Nigeria, a failed state?

Nigeria, a failed State?

The political and diplomatic concept of a state or a nation is premised on defined boundaries, a functional government with full complement of security apparatus and should be able to provide the social, economic and political needs of the people within the province of available resources. A nation may have a flag and national anthem but as long as the material and security needs of the citizens are not met, such a state cannot aspire to the status of nationhood. It is also universally acknowledged that the primary function of governance is the provision of security and welfare of the citizens and should those at the helm of affairs of a nation, any nation for that matter, fail to meet these fundamentals of governance, then its record sheet is like a reading from the darkest part of hell. It is really unfortunate that Nigeria, the self proclaimed giant of Africa is limping precariously towards the brink of a failed state despite the reservations of those in leadership position.

The above sentiments are not mine neither are they product of fertile imagination of this columnist. It is as a result of United Nations study for 2010. According to a study conducted by Funds for Peace in 2010, out of 177 countries polled, Nigeria is 14^th failed state of the world. The study puts Somalia, Chad and Sudan among the first three failed states of the world. It is a graphic and painful reminder that Africa remains a burden to the international community. That study shows that even Ethiopia, Niger, Uganda and Burundi are better than Nigeria. This is a serious indictment on both the leadership and the generality of all Nigerians. It runs against the grains of economic logic that a country with such vast human and natural resources should come to this sorry past. The United Nations ranking shows that refuge problem, poverty, poor public service, economic crisis, insecurity, high cost of living, poor health care system, low and stagnant investment and corruption are the ills plaguing the nation. This is not armchair postulation but a social scientific study of our maladies. Any honest Nigerian will attest to the fact that the vast resources of the nation end up in few hands with the majority wallowing in poverty. It is a classical case of a rich island surrounded by an ocean of poverty. It is hoped that the recent study would make our leaders to wear their thinking cap and proffer the necessary solutions. For the problems on the ground could provide a fertile environment for a revolution.

It would be futile to dispute the results of the UN survey of failed states or those inching towards the infamous club. That would be purely an academic exercise with no visible economic and social dividends for our people. The truth may be painful but the onus is on us to map out strategies on how to extricate ourselves from this economic agony and social misery. The problem is not caused by the present administration but history and posterity have placed the burden on the shoulders of President Goodluck Jonathan. There is no need for finger pointing or blame game. The problems must be solved and should be done with military dispatch. Those in leadership position whether in the executive arm or the legislative arm cannot claim ignorance of the situation. The first place to start the battle is in the corruption forte. True that there are two agencies established in fighting corruption but what we see is more of motion without movement. Corruption is what is eating away money meant for development at all levels of governance. Politics in Nigeria is the most profitable profession and the violence in that department is the do or die-attitude. For politicians know that when you are in power, you become an instant millionaire. This attitude must change and that is why the half hearted measures by some national legislators to reduce their salaries and allowances should be seen as a lousy housewife weekend romance to lure us from the economic realities of the moment. It is a good idea to reduce political office holders` salaries but before they can do that, they are duty bound to tell us what they are receiving. There is too much wastage in governance and until this virus is curtailed, Nigeria shall continue to sit in the gutter of league of failed states around the globe. And the presence of vast crude oil wealth would not make any marked differences in our lives.

Let nobody kid himself. There is insecurity in the country and the daily occurrence of bombing and kidnapping are the best signposts yet. Insecurity is the enemy of economic progress as investors would naturally shun the country. There is a central government no doubt and so our case is not as bad as Somalia but this is no time for clapping. The impunity and bravado with which the armed bandits and the terrorists are striking at the very heart of nation political establishment is a glaring testimony that the security forces are not doing enough. The president should give the top brass the marching order and anybody not rising up to the occasion should be shown the door. The investment in the security forces is not yielding the expected dividends of peace.

In the areas of provision of social amenities, it is now crystal clear that our budgets are not implemented. If budgets are implemented and the legislators at all levels of governance carry out their oversight functions, why the rot in the provision of social service? Why are our medical facilities crumbling and Nigerians dying from preventable and curable diseases? Why the generating of power is still a plague despite the pledge of the president to improve on the system? Why are our universities crumbling and the standard of teaching and learning falling? The truth of the matter is that those in government had abandoned their duties. Let me make one point clear. It is a political judgement mortally flawed to delude oneself that democracy is only about election. Democracy is about the provision of social and economic dividends. So far Nigerians are only enjoying social dividends like freedom of association, worship and speech but the economic rights are just elusive and that is why the Funds for Peace reports say that ours is a failed state. A failed state is a product of failed leadership whether political, economic, social or academic. This failure is not what our forebears bargained for when they fought the British imperialists and got our independence. Today the flag independence is more of a mockery as Nigerians now live like refugees in their country. The likes of Awolowo, Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello are rolling in their graves about this unfortunate classification of failed state which is not a product of envy but that of self infliction. This is the challenge before the leadership of the nation. It is the sad irony of our rich human and material resources. A failed state is an extension of failed families and people, and a failed writer at that. .