Nigerian politicians and office holders in all the three tiers of government are notorious for abandoning governance mid-way to the end of their tenure to pursue renewal of their mandate or what is called second term in political parlance.
The executive at the state and federal levels, where 4-year-term is imposed by the constitution, are more guilty of this dereliction of duties, thus relegating governance to the background after 2 years to create time for electioneering campaign funded with the tax payers’ money to win the next election. It is only at the local council level that the practice is not pronounced as the councils have the State Houses of Assembly and, of course, the governors breathing down their necks.
It is not strange that the government machinery during this period is placed on auto-pilot for almost 24 months out of the mandatory 48 months in quest to retain power. This is unacceptable, from which ever perspective this political depravity is looked at. Office holders reneging on their covenant with the electorate can not be defended on political, moral or ethnical ground and should be condemned by all and sundry for shortchanging a people on sensitive issue of security of lives and property, the sacred duties of government. It is unfair to leave a people as a flock without shepard.
Regrettably, such officials collect not only their income, but also other allowances as their offices provide them leverage to get away with this unstatemanly abuse of priviledge.
It is on this note that City People noticed with concern the present rave of statements in both traditional and social media loaded with messages to kick-start campaign for the 2019 general elections by stalwarts and foot soldiers on behalf of their principals in earnest.
Though, President Muhammadu Buhari has fewer than 24 months in office, it would be a disservice to politics and the people for any group of people to initiate any move that could distract the attention of the present administration from giving the people a good governance.
The nation is just exiting recession, all hands must, therefore, be on deck to enable the economic council consolidate on the present gains and completely take Nigeria out of the economic quagmire and margin of recession to the path of bouyance that would ensure increase in the Gross National Product.
Complete exit from recession would, undoubtedly be a Midas touch to create job opportunities that would reduce crime rate and enable government to plug all loopholes in the security structure of the nation.
People would be happy if kidnapping, militancy, mindless rage of Boko Haram insurgency and other violent crimes are reduced to the minimum level rather than being now drawn into partisan and factional feud with its attendant negative impact on life and people.
