Four months into the new year, the executive and the legislative arms of the government are yet to settle their political scores.
The duo of Buhari and Saraki led Executive and Senate respectively, have remained egoistic, refusing to approve and or sign the 2016 budget at the expense of the ordinary Nigerians whose lives depend on it.
For your information, this fight has not stopped the salaries and allowances of the President, Senators, Ministers, House of Representatives members, including their Special Assistants and advisers from being paid regularly. This power tussle has not stopped them from getting estacode, for each official engagement, neither has it stopped them from getting first class medical attention, when their health calls for one.
However, this ego and superiority induced rancor has put a stop to ongoing and newly initiated projects that touches the lives of the common man. These include; Lagos/Ibadan expressway, Benin-Ore road, Abuja-Lokoja road, Abuja-Kaduna light rail, Calabar-Lagos rail, various housing and infrastructural projects. Hydro power, mining, aviation and dams construction projects.
In the fourth month of the year, farmers have not benefited from Irrigation projects capable of boosting food security in Nigeria and Africa. I know this because I am a farmer. Salaries of civil servants don't come regularly, boys are not smiling, hence increasing insecurity and kidnapping. We talk about increasing crimes and saboteurs vandalising public infrastructures, have you forgotten that a idle hand is the devil's workshop? While there isn't a justification for crime, the government has a responsibility to cater for the needs of its people in order to reduce crimes. The government also has a responsibility protect public assets from Vandals, as against the opinion of Mr. Femi Adesina S.A Media to Mr. President.
We have read the counter accusations emanating from different quarters. With the Legislative arm identifying several flaws in the budget presentation and in a swift defence of course, the Executive laid claims to the budget being patched, with many heads rolled out already. The Buhari led government has also alleged that some items were totally removed and or deducted from the budget, making project actualization almost impossible. The legislative arm has continuously denied these claims. They have recently threatened to override the Executive, rendering the president impotent, by legalising the budget without his signature.
Without an end in sight to the rigmarole, will Nigerians continue to wallow in poverty, malnutrition and increasing youth unemployment? Will Nigerians both young and old continue to suffer from the heat caused by global warming and aggravated by epileptic power supply or near darkness? Our only alternative is which is the "I better pass my neighbour" generator has gone on holiday due to fuel scarcity. Thankfully, this development has reduced the noise pollution and fumes related hazards caused by the generators. The Bible says in everything, we should give thanks. So, let's give thanks to God.
Will Nigerians continue to die from road accidents, while the political class continues to fly in the air?
Will Nigerians continue to die from failed health and lack of drugs, while our politicians seek medical attention abroad? Will Nigerian farmers continue to feed from "hand to mouth", lacking government supports, while our big shots continues to patronise and import processed food from abroad?
Will our students continue to study in a poor academic environment, while they continue to send their kids to Ivy league schools in Europe and America?
Will Nigerians awaiting trial continue to wait in vain due to poor funding of the Judiciary and prisons service, when those that swindled our Commonwealth continues to work freely? For how long?
If only the Executive and the Legislative arms of the government could respect Nigerians and shield their swords, only then can meaningful development be felt by the "least" citizen of the biggest and most powerful black nation in the world.
Adeniyi Philip Ayoola is a concerned youth and social entrepreneur.
Follow @ayo116
Ayoola116@gmail.com
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