Considering our wealth, human and the material resources, which God bestowed upon us as a nation, the progress we have made so far is considerably (s)low. The deficiency for the (s)lowness is moral bankruptcy of some sick privileged individuals, who have substituted lust for love, godliness for worldliness. They have waved good-bye to purity, faithfulness and honesty of purpose. They feed us with false teaching, seducing cracked policies, and destroy good reforms that could better develop our existence. These privileged men serving in the government never lay good example in the pursuit of the government’s objectives of building a great country; they never bear it in mind that leadership requires a great deal of sacrifice. “(Un) easy lies the head that wears the crown” is their motto. They have never ever imagined that leadership is a service and a burden that carries a great responsibility. They abuse the privilege and forget their human shortcomings in the performance of their duties. They have never thought that they derive their position of authority from the people, hence not be ordinarily carried away by power and paraphernalia that accompany public status and offices in developing countries.

These privileged men never hold the views of the people in high regard and always strive hard to destroy confidence by approaching government policies irrationally with no conscience and required priorities. They are too conservative and often develop thick skin to the feelings of the people: either arrogant or deliberately lack the necessary human relations. Vindication is the main attribute of their high office. They believe that vindictiveness is an asset in administration of people. They never cared that such attitude suppresses the free flow of information and encourage ill feelings as it harbours suspicion and hatred. They have never imagined that the overall welfare of the majority of the people should be the task that should reign supreme in all decisions rather than adopting policies that will only benefit their pocket. It has never been bored in their mind, that the happiness of the majority of the masses always strengthens their position and power; thereby increasing the productivity outputs needed to generate the required wealth of the country for economic stability and peace. Prudence, efficiency, firm actions, time consciousness, honesty of purpose and loyalty to the people is never a yardstick in costing and awarding of projects by them. They lack 10% of the management principles that a public official must hold in high esteem. They claim power as matter of right, just in government to offer bad services to the people and bring misery; less bordered if the people are happy.

They are sometimes happy when the government’s economy becomes unsound and stability becomes a dream, knowing they will take advantage of the situation. They love those activities of praise-singers who often prevent them from seeing the real problems of the people, knowing that their business is the exploitation of position of those in authority. They propose and promote those activities of the enlightened oligars who are in the commanding height of the society, holding positions of eminence and power in every sphere of our social, military, political and religious activities. They are the power brokers, the think(er) tanks and the captains of the society’s fortunes. These peoples’ selfishness, greediness for excessive wealth at the pleasure of the populace induces them to believe that they are more important than the government. These Privileged men never call for a change of attitude and urge them to know that the country is greater than any class of people and that the government has responsibilities to all the indigenes equally.

Finally, as I look around, I remain unshaken in my faith in Nigeria. So far, the present democratic administration have not responded well to a broad range of public needs and desires or conducted the affairs of the country in harmony with the changing and expanding goals and aspirations of the people. These should not let us down. Let also implore ourselves to shed the heavy burden and not be incapacitated by the present transient economic hardships. Like me, you should find inspiration in this noble and heroic pronouncement by ALFRED LORD TENNYSON in the poem, ULYSEES: “Death closes all: but something ere the end, some work of noble not, may yet be done not unbecoming men that strove with God’s…Come, my friends, ‘Tis not too late to see a newer world”. I hope we are standing at the doorstep of a New United States of Nigeria?