Its quite interesting the cultural bias and the chauvinistic way our so called law makers shot down the Gender Equality bill introduced on the floor of the house.

While I don’t have the full details of the bill, I feel the argument to reject the bill should be more intelligent than belligerent, emotional and tactless argument based on culture and tradition.

While I understand the cultural stereotypes that tend to largely govern our decisions and permiate our actions, we need to wake up from such archival tendencies and migrate to the point where we decide based on intelligence and facts.

Our political and social system needs to evolve to a level were discourse is not on flimsy, irrelevant, mindless jingoism, but on the topics and issues that brings to bear and the forefront, the welfare of the people on a long term scale and not on a short term scale as we are used too.

Long term planning seems not to be the focus of past governments of this nation hence the reason for some decisions and actions. In particular, it seems the National Assembly seems to be so caught up in themselves and how to ensure their welfare is well taking care off than the core issues affecting the survival of the nation.

Of what interest and significant benefit is the probe of DSTV compared to living on less than $1 a day? Is it that the National Assembly does not have its plate full or they just don’t have their jobs cut out for them? Or better still, they don’t understand what it means to be an elected officer of the republic, in spite of the “fat” salaries they cannot disclose to the public?

I watch the US Presidential debate going on, and am amazed at the depth of research, and quality of issues been raised and discussed. And I wonder, what the heck does our politicians discuss at all? “build good roads, set up pipe borne water, create new jobs but don’t have a definite plan, build schools, refurbish old ones” Same rhetoric year in year out. And as usual, our political process always marred with violence.

Does the government have an economic plan to present for the nation that is definite and realistic? What plans do we have, to reform the judiciary, to curb excesses of the various arms of government? Do we have plans to introduce legislation to curb and nip corruption in the bud?? Do they have plans to even legislate an acceptable code of conduct for the nation? That will govern they themselves?

Why is the budget yet to pass by the National Assembly? What’s with the overzealous scrutiny with the first quarter of 2016 almost over, and the economy is in virtual comatose? The Senate Spokesman Abdulahi Sabi claimed “the postponement was still within an acceptable error margin”. What callousness and lazy thinking! 

It seems to me, we have left the administration of our nation into the hands of “jolly good fellas” “Big Boys” and “un-businessmen” who don’t know their right from their left and who can’t seem to gauge the mood of the nation, test the waters and embark on strategic thinking and policy formulation.

Where is the trust and integrity in the nation with the horrifying and stunning revelations on the arms deal scandal plaguing the country? The sheer audacity in siphoning this funds is just mind bugging…..no mind numbing….no mind……. Short of words……

We need to make an example of people in this nation, and we need to turn ourselves into scape goats for this nation to thrive. Am not sure our democracy is working. In modernized democracy, we need a Trump-like figure who will think of the governance in Business terms of making returns and profit and call the bluff of anybody. And in “modern” democracy, we need a Thomas Sankara figure or a Jerry Rawlings who will create an ideological position, and a pathological fear of the cookie jar.

Mind you, no country as the perfect system, but there is a sanity and a system that works for the common good of all. That’s what we seek in our nation.

In my next post will look at the Socio-Communist ideology as it will affect our nation Nigeria.

Cheers!