[The 9J Education Blog] VICTOR SALABIU, THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA (ESSAY COMPETITION)

[9education Authors]

SALABIU VICTOR

S.S. 2

BRILLIANT STARS COLLEGE

The next president of Nigeria, what do you expect from the next president of Nigeria. It is an indisputable fact that Nigeria is a very big and blessed country, but it is a shame that countries that are not as endowed as we are more developed than we are due to the fact that we have dishonest and selfish leaders.

In this coming election, the person I would love to win the election is not a Muslim, a Christian or a traditionalist, what we need now in Nigeria is a God fearing, honest and loyal president. An altruistic president. I want the coming president to provide security. We want to live in a country where we would live in safety and not fear that we will get bombed or attacked by armed robbers. I’m sorry to say this but Nigeria has turned out to be like a ‘jungle.’ The northern part of the country is no longer safe. People have been rendered homeless, lost family members; Poverty rules over there now because people are afraid to carryout their daily activities like farming, buying and selling, etc. the Chibok girls have been found till date. We keep hearing different stories from the government. Their parents are hopeless. If this girls have not been found till elections, I’d love the Chibok girls to be the first item of the president’s agenda. Government needs to curb the issue of armed robbery in this country because it’s rising at a very high pace.

I want and I believe every Nigerian also want a government that would provide clean pipe-borne water for the nation. In other countries like the Gambia, people don’t need to buy water to drink. There is clean water that run throughout the country. People don’t have to spend money that they should be using for something else, to buy water. You hardly see a compound without a well or two and we see this as normal. It is really bad. Nigeria is more than that. We have all what it takes to have clean water.

Another thing that is our problem in Nigeria is electricity. It is very sad that with all the resources we have in Nigeria, we’re still leaving in the dark. You got to some areas and they’ll tell you that they haven’t had power for a month or even more than that. The government are indirectly impoverishing the citizens, because ‘light’ and ‘water’ are very vital to human life. People generate power for themselves by buying generators and at the end of the month, they still pay bills, which is very unfair. Fuel prizes rises everyday, people have to buy fuel to generate power. There’s air pollution in the country because every compound has up to three generators or more and the smoke and voice these generators make is really bad for our health. The next president should really work on this.

All the former presidents and governors have promised us good roads, others tried their best and others didn’t, but its high time that we have good and quality roads. Most of our business depends on good roads. Farmers for instance need to transport their farm produce for distribution, but most of them have been bankrupted because of the poor state of the roads. Travelling has also been hindered because of our roads. There are certain areas that are completely worse, they have very bad roads. One thing that the government fails to see is that indirectly, this also has a negative impact on them because some of them also run their own private business. We need a government that will take action and not a government that procrastinates.

Another thing that is making us large behind and the next president needs to act on is ‘employment.’ There is a very high rate of unemployment in Nigeria. It saddens me to see graduates sitting around doing nothing or doing works that are not fit for them. Everyday the government officials tells us that they’ve provided jobs and yet still people are unemployed. We just keep hearing figures but it’s like it has nothing to do with us. The Nigerian youths are unhappy because they’re not been catered for by their government. The families expect them to take up responsibilities but how can they do so when there are few or no job opportunities. The next president has to understand that in order to curb the issues of insecurity and armed robbery the youths have to be engaged in something meaningful and genuine. It is said that “an idle mind is the devils workshop.” When they’re tired of going to interviews and nothing comes out of it, they turn to the next thing available. They end up stealing and join terrorist groups just because they want to have a daily meal. A lot of families depends on these youths as their bread-winner and since the government doesn't care for them they look for the next alternative. The president empower youths by investing more into farming and other things. These youths are the Nigeria’s tomorrow.        

I want the next president to make sure that the policy of the Rule of Law is practiced to the core, without this we will go no where in this country. I seen and heard of several cases where the rich oppresses the poor and weak and when the case is taken to court, it takes forever. There is no equality before the law and it seems some people are above the law in this country. Some rich people children kill and go against the law but because of their status and wealth, the case is swept under the carpet, which is injustice. There is high level of favoritism and tribalism. The something applies to employment. The poor children suffer to before raising money for school fees and after studying with good qualifications but job are only offered to the rich children. Even gaining admission into federal universities is another issue. It is hard to gain admission into universities without having good relationship with the top university officials even if you meet up with all the requirements. The Nigerian government are really frustrating us the citizens.

Finally, we Nigerians are sick and tired of corruption that has turned out to be an everyday thing. Corruption has grown deeply inside us Nigerians that it is very hard for one to achieve anything without being corrupt. People believe so much in bribery and corruption. People in charge of pensioners money, bribe their members and use the money meant to pay the pensioners and nobody is taken to book. We just hear about it and that’s where it ends. Government officials spend public money and nothing is done about it, but when a poor citizen is accused of stealing a small amount or accused of something trivial, they are given long term sentences or even killed. There is so much injustice going on and I’d love the next president to try as much as possible to reduce the rate of corruption by removing corrupt officials.

The president should also endeavor to make sure his officials follow up on their policies and actions because the government’s efforts won’t be recognized if the people that are assigned to do it, don’t carry out the works and they’re not questioned. The government may have been providing jobs and funding certain sectors but if the people assigned to carry them out don’t carry them out and only satisfy their own selfish interests, the people won’t know how much the government has been doing.

It is not like we are asking too much from the government but these are basic things that the presidents ought to do. I hope the next president look critically into these points named above and does something about them for these are the things that will make Nigeria the true Giant of Africa and will make us Nigerians to be very proud to be called NIGERIANS.

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Posted By 9education Authors to The 9J Education Blog on 4/10/2015 11:00:00 am