across the thirty six states in Nigeria including FCT., with the aim of easing access to Loans and grants at zero interest by both the highly and lowly placed individuals will boost businesses, creativity and reduce idleness and social vices in Nigeria.

CONCLUSION/RECCOMENDATIONS

We now know that our problems are not spiritual but humanly created. Solutions to our problems are not spiritual either, it can be humanly solved. We must put away the blame games and be collectively responsible to repositioning Nigeria. Our Government should embrace the culture of accountability and desist from the Tradition of looting, insincerity, corruption and marginalization.

Government should embrace transparency, respect traditional institution and embark on a massive campaign aim at disorienting and disabusing the minds of Nigerians on what Nigeria use to be and the new project at hand.

For Nigeria to be great again, we all must learn, unlearn and relearn from our past mistakes predicaments and challenges, embrace truth, patriotism and honesty, and passionately pledge our service to Nigeria in newness of life.

Just as I have always pontificated, Nigeria will bounce back again if we all come to know that “the good that men do immortalizes them in the heart of men.”

Contact Info:

Okangla Stephen Peter

University of Maiduguri

[email protected]

08132040369.

[1]https://:accseries.org/blog/nigeria-poverty-capital-of-the-world/ accessed 15th September, 2020

[2] ibid

[3] ibid