Nigeria is a nation that is in desperate need of visionary leadership. For decades, we have depended on leaders who have no clear understanding of the depth of our problems as a nation, and lack the vision necessary to create impact. Our leaders make promises and fail because they are unwilling to undergo due process and carry out feasibility studies on how proposed projects can be implemented and sustained, as well as the supporting structures that must be in place to ensure long-term success.
We are left with a country that is broken from top to bottom, and a social service system that cannot meet the needs of its people. Our roads need improvement, our educational system needs to be updated to meet the demands of the 21sth century, and we need more creativity in our teaching methods to ensure that our graduates are well prepared for the work-force. We need quality improvements in our healthcare system, as well as some form of subsidized health services to ensure better outcomes for many Nigerians who would otherwise not access healthcare because of the cost.
We need leaders who understand that what we choose to ignore today will continue to cripple our nation, leaving our children and grandchildren to pay the price of our negligence. In the past, we accepted empty campaign promises along with all the gifts they distribute as a campaign tool to solicit our support. We have allowed tribalism and political affiliations direct how we vote. As a result, we have created recycled politicians who are well versed in sustaining a corrupt system, as long they are compensated and do not suffer the social ills experienced by the average Nigerian.
Thanks to the “Not Too Young to Run” policy, we now have several candidates with diverse backgrounds who may be able to turn the tide for Nigeria in 2019. We know that most people change once they have power and are corrupted by the existing influences within the system. However, we must remain hopeful that among the 2019 candidates, we may finally have leaders who can identify with Nigerians and will not bow to the wills of greedy political “God fathers.” We need leaders who are passionate about Nigeria and understand the importance of investing in our most valuable resource, the people.
We need leaders who understand the value of maintenance, as we have had multiple projects initiated in the past, while incoming leaders ignore projects by previous administrations and allow it to decay. This a waste of our nation’s resources, and we must find ways to improve and sustain projects that are making a positive impact in the society, while consolidating investments that no longer serve us. For example, if a governor builds a facility that was unable to meet the purpose for which it was built, the government should look to sell it to private institutions and utilize the funds for other valuable projects instead of allowing the building to decay.
We are desperate for leaders who are willing to establish standards and work hard to maintain it in all levels of public service. We can no longer continue to watch our leaders defect from one political party to another during the election season, with the hopes of building coalitions and continuing to perpetuate the status quo. We have had enough, and must join forces to make our voices heard in 2019. We need to consider young political parties like Alliance For New Nigeria whose vision is founded on bringing tangible change to Nigerians.
We need hope in our nation’s future and musts start now to reverse the ills of the past; to let go of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, and the mockery which we have allowed in our political offices. We must understand that public service is a call of destiny, and what we do with that opportunity can impact a generation. Therefore, we must not waste our political leadership opportunities on frivolous living and gross negligence, but we must commit our tenures to improving the lives of Nigerians and giving them a future that is brighter than yesterday.
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