The Nigerian society for all we know is not a free society, even though we continue to boast of being a democratic state. The truth remains that the country is still far from practicing true democracy despite her claim. The issues that dominate discourse in today’s Nigeria are the same old stories that have refused to fizzle out. What is very queer and frightening is that today’s politicians have sold their conscience and are ready to do anything since our kind of politics promote the idea of winner takes it all and so, the problem continues. In our sixty-two years’ existence as a nation, we are still grappling with the challenge of health care system, education, power, insecurity, corruption and decayed infrastructure, without any meaningful steps to addressing the problems. This is because the political classes across board are not sincere. Nigeria, lately has become a huge joke amongst the nations of the world owing to the attitude of the political class that see nothing wrong in the sufferings of the masses.
They have also failed to proffer solutions for economic matters necessary for survival and also a parameter in measuring growth and development of a nation, anywhere in the world. For example, the ordeal of a Nigerian law maker who had gone abroad to seek medical care for his ailing daughter came to be because there is no standard or state of the art hospital in Nigeria that could provide special medical care equal to what Europe and America offers. It is no longer news to Nigerians that out of the eight years’ tenure of this administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari that half of these periods were spent by the president in the UK on medical trip, with billions of Naira of our commonwealth spent on such medical tour. The reactions that trailed the video of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu which was posted on Social Media recently, where the APC chieftain was keeping fit on an exercise bike is expected. This is so because the masses in the name of politics have been deceived severally by the political class, especially at this time Nigeria is entering into another election season. The apprehension of the people stems from the fact that it is only in Nigeria that people that have injury are allowed to play football matches.
Those who claim in their defense that the APC Presidential candidate travelled abroad to rest, forgot that each time such excuses are made by the so called spokespersons of a leader that the country is further ridiculed because there are many places one can rest in Nigeria. The people who would disturb the calibre of Bola Ahmed Tinubu are not the poor, but those who can afford to meet their friend anywhere, within and outside Nigeria. Nigerians are tired of some of these political niceties that have created serious confusion almost everywhere in the country. The important fact here is that the 2023 general elections is going to be a threshold election and watershed in the history of Nigeria. Nigerians are interested in the candidates that would keep to their political promises and are ready to do things that will promote peace and tranquility in the land.
The unity of the country on account of political maneuvering is threatened. Whatever anyone does this time will have a stand in the record of history. Things are the way they are because there are perceived notion that we do not have the capacity to govern ourselves sixty two years after Independence. We strongly call on the media to be alert and discharge their constitutional duties. They must ensure this time that all the presidential candidates are put on the spot throughout this period of campaign. Medical tourism in whatever guise should be rejected absolutely this time by the society. It is unnecessary and diversionary. We don’t want it anymore as a people.
