The idea of government is very simple. Initially, individuals were in charge of everything they needed. But somewhere along the line, people discovered that it was better to cooperate so that at the end of the day, societal aims would have been better achieved.
Space and time might not permit me to go into the history of government. But, it is essential to note that we the people have submitted some of our freedoms to the government as a corporate entity in other for that same government to protect us.
That’s why we even pay tax. The government is supposed to provide us with the basic amenities of life like security, potable water, electric power supply, health care, good roads and so on.
I don’t know of others, but as far as I am concerned this government has failed in all these aspects. In my area when we get a miserly three hours of electricity supply, we tend to say that the power suppliers are trying. Meanwhile, the news we are getting about neighbouring countries is that they have power 24/7.
Every household is a now a water corporation of sorts. Those who have the wherewithal sink boreholes in their compounds. Some states are so mean that they are now charging those digging bore holes or even wells for doing what the states should have done in the first instance – providing water.
The state of our roads, to state the least, is pathetic. Someone even said the roads were deliberately made so in order to reduce the rate of accidents. Isn’t that interesting?
I don’t believe there’s an adequate health care system in this country. That’s why those who have the money are going for medical excursions abroad. The saddening thing is that when they get there, they are mostly treated by Nigerian health practitioners who have fled the country.
One can go on and on!
But the one that is the most basic of all is security. Human life is no longer sacred in this country. Anyone can be killed anytime if they don’t belong to the right group. I don’t like saying that, but seems to be a fact.
In this country today, it’s a known fact that the average Southwesterner doesn’t carry arms. In fact, on a personal note, I have never ever carried a gun. I’m sure nobody in my household has ever done so too.
The Southeasterners too don’t carry guns in public. I wouldn’t know what the system has forced them to be doing behind their closed doors.
I can not say the same of the average Northerner. I understand the carriage of knives for a Northerner is for protection. While I have met Northerners in the course of my going round in life who did not necessarily carry arms, the signs I am reading now is that carrying arms is a must for the Northerner.
We were used to seeing them with knives hidden in their arms when I was small. Some carried cutlasses and some others, bows and arrows.
In any case, I was used to seeing the herdsmen carrying their sanda, staffs to direct their cattle. I don’t really know when they graduated to using AK47 guns. I tend to wonder what they do need those terrible instruments of mass destruction for. Especially in the west where we crack a joke that people will won’t give way to vehicles but if it were cattle they would scamper to safety.
One question any sane person should ask is, are those guns being used by the herdsmen licensed? If they are, who did?
Until we have a government that is worth it’s salt, I suggest taking our basic freedoms back from this government that has failed woefully. Since it’s only a person who is alive that can demand for their rights, I will suggest that we start from the right to security of life and property.
In other words, I am suggesting that we should go back to the Hobbesian state where everyone is for himself as far as security is concerned.
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