*By Philip Amiola*
When I wrote an article titled *Failed Government or Failing Citizens *in
January 2013, I expected a reverberation of mixed comments. I was not
disappointed. In that piece, I attempted to challenge the belief system
that makes us channel our creative energies towards blaming the government
rather than taking responsibility for effecting change and proffering
solutions wherever we can. While I got some degree of positive feedback, a
section of my audience seems to believe that I am either “part of the
Nigerian Government that has failed us” or I am “not exposed to the
realities of a responsible government.”
The backlash notwithstanding, I still believe that poor performance on the
part of the government should not breed indifference in the way we live our
lives and conduct our personal affairs. My position was further
strengthened on a recent trip to Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. Entering
through the *Iwo Road-Ojoo* axis, I was impressed with positive
developments that have sprung up since my days as an undergraduate at the
University of Ibadan. For a city which was listed by the Financial Times of
London in 2012 as one of the “Big 5” cities in Africa, one shouldn’t have
expected any less.
However, my excitement soon gave way to disappointment as I approached the
University precincts. All the way from *Barika *to *Agbowo, *the median on
the dual carriageway was adorned with bags of solid waste in place of the
customary rows of ornamental plants or neatly kept lawn. It was an
incredibly disgusting sight – so incredible that I had to stop and take
some pictures.
Many questions began to flash through my mind. At first I wondered if Oyo
State has any agency that is responsible for waste management. Upon
realisation that it does, I wondered what kind of mindset would prompt
supposedly enlightened Nigerians to dump household waste right in the
middle of the road. Although I happened to have sighted this in Ibadan,
similar situations exist across the country; and this has contributed in no
small way to the outbreak of diseases and incidence of so-called natural
disasters.
While we must hold our political office holders responsible for fulfilling
our legitimate expectations, I believe that as responsible citizens of this
great nation, we should also hold ourselves responsible to basic standards
of propriety regardless of the effectiveness or otherwise of government
agencies and public systems. Like I have often said, we must realise that
the most important things are not the things that the government will do
for us. To create the *New *Nigeria, each Nigerian must take personal
responsibility, realising that we are the government. We will get it right
someday.
God bless Nigeria.
*Philip Amiola is a teacher, writer and campaigner of empowerment. He blogs at www.philipamiola.org <http://www.philipamiola.org> and tweets from @PhilipAmiola.*