A friend of mine once said, out of frustration: ?Nigeria has no government.? My response to this position was contemptuous. ?I don?t like pessimistic people like you who join the opposition parties to criticize the government of the day for criticisms sake? I said.
A few days later, I stumbled on Chapter II, section 14 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It reads: ?The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.?
Out of curiosity, I consulted the Cambridge Advanced Learners? Dictionary to verify meanings of security and welfare. It describes security as ?protection of? a person, building, organization or country against threats such as crime or attacks by foreign countries.?
The dictionary refers to welfare as ?help given, especially by the state or an organization, to people who need it, especially because they do not have money.?
These definitions got me pondering over my friend?s opinion that Nigeria has no government. Come to think of it. To what extent has the current administration lived up to the purpose of a government as regards security and welfare of the citizens?
Today, most Nigerians live under fear of kidnapping, armed robbery, assassination, rape and other forms of terrorist attacks. The African Insurance Organization (AIO) recently reported that Nigeria accounts for 25% of kidnap-for-ransom cases reported worldwide within the last one year. ?In the first half of 2011, Africa?s proportion of the global total increased from 23 per cent in 2010 to 34 per cent. Nigeria is now the kidnap for ransom capital of the world, accounting for a quarter of globally reported cases? states AIO.
The result of the National Crime Victimization and Safety Survey conducted recently by CLEEN Foundation indicates that armed robbery cases in Nigeria increased by 6% from 11% in 2010 to 17% in 2012. A recently reported study equally indicates that the rate of rape incidence has gone up from 12.5% to 80% in Nigeria.
According to the Human Rights Watch, within the first nine months in 2012, 815 people were killed in 275 suspected attacks by the Boko Haram group and this represents more than the total number of?deaths recorded between 2010 and 2011 combined.
Many Nigerians are homeless and as at December 2012, the country reportedly had a housing deficit of 17 million. 20.3 million people, representing 23.9% of the total population are jobless according to the Statistician-General of the federation, Dr. Temi Kale.
A lot of Nigerians wake up in the morning without being sure of having one meal for that day. Several are out of school and those who are schooling are having so much difficulty funding their education, which they must do by means of self effort. As a matter of fact, Nigeria has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. According to the United Nations? Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 775 million people are still considered non-literates and 85% live in 41 countries including Nigeria. Only about 500,000 people are reportedly enrolled in adult literacy classes in Nigeria and this translates to one out of every 80 illiterates. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Reports that there are 30 million primary school age children in Nigeria but estimated 10 million are not enrolled in any school.
There is poor primary health care and poor health insurance scheme. Government hospitals are not adequately equipped and efficient healthcare system is a dream. Infact, on page 85 of The World in 2013 printed by The Economist, Nigeria is identified as the worst place for a baby to be born in 2013.
Nigerians who retired from the federal civil service find it difficult to receive any benefits and this experience hurries them to their graves because of deprivation. Some of them actually die while queuing for their pensions where there are any.
In summary, majority of Nigerians individually struggle to provide for themselves, security, education, shelter, healthcare, insurance and electricity. The government is even urging Nigerians to get self employed after several unfulfilled promises of employment.
If this is the case, of what relevance is the government to the people? What is the purpose of government? I recommend that all government officials in Nigeria read Chapter II, section 14 of the 1999 constitution. Then, we can decide whether or not we need; nay, have a government.
ALBINUS CHIEDU
CEO, OUTPUT COMMUNICATIONS
29, ADENIYI JONES AVENUE
IKEJA, LAGOS
