By Attai Ekom Lawrence.
“ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU — ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY”. – John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961.
Undeniably, every well meaning Nigerian wants the best for the country. We want good roads, a great economy, stable electricity supply, affordable fuel prices, functional amenities, world class educational institutions and political stability. Read more
All of us in Nigeria have at one point in time daydreamed about a country that was devoid of crime and corruption, a land flowing with milk and honey, a country where the leaders put the interests of the populace as priority and where the Police is truly our friend.
So what is wrong with this dream? Well, for one, Nigerians themselves have at one point in time or another, consciously or unconsciously undermined government and the social amenities that the government has provided for all of us. Nigerians have done this by littering the environment, disobeying traffic laws, vandalizing public property, operating unlicensed businesses and refusing to respect and obey government officials.
Nigerians are the same people who have evaded taxes which are needed to construct and maintain the infrastructures we all cry for. Nigerians have refused to participate in electoral processes. Nigerians have given and accepted bribes, condoned violence and tribalism.
There are a thousand more transgressions that Nigerians have committed against the country because they feel alienated from our nation. They feel that elections do not directly affect them, or that their votes do not count. They feel that the laws governing the nation do not apply to them. They seem to forget that we are all expected to actively participate in governance and not leave political matters for politicians alone.
Nigeria is a democratic State and we have been taught that democracy is government of the people by the people and for the people. This entails that we should consciously and deliberately see that we all make contributions regardless of our fears and doubts. It is our obligation to the State. Political participation demands that citizens actively involve themselves in the day to day business of the country. This can be done in many ways including the following:
Prompt Payment Of Taxes:
The importance of paying taxes cannot be overemphasized. The revenue generated from tax collection goes into construction of roads, provision of water, electricity, free education, funding of State and Local Governments and also contributes directly to the growth of our economy. It is very wrong to think that the tax we pay does not add any value to our lives. In fact, it is the key to improving our standard of living.
It needs to be mentioned, however, that tax is a “Trust fund” and the administrators must work very hard to reassure the tax payers of government’s faithfulness in managing the Fund.
The people must see transparency in the processes and prompt translation of tax revenue into infrastructural development. Nobody would be motivated to pay taxes under the atmosphere of uncleared suspicions that their hard earned money is being extorted to fund the extravagances of government officials.
Since tax is not a punitive demand inflicted on the less privileged, it would be encouraging to see proofs that everybody is paying taxes especially the agents of government.
Suffrage And Enfranchisement:
It is the citizen’s basic right to vote. This right should not be taken lightly as it makes the difference between a good government and a bad one whether at the Local Government, State or Federal level. Instead of complaining that we have corrupt leaders, we should exercise the power in our votes by identifying and voting for individuals who fit our ideals for good leadership.
Also, the Nigerian government has put in place mechanisms for Nigerians in the Diaspora to also participate in electoral practices; so there is no excuse for any Nigerian not to vote whether at home or living abroad.
Ethnic and religious predilection should be totally cut off as they are the root causes of our problems. So far, Nigerians have been voting for individuals based on religious and cultural similarities. This must end.
That is why the electoral body must be run by incorruptible leaders and should truly be independent of the government of the day.
The people’s votes must count. Nobody needs to carry on as if he has more than one vote or that his opinion is more important to Nigeria than the opinions of all other citizens.
Politicians must be trained to accept the result of a free and fair election. There is nobody who must win an election at all costs.
Government must build systems and institutions that are fair to all Nigerians. That’s how to break the traditional habit of supporting individuals from the voters’ ethnic or religious group into government offices as the only assurance of getting favorable attention from government.
Patriotism:
It would be a wonderful thing for all Nigerians to support and uphold the underlying norms of their country whether they live in the country or are in Diaspora. Patriotism encompasses love for the nation and the land, respect for public property, government officials and symbolisms, positive contributions and so on.
Nigeria can have that great future we all dream of; all we have to do is to contribute to it. We must all see our motherland as the most beautiful place on the planet, and so it will be, for us.
However, faith and love for the country must be seen first in the lives of political office holders. It doesn’t encourage patriotism if leaders preach love for the motherland and decree sacrifices from the ordinary people while they themselves act as if they were alien invaders from space whose mission is to grab everything they can find to repatriate to space.
The classical scripture, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children” should guide good leaders to practice thrift and prudence in governance instead of leaving behind an inheritance of huge debts that mortgage the freedom of future generations.
More than anything else, Nigerians need to participate in building sustainable institutions that are larger than individual Nigerians: We will build institutions by creating good examples, setting desirable precedents and insisting on doing the right thing, the first time a situation presents itself, and acting always in the same manner when there is a recurrence; no matter who is involved.
*Ekom Lawrence is an undergraduate student of International Relations in a Nigerian University.