By Adekoya Boladale<\/p>\n
Where has this boy gone to? This was the thought that occupied my mind as I walk down to the far end of the Federal secretariat. Demola my cousin is notoriously stubborn; this was the reason why I ensured I held tight his hand throughout the rush hour at the Eagle square.\u00a0 When I discovered the atmosphere was getting more rowdy and wasn\u2019t looking too conducive for a boy, I had to take him back to his mum. I was enjoying the glamour and music when his mum came calling. She had given him some money to get ice-cream only to discover that he was out of sight, there was no other person to call on than me as she was heavily pregnant.<\/p>\n
Walking back to the Square, I could hear the master of ceremony welcoming President Jonathan to the podium. I have to keep up the pace; this was one of the reasons why I made Abuja my vacation spot rather than the serene atmosphere of Obudu hills, to watch the president declare his intention to run for the presidential position in the last election. I wasn\u2019t a member of PDP or any political party but I was hell bent on witnessing the breath of fresh air that has so much been publicized. It\u2019s been a trying time for the country as we just lost our president but what has been more trying is getting the vice president to become the president. It took the intervention of the civil society and social activists before the National Assembly came up with the \u2018doctrine of necessity\u2019.<\/p>\n
I was almost at the entrance of the gate when I sighted little Demola around the corner with his stick of ice-cream looking perplexed, his eyes were swollen with tears. I didn\u2019t wait to ask him where he has been, I picked him up and hurriedly took him to his mum, I didn\u2019t even bother to show any gesture to the \u2018thank you\u2019 that followed as I walk straight to the arena. The President was already on the podium and was just starting his speech. I watched and clapped as Jonathan recited his childhood days and his dream for Nigeria. I was impressed beyond reasonable doubt that this man from Otuke village will definitely bring the needed change to Nigeria.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been three years after that event and the memory of those deceptive words still torment me. How foolish was I to have believed the words and promises of a politician, how stupid was I to have allowed myself be deceived by the tales of a \u2018shoeless\u2019 past. But I was not alone; twenty two million Nigerians were deceived too.\u00a0 We were made to believe that a man who had gone through these tribulations while growing up would really comprehend the pain and agony of the common masses. We were convinced beyond doubt that this man from the creek understood more the suffering of the people and was ready to work hard for the development of the nation rather than the enrichment of his pocket. We were wrong!<\/p>\n
The price of petroleum products which he promised would be brought down is currently been sold at the highest price in nation\u2019s history. To make matter worst, we now give out thirty-two naira on every litre we purchase to feed a \u2018ghost\u2019 committee named SURE-P and an additional five naira per litre to filling station attendants. The refineries he met on ground in working conditions are now in very poor state. He promised water would be in abundance for drinking and farming, unfortunately the little we have is not enough for human consumption not to talk of plants.<\/p>\n
I could remember seeing his thyroid cartilage (Adam\u2019s apple) out as he made the promise for job creation but now the number of unemployed graduate is currently above 40million. Kidnappers, terrorists and criminals whom the president openly declared a war on that day has continued to hold the country to ransom.<\/p>\n
With all these in my mind, I remember the promise he made to Amanpour. Do you remember her? She is that fearless, relentless journalist at CNN.
\nAbout the same time the president stood to our face to deceive us of his plan of transformation he also deceived her. She is no Nigerian so it was hard for her to question him from time to time about his failed words but again he went back to her early this year to take back a bit of his vomit.
\nHowever he made another mistake, now in the full glare of the world he promised her that light would be better before the end of this year.<\/p>\n
Its three months after that promise and electricity has gone from bad to worst. Every day we continue to sleep in perpetual darkness and on a personal note I can’t remember the last time I had a two – hour stretch uninterrupted power supply. The nation is now at the mercy of generating sets which flames have continued to kill more people than AIDS. Very soon the president would have to pay another 60,000 dollars to get interviewed by CNN as the 2015 election approaches; but what will he tell Amanpour?
\nAnother tales of how power would be better in 2016? Stories on how he fought corruption by granting pardon to an international fugitive or how over 100billion dollars of oil revenue alleged by British prime minister suddenly developed legs and walked away? I don’t know.<\/p>\n
But what I am sure of is this; no nation can develop without a truthful leader; no progress can be made when the ruler continue to see the ruled as idiots and fools who can be pushed around at will. That no matter how well a lie is packaged, no matter how well it is clothed; if a lie lingers for\u00a0 \u2018twenty\u2019 years, the people will one day realise that it is a lie and when they do, they will demand for the truth. Above all, Pastor Reno Omokri (as he then was) should tell the president that the power of the people is much greater than the people in power.<\/p>\n
Adekoya Boladale is a political scientist and wrote via adekoyaboladale@gmail.com
\nTwitter: @adekoyabee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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