#SUNDAYMUSING: Apparently doing the right thing in Nigeria is Haram, By Uche Diala

At a point, the National Assembly blocked a $30 billion worth of external loans meant for railway projects nationwide, even though those projects had gone through necessary due processes, and some were ongoing, to the attestation of Nigerians. Yet, that did not deter either Buhari or Amaechi or Fashola. They trudged on…

Not a few Nigerians would attest that the National Assembly during the Buhari administration never allowed Rotimi Amaechi (Minister of Transportation) and Babatunde Fashola (Minister of Power, later Works) ‘to drink water and drop the cup’.

At a point, the National Assembly blocked a $30 billion worth of external loans meant for railway projects nationwide, even though those projects had gone through necessary due processes, and some were ongoing, to the attestation of Nigerians.

Yet, that did not deter either Buhari or Amaechi or Fashola. They trudged on, taking on the chin all the flaks, fair and unfair; justified and unjustified, from Nigerians and the media, and delivered outstanding and verifiable results in infrastructure.

Contrast that with today.

Imagine how much in loans(foreign and domestic) that the current National Assembly has approved for the current administration in just two years with little or no resistance from them.

Loans, including for projects that never followed any due process or the Procurement Act, like the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.

Yet, for all those loans approved by the NASS in two years, which almost eclipse the entire amount of loans taken by the Buhari administration in 8 years, in addition to the fact that the current administration is not encumbered by petrol, agriculture and electricity subsidies and has generated more revenue by far from increased duties, charges and rates on almost everything, the administration has nothing worthwhile to show for it after 2 years and counting, not only in infrastructure but also in all other aspects of our national life.

On the contrary, most things, including infrastructure, food security, security, the economy, and overall quality of life and standard of living of Nigerians across the board, have worsened from their pre-May 29 2023 state.

Curiously, while one might understand that the current National Assembly leadership was intentionally captured from the very beginning, one can only marvel at the loud silence of the media and other self styled activists who were very vocal during and against the Buhari administration, even though that administration was clearly and verifiably doing and delivering comparatively more and better results, even in its first two years in office.

That, added to the deliberately planned and tenaciously executed strategy of thiiie current administration, from day one, of demonising the last administration and deflecting every blame, including for its own monumental failures, mistakes, incompetence, actions and inactions to former President Buhari, have thrown the nation into unimaginable crises with no clear way of getting out of it in sight.

Yet, the administration, egged on by its coterie of praise singers and enabled by a conniving and complicit media and civil society plays the ostrich game, playing the fiddle while leading the nation down the road to certain perdition.

Imagine that the last administration got even half of the cooperation and support it needed from the National Assembly, or a quarter of the funds available to the current administration, what extra it would have achieved. Yet they have succeeded, as they intended, in making many uninformed Nigerians to believe that Buhari was the bad guy and the problem.

It does appear that doing the right thing, like being a true democrat and an honest leader, is anathema and haram in our nation. That is an unfortunate tragedy.

We as citizens must rise up, say we have had enough, and enough is enough. We, in our majority, must resolve to democratically stop our nation from further decline come 2027.

We have barely two years to go. We must stop agonising and start organising. The ball is squarely in our court.

When they say we can’t, we tell them that we can. We have done it before and we can do it again.

So Help Us God!!

#CoalitionToTheRescue
#EyesOnTheBall

©️ Uche Diala

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1766oqfdwC/