POST PRESIDENTIAL POLL

Greetings everyone, let me start this post by congratulating Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on is victory in the just concluded presidential polls, credits also go to Prof. Jega who despite the shaky start still went ahead to preside a free and fair election and also every Nigerian for the manner at which we conducted ourselves. I also must eulogize the youthful population for the increased interest shown in the political affairs of this nation. The future is really bright.

To Jega’s credit, all international observers judged this election the freest and fairest election we have conducted since the adjourned 1993 elections which M.K.O Abiola won. This blog highly condemns the post election violence experienced in the northern part of Nigeria today and is sad about the “i-don’t care” attitude of the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed forces of this nation (Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan). Not even a state of the nation address. This is deplorable!

In the spirit of democracy, all contenders must realize there is no looser, we are all WINNERS! All we deserve is a better nation and everyone must look contribute in one way or the other. The role of the opposition in democracy cannot be over stated. A political commentator once said “without opposition, politics is bereft of its substance” A crucial role the opposition plays in a democracy (which I expect the contenders who lost out to play) can be summarized as

“Acting as a watchdog, questioning the policies of the sitting government while SUGGESTING alternative ideas”

However, in our present democratic dispensation, this role has been ignored because the so-called opposition parties are un-aware and more importantly, these parties are wrongly built. They all like a skyscraper built on sand (Weak foundation) and they are bound to collapse. The CPC came into being about a year ago, just because Buhari wants to contest, he hurriedly came up with something. The ACN is slightly better despite its poor outing in the presidential polls.

Wikipedia defines a political party as a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions. Parties often espouse an expressed IDEOLOGY or vision bolstered by a written platform with specific goals.

In Nigeria today, I can’t see a single political party espousing any unique idea. There is a huge need for REAL political parties which have sound philosophical and political ideas. The present political parties should be over-hauled and political technocrats brought in to help re-build their foundation also new (IDEAL) parties should be formed, only then can we have a sound opposition. In the absence of this, we would only continue to have weak opposition who would readily disregard any step the sitting government takes just because it is not in power itself. Since 1999, after the elections, most of the so-called political parties only functioned as pressure groups

At this juncture, in order for us to move forward as a nation, I’ll appeal to everyone reading this to give the President-elect the support it deserves, anyone who does anything contrary aint doing it in the interest of democracy.

 I’ll expect the immediate priority of the Jonathan administration to be INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT. Infrastructure according to Wikipedia can be seen as

The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function. The term typically refers to the technical structures that support a society, such as roads, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunications, and so forth. Viewed functionally, infrastructure facilitates the production of goods and services; for example, roads enable the transport of raw materials to a factory, and also for the distribution of finished products to markets and basic social services such as schools and hospitals.

This in my own opinion is the only sensible step to take, it is crucial to note the MULTIPLIER effect that infrastructural development as on a nation. Let me give an illustration here.

Stable electricity would encourage the few manufactures left in the country to increase their production capacity which would bring about more jobs for the unemployed graduate> reduce crime rate (unemployed graduates take to vices such as theft prostitution) > increase security (less criminals for police to run after).

Good infrastructure could lessen problems such as housing e.g. if there is stable electricity, good roads, some persons would go back to their villages and establish farms, probably invite some of the native of his village in lagos to follow him back, with good rails and roads he can transport some of the produce to lagos and other cities for sale.

Water management infrastructure which includes drinking water supply (good water supply would reduce cholera to an effect, lessen the congested hospitals a bit and funds that would have been hitherto spent by the government on treating these patients can be used for other purpose).

Sensible appointments should be made into key positions that can determine the prosperity and future of the nation such as the educational system, financial system.

Thanks for reading, look forward to a better Nigeria, the future is NOW! Be involved and participate. All over the world, we youths of Nigeria are being commended for our increased interest. Let’s keep the fire burning….No shaking 9ja dey bam!