EDITORIAL: POLICY FAILURES

 

The Nigerian state is plagued with all kinds of avoidable socio-political challenges. The fact that these challenges are avoidable or better still, solvable, actually presents us in bad light before serious minded nations of the world.

Nothing we do seem to have any lasting, appreciable or sustainable impact. From roads that we construct to the satellites we put into orbit. Even committees that we set up to probe into malfeasance or the much talked about vision 2020…these are simple issues with nations that are committed to the transformation of their socio-political and economic environment.

Following the fuel price increase and the masses revolt and riots that greeted it, the Nigerian leadership set up the SURE-P committee, yet we cannot point to any verifiable intervention achieved by reason of these funds. The probes (including power, pension and fuel subsidy) experienced major fits and starts with the result that subsequent governmental actions are greeted with skepticism and doubts, even their genuine efforts are laughed at, derided and mischievously disparaged… they must note this.

Last year, the massive flooding that overtook many Nigerian cities attracted massive governmental, nongovernmental and corporate interventions with Billions of Naira appropriated and raised for the re-settlement of displaced Nigerians. Till date, we are yet to see even a single victim of that flooding disaster who benefited from the Billions appropriated for that purpose.

Today, Nigerian leadership policies are punctuated with paroxysm; they suffer from fits of epilepsy like the well known NEPA. These policies are never given a chance by not just Nigerians but even by those who articulate them; this is because they were not meant to succeed.

For us, it is thumbs down for the government with respect to policy formulation and execution. It is also a thumb down for the electorate which donates the mandate but fails to watch over the mandate. The mandate is our mandate.

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EDITORIAL www.facebook/themandatemonitor WE ARE LIVING IN FEARS

Since our last editorial titled: NIGERIAN AIRPORTS-SEEING IS BELEIVING, we have been inundated with requests for our editorial on the state of insecurity across the nation.

 Well, we are not shying away from commenting on security matters but the truth is that THE MANDATE MONITOR is designed to shape political opinions and effectuating positive changes around the socio-political firmament in Nigeria and beyond. It is not our brief to support the destabilization of the Nigerian government by heating up the polity.

Only two days ago, the power play between the forces of terrorism and the states security forces threw up itself into the front burner of our socio-political discussed with the massacre of over 23 police officials by a rag-tag local militia in Nasarawa state.
Sincerely, it will amount to an understatement to say that the Nigerian security forces and leadership are overwhelmed by these challenges, that is whether they admit it or not, it is the truth. To us, the more attacks and criticism the government gets from the populace the more confused they seem to become, therefore, we are convinced what the government needs is encouragement and support, and that is what we are determined to provide.

The leadership is scratching its head, and is at their wits end while the everyday lives of Nigerians are threatened and the people live in fear of attacks from enemies of the state. The reasons for this state of affairs is clear, to avoid abuse of people’s rights the government is constrained and its arms tied behind it as it cannot move into the enemies territory to root out the evil ones without massive casualties on the side of innocent citizens.

Hiding amongst innocent citizens has been an old time tactics of terrorist globally, and that is what the government of the day seems to be contending with. This accounts for the President’s conclusion that Boko Haram is faceless. Each time the government through the JTF tightens the noose around the neck of these terror suspects, there ia always an outcry from the people after all, we have seen reports from international agencies (including amnesty international and Human rights watch) accusing the federal authorities with abuse of human rights and massive, unjustified hounding of the citizenry up north.

At this point, we think that Nigerians may have to pay additional price if we sincerely desire the restoration of peace and order in the country. The government may have to inconvenience us a bit here and there with respect to breaching our fundamental human rights We may have to donate our freedom a bit, be restrained a bit or else these evil doers using us as human shield will continue to plague our land and people.

THE MANDATE MONITOR is convinced the government has shown elements of military force and willingness to tackle terror, but it has not displayed the political zeal. Our political leaders dance around the issue of state of emergency, hence once it was declared around terror flashpoints, yet for political consideration, it failed to achieve its set objectives.

In Borno state, the president warned the insurgents that he is not ready to lose any of his officers. Since then he has lost over 50 of his security forces – it is time for him to act, and act he must because that is our mandate to him.

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