There is no doubt that most Nigerians of the Christian faith are quite familiar with the story of the Biblical Tower of Babel. There is also the probability that many others belonging to other faiths and beliefs will even have a similar story and experience from their various religions.
It is therefore sad and unfortunate that Nigeria has suddenly fast-tracked her inglorious movement from the road to Babel to actual descent and eventual sojourn in the ”Biblical City of Destruction.”
The cacophony of voices, misrepresentations and misinformation on simple matters and directives, even of the government, affecting the lives and well-being of Nigerians, are quite disturbing and worrisome. We therefore find some of the current actions, inactions and counter-actions of state actors and their private sector collaborators so nauseating.
Instead of some of the actions to achieve the desired goals and objectives, which are noble, most often, they end up leaving Nigerians more confused than ever. Now the people find it difficult to believe any instruction or directive as they don’t really know what to believe again.
Lately, in the middle of the current socio-economic challenges and hardships that most citizens were being subjected to as a result of apparent bad implementation and obvious sabotage of well-meaning policies, the misinterpretation and even actual denials of some of the important directives have ended up adding salt to the proverbial injury of the average Nigerian .
Sadly the beat goes on and the government feels that anybody can go to hell. The actions of most government officials who are supposed to feel the pulse and pains of the masses are also disappointing. The ruling class is not also helping the matter in any way as the political elite are now singing discordant tunes.
We therefore find it unfortunate that a ruling class that is supposed to provide good leadership and direction in a challenging time as Nigerians have found themselves is now moving along as a house divided against itself where the centre no longer holds.
Never in the chequered history of Nigeria have we found ourselves in the ship of a rudderless leadership as we do now, where state governors from the same ruling party are up in arms against the Federal Government produced by the same party.
What is currently happening in Nigeria is really a drama of the absurd and a dangerous dimension to governance when governors of the same ruling party are shamelessly and openly rubbishing the policies and achievements of the President who is the leader of their party simply because of their own selfish goals and agenda.
The confusion within the ranks of the political class has now been transferred to the masses, thus resulting in the self-inflicted pain and violent protests that are witnessed across the country.
With only a few days to the kick-off of the much-anticipated General Election, we therefore call for a return to sanity. Government officials and their representatives, as well as their private sector collaborators, should stop playing politics and games with the lives and destiny of Nigerians.
The experience in the last seven and a half years has been very disappointing for most Nigerians as it is quite obvious that the political leadership has really failed to deliver on the promises made to the people. Instead of pleading for forgiveness as another general elections beckon, most of them are still playing god, portraying themselves as the messiah that the country has been expecting.
The truth of the matter is that despite all the confusion created in the polity, Nigerians are much wiser now and would definitely decide with their voter cards at the polls.
As painful as the ongoing hardships and challenges might appear, we plead with Nigerians to remain calm and eschew violence as two wrongs don’t ever make anything right.
The next few days to the commencement of the general election should therefore serve as a period for sober reflection for the leadership, knowing full well that their actions and inactions as well as the misrepresentation of their policies have landed the country into the present sorry state with the vulnerable at the receiving end.
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