Fuel subsidy removal dates back to at least two decades but we played politics with it until it almost did our economy in before we belatedly took action.
The cry of marginalization , resource control, federalism has been in the air for decades too, culminating in the 2014 National Conference, but we also played politics with it until the polity was heated up now Restructuring has become the dominant political word in Nigeria.
What about a systemic approach to our endemic problem of corruption that reviews the entire judicial process so we can overhaul it and make it more efficient? We were told there is no need as only the will was lacking. Several media trials down the line we are no closer to getting one politically exposed person convicted rather the government is serially losing corruption cases.
What about the need to be more strategic in handling sensitive issues rather than being unduly hawkish? Until our production capacity was nearly crippled which, coupled with other factors, sent our economy reeling, we didn't see the need to constructively engage.
Same with Nnamdi Kanu. We inadvertently promoted him to a cult hero before we eventually did the right thing and he has continued with his rants like before which right thinking people ignore. His influence will wither. It is a matter of time if we don't do anything silly again to promote his cause.
I almost forgot. What of the exchange rate, all recommendations to allow market forces determine the value of the Naira was rejected as the ill advised policy of artificially fixing the value of the currency sent the Naira into its worst fall, selling at a time, at N520 to a dollar at the parallel market, with inflation inching close to the 20% mark. In all of these rascality, the government was clapped on when criticism of its very wrong policies would have forced a change sooner before it caused more havoc or supporting the opposition or some interest groups on a policy that is inimical to the long term interest of Nigerians.
Why am I writing this now, it is because of the topicality of Restructuring today. How I wish this was the focus of the 2014 elections so that from 2015 we would have been implementing CHANGE in Nigeria. By now we would have been seeing the benefits. It is better late than never but we need citizens who will endeavour to read and understand issues properly before lending support to issues of national interest. 2019 is not so far off anymore and we really need to be more strategic in our decision making.
Let us choose wisely and listen to what politicians are saying carefully and be more discerning so we are not carried away by rhetorics and empty promises. It is in our immediate and long term interest to vote with our heads not our hearts.