Where is our country headed?

Last Thursday we entered into a new year, 2026 to be clear. By this Sunday that you are reading this it is four days into the “new” but not so new year. I used not so new because time doesn’t change,it is the same, running its course in the same form and format. 

It is man that is time bound. Man is a perishable item unfortunately many alive and well never like to hear this but it is the truth. Every time a minute rolls by our lives age the journey to nothing gets nearer. It gets to the point where a person could be alive but unable to do anything again. He may even not be in the position to help himself. The point being made is it is not time that brings changes it is what the people put into time that propel progress. Quality of decisions and actions applied that give form to desires.

   As it is in the lives of individuals so it is too with those of countries. Nations that go to sleep hoping that time would produce change fail woefully. On the contrary, those that know the importance of time measurement in overall development of people and national spaces take quality time to do what is supposed to be done and one of such is the national direction for the year. Aside state of the state addresses leaders take time at the beginning of the year to speak on critical sectors of nation building and to state in very clear terms some of the moves they intend to make during the year.

   Where there has been contradictions they speak on earth and crave the understanding and buy -in of the citizens. Areas government have under performed, they use such opportunities to explain to the people that the underlying issues are and to explain possible new alternative policy directions 

   If we had such a system or pattern in place, the road accident involving the former world boxing champion Anthony Joshua are shagamu area of the Ibadan/Lagos express way would have been a fine opportunity for the government in power to address the lingering questions surrounding the country’s healthcare organization and capacity.

   That incident around the Christmas time cast a blur on our image as a people and as an oil rich country. Two persons of considerable foreign exposure died from the accident. Joshua escaped death by the grace of God but this is even not the main issue, what was,was the fact we had no ambulance to rush to the location and take them away quickly to the nearest well equipped medical facility. The world saw Anthony Joshua taken away in what appeared like a rickety police jeep. 

  Watchers sitted in the front seat of the vehicle like a normal passenger. He had no space to lie down. That ugly scene would have been the heart of an inspiring address to the country by a well tutored national leader promising that matters of health especially for travellers would receive critical review with a view to doing things far better.

   Some of us found our ways to the village and one can confirm the experience was far from anything pleasant. Last week we made the point that there virtually no management to the yearly exodus of people that has become part of our national culture. Citizens get up and pour into the roads with no idea of what to expect. There are no towing vans neither would one see security and road safety officials where it should matter most. 

  Cars break down and there’s is no help in sight. It becomes so frightening when the insecurity plaguing the country has made it difficult for those passing to want to stop to find out areas they could be of help. The state of the roads are nothing to write home about. In the villages no one need look far to see evidences of what poverty is doing to citizens. So many have turned beggars.

   Believe in one’s country is not only tied to good things, faith can be hooked up to hope. Ability to inspire the citizens is a grand quality of good leadership. We the people know that their leaders are aware of their challenges the ability to wait the time is imbued. But when almost everybody can say what is happening or have no inkling when help would come, despondency takes over and when this is the case, disorder is inevitable. 

   Our leaders must learn the art of talking to the people almost all the time. It mustn’t be only on formal basis alone. Every leaders conversation must not be only around foreign exchange and the likes. The people would to hear comparism and what we we do to meet or surpass existing standards. They want to hear about modern farm establishments, improved harvest and beating down of inflation. 

  They want to know if a time will ever come when they will find modern train services and very clean buses that can move them around at very cheap terms. They are earger to know if they could have free medical treatment. They are wondering whether they would ever live in decent accommodations before they exit this life. They want credit facilities possibly without interest to bring into practical reality ideas running riots in their heads and minds. Talking to them builds hope.