by The Tinubu administration must either shape up or ship out, especially in the discharge of the tangible and intangible responsibilities of government that directly affect the daily lives of the poor, who constitute the overwhelming majority of Nigerians.
On the tangible side, the government deserves commendation for its infrastructure renewal and some new initiatives. Roads are being rehabilitated, and other capital projects are visible across the country. These achievements should not be denied or ignored.
However, governance is much more than concrete, asphalt, and steel. The poor measure government not by the number of projects commissioned but by whether they can afford food, shelter, healthcare, education, and live in safety.
Urban renewal projects, while aesthetically pleasing and economically beneficial in some respects, are increasingly pushing the poor out of the cities. Property redevelopment has sent rents beyond the reach of low-income earners, effectively excluding them from the very communities they helped build through years of labour.
Ordinarily, those priced out of the cities would relocate to the rural areas or return to their ancestral homes to engage in farming and other productive ventures. Sadly, that option has become increasingly hazardous. Insecurity in many rural communities—manifested in banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and attacks on farmers—has made the countryside a place of fear rather than refuge. The poor are now trapped: they can neither comfortably remain in the cities nor safely return to their villages.
Government is not established for the rich and the middle class alone. The poor deserve to breathe, to hope, and to live with dignity. They are not a minority to be tolerated; they are the majority whose welfare should be the foremost concern of any democratic government.
On several occasions, this writer has advocated robust social intervention programmes that provide direct financial support to adults living below the poverty line. I have also consistently argued for well-crafted policies that make essential medication affordable, especially for people suffering from chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes. Yet, instead of pursuing enduring social welfare policies, many politicians appear more preoccupied with the next election cycle, clinging to electoral calculations as tenaciously as a dog clings to a bone.
One of the defining pillars of democracy is the rule of law. Here again, the intangible responsibilities of government have suffered serious neglect. The daily experiences of many vulnerable Nigerians at the hands of some security personnel—extortion, unlawful arrests, violation of fundamental rights, intimidation, oppression, and the perversion of justice—are too numerous to quantify. These abuses erode public confidence in the institutions established to protect the people.
Although I personally do not subscribe to the fashion of young men curling their hair or wearing earrings, personal preference cannot replace the law. To the best of my knowledge, no Nigerian law criminalises such fashion choices. Yet many young people who adopt these styles have become easy targets for harassment and extortion at police checkpoints simply because they look different. Law enforcement must be guided by legislation, not personal prejudice.
I never attended a private school, and many of my generation did not. Today, however, countless poor parents struggle to enrol their children in private schools—whether modest, semi-standard, or well-established—not because they are wealthy but because they have lost confidence in the public education system. That loss of confidence is a damning indictment of the tiers of government responsible for basic education, many of which have displayed indifference, complacency, and, at times, arrogance in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Any government that consistently fails to improve the quality of life of its citizens falls short of the purpose for which government exists. Such a government must be reminded, firmly and repeatedly, that public office is a sacred trust, not a privilege for self-congratulation.
These are only a few examples of the failures that cut across the different tiers of government. When assessed against the fundamental responsibilities of governance—both tangible and intangible—none can honestly claim to have passed the integrity test.
