MY FRANKinSENSE: LACK OF NATIONAL INTEREST

They are eating the national cake, you also will when you get there so who are those willing to bake more cakes… more National cakes? Do you want to see Nigeria great again? Are you proud of the name Nigeria as your country? Your answers will help shape the future of our great country.

Prologue:

Mr. Akomolafe the new Senator-elect from Akamirakiri Constituency is hosting a celebration party in his house and all his political party bigwigs and family members are in attendance. Mr. Obamide, the chairman of his political party called Mr. Akomolafe and reminded him of the financial contributions from the party that made him win the election. In his words “Komolafe, I congratulate you my man, please do not forget to return the money we use to facilitate your victory at the polls, once you get into the upper chamber, remember say na rub my back make I rub your back o, and don’t forget my own personal share o, Komo komo okunrin ogun, congratulations once again”.

They both smiled and shook hands in affirmative.

Later that night after the party, Mr. Akomolafe was on his mattress reading newspaper when his beautiful curvy wife emerged from the bathroom in her bathrobe, smiling like a child given a cone of ice-cream. She joined her husband on the bed and placed her hands on his chest still breathing up with bright smiles. She said “my dearest husband, my one and only, the father of my children, my king, now that you are a Senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, tonight am going to give you a VIP treatment *they both laughed sheepishly* but before then, I have my own needs that you have to promise me. Once you get to office, I will need a new SUV, open a supermarket in Lekki, trips to Dubai every fortnight, and we have to relocate to Banana Island, that’s all I want because I hear say that’s the happening place for now, do you promise me?

They both smiled and hug in affirmative.

Mr Akomolafe, before falling asleep, had a clear vision of buying a house in Bahamas or Seychelles and opening two foreign accounts with Barclays Bank. The rhythm of the night overwhelmed him as he slept peacefully!

Our dear nation, Nigeria, is suffering in the midst of plenty. We have natural resources from Crude oil, to Cocoa, Palm Trees, Rubber, and Sea foods etc. but still our economy is gradually going down due to lack of National Interest.

Personal interests (and Political Interests) are not just overshadowing our national interest. It is standing tall on it.

Nowadays, we all consider personal share before we embark on any business activity, community development or any national duty.

The American celebrities have successfully colonized the mindset of our young leaders/celebrities. They want to live expensively. Exotic cars, clothes, dazzling jewelries, private jets and big houses at premium locations. That mindset makes everyone want to cut corners and make quick money. An average Nigerian will tell you “If I reach there me sef go chop from the national cake”.

If we all ‘chop’ the national cake how do we sustain our national interests? Is there anyone willing to bake more national cakes?

The genesis of Boko Haram was from personal/political interests but now it has become a monster threatening our national unity.

Arik Airline, Air Peace, Aero Contractors are Nigerian-owned airlines but the syndrome of ‘I go chop my own’ killed and grounded Nigeria Airways!

Globacom is one of the best telecommunication network in Nigeria, own by a Nigerian but ask me where is NITEL today? ‘Them don chop am!’

Currently, the Nigeria Football Federation is having internal battle of leadership. Why can’t they support one another and jointly lift the NFF to greater heights if they truly want the success of the federation. Personal interests in play, killing National interest, we have missed two Nations cup due to negligence and lack of common sense.

Recently, State governors line up in Abuja to collect bail out funds. What a shame! Why can’t they generate internal revenue to sustain staff salaries? And use the Federal allocation for projects?

And I read that “MOST of the 23 states that got bail out cash from the federal government for the settlement of arrears of workers’ salaries and emoluments, diverted the funds for other purposes, thereby defeating the purpose of the government’s effort to provide succour for the workers.”

Our Legislators are buying exotic cars and receiving unknown allowance, when the nation is enduring a harsh economy. There is little or No power generation, fuel scarcity remains order of the day, Federal roads are death traps, railway lines are nothing to write home about and yet our Legislators prefer to buy exotics cars with inflated prices. Personal interest over National Interest!

I don’t even want to talk about the ‘Dasuki Money’ sharing formula and other mind-blowing revelations in the scandal. A true example of personal interest over National Interest. Imagine, two million dollars found in the house of former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh. I mean where and how did he get such an amount stacked in his house?

If such an amount is spent on power generation judiciously, the entire country’s economic output will be revamped. Still personal interest over national interest.

And because your political party lost in the presidential election, all you do is talk bad, write bad and even publicly find loopholes in the ‘new administrations’ effort. Tell me that’s political stunts and I will make you realize that its pure personal interest over national interest.

Who will rescue us from the snare of personal interest? The only person is YOU! If you and I can embrace Common Sense to set us free from the snare of personal interest. We should nurture the energy to build our Nation. Teach and encourage one another on national development. As a TEAM, we can rebuild our nation.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem that those therein will excel” Nigeria is our Jerusalem, and therein we shall all excel.