By Pius Okaneme
SIR: It used to be that whenever I see road construction work going on anywhere in the country, I feel cheerful. Our system has killed that optimism. The leaders unconscionably bring bulldozers to heap and tip sands on our miserable roads only to abandon the endeavour like the dump of a trailer load of dead cows. The sight makes the roads hideous. The uncompleted work deadens the spirit to travel on the roads when rainy season comes with erosion. The mud and dilapidation cause disaster.
I often wonder how the contractors justify the cost of allowing the work to be abandoned. Then again, here I go thinking that an average Nigerian politician is rational or cares about the interest of the people.. They only care more about embezzlement of public resources than the benefit of the collective good.
I had trepidation recently approaching a bulldozer driver working on a local road near my house. The huge tires of his tractor damaged the culvert in front of my brother’s gate. He was attempting to reverse using the open space. I was full of circumspect. I would have ordinarily been nice to the construction workers for the progress they are helping to bring to my community. I still could not get myself to look the driver in the face. I looked down on the ground but however summoned the determination to ask him how he is going to fix the broken culvert.
My resolve came out of knowing that the work may be abandoned anytime. The prospect that the road will lift my community to a quicker development and ease of commute when completed was beginning to diminish. My nephew once told me that you only feel optimistic about Nigeria out of naiveté. The constant question on my mind is when will we start to tell the story of our leaderships that love our people so much that they care to make our lives better? The hopelessness must be the reason why our people choose to believe in a beautiful heaven.
- Pius Okaneme, piusokaneme@yahoo.com.
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