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ABEG, THIS CHANGE HARD

ABEG, THIS CHANGE HARD

Yes, you read it right and before you call me a wailer, let us go through this together. But wait o, does anyone refers to anybody as a wailer again? Even Femi Adesina is either wailing about the tough time the change in office has brought upon him or just wailing to God, silently, for the safe return of his boss. 

Where ever you belong along the divide, you are experiencing it in a new form. Nothing is like what it used to be and believe me, we might not return to normal. No one said normal was good but we were used to it and the experience seems nothing like we thought it would be. 

As the nation was preparing for the 2015 general election – oh, its been over two years now. Amazing! All seemed like change would be instantaneous and its dividends will be reaped within seconds.

No one and nothing explained that the rigours of change – a process, which seems like one with no end would be tiresome and take long to come by. It is not unforgivable if anyone is angry that the expected is far off the actual. It is not even to be condemned that anyone takes a look at the APC’s manifesto, again, and question its veracity. 

Again, wait! Did anyone recollect the warnings of Okonjo Iweala when she told us about the post-2015 Nigeria? Is there anyone who recalls the verdict of the RMAFC in 2002 about a Nigeria where oil is no longer the mainstay of the economy? Apparently, no one recalls the words of Soludo, when he told us about the future. Well, I am glad to welcome you to that future. 

Dear Nigerians, I think no one should even blame us if we don’t remember these things. After all, we don’t care about what happens with the government and what policy they make, as long as we have food on our tables. 

Can I ask a question? Do we even have food on our tables? I must confess that the change is even harder for those that thought they had it all figured out. Why won’t it be? Our president, who lured us into the change train and told us there will no longer be medical tourism for/by political office holders has spent 90 days outside Nigeria, in a UK hospital. It is now a “joking sturv’’ as the international media now makes fun of us - through our president. 

It is even harder when you consider the fact that the APC led legislature looks like one which is against the people. All the reforms and policies they bashed the old government for are still in place, yet they are called the progressives. 

Oh Yes! You want to remind me of the #NotTooYoungToRun bill that was passed? Well, kudos to them. But do you think that is all? What of educational reforms? What of strengthening our higher institutions so young people can finish university education and youth service by 22 to allow them gather momentum before 25? 

Or do you not think it is important to have a look at the financial mechanism of political parties so that a broke 35 years old is not put in the ring against a fat-pot-belly-old-world politician who is 70 and has had the opportunity to embezzle our common wealth? 

Well, we can still celebrate the fact that Nigeria has moved away from the top 10 on the list of world most corrupt nations. But hey, what of the corruption in our schools and hospitals? 

Police and their embarrassing road blocks? Abeg, the change hard but we can’t give up on Nigeria. We can, I believe, salvage this country and make it great. If we give up, we would not only suffer, those coming behind us would smell pepper. 

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