A few years ago, the mantra Positive Change was a household slogan in Nigeria. But sadly, some years later that mantra turned sour.
Positive Change gained popularity then because the masses were made to believe that Muhammad Buhari was a man with the topmost integrity quotient in the country. We had known him to be a man of yes, yes and no, no. We thought of him as someone with zero tolerance for corruption. But sadly, even I was disappointed.
In the regime of President Muhammad Buhari, Nigeria degenerated badly such that the impact of the poor policies and governance is still plaguing the nation now. In all of my time, since I was born into this my beloved country, I have never seen a government as bad as that.
Those who were in power then we're just talking as if they were not actually living in the real Nigerian world then. They seem not know the difference between good and bad and between black and white. One of the ministers who was the Information Minister always spoke lies about the government and country - such that I'm not sure his god will ever forgive him. Such a bad and terrible government we had under President Muhammad Buhari.
We have witnessed some bad times in Nigeria. But that notwithstanding, I have witnessed my country change for the better.
From Military To Democracy
In my lifetime as a Nigerian, I have witnessed the change in the Nigerian system of government. When I was born, I was born into the military dictatorship kind of government. I grew up in the days of General Babangida. I had my schooling from primary school to secondary school mostly under the Babangida military government. That was one bad governance on display. People were never happy with General Babangida’s kind of government.
One experience I have in Nigeria is that people are never happy with any government. At least, in my days I have not seen one government in power where the citizenry had agreed with. I don't know whether that is the trend everywhere. But I personally understand that some governments have been bad. Yet, I also have seen those who tried policies that could lead to the growth of the nation.
I have witnessed that change which I believe to be one of the positive turns in my country. That is the change which occurred on May 29, 1999. That was when the dictatorship of the military came to an end. From that date, Nigeria welcomed a civilian democratic government. The current democratic government started with the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Though most of those who have ruled us during time are mostly ex-military generals, we have actually experienced differences from the military dictatorship.
Apart from the system of governance, I have also witnessed tremendous infrastructural development and transformation in my country. There were days we used to pass the bush tracks to school. These days, many of those places have become expressways. We have many new road infrastructures and other amenities coming into place. I know that many of my countrymen will not agree with this. It is because we just like magnifying the bad sides more than the good sides. Nigeria as a country has witnessed many renovations and infrastructural advancement in my lifetime.
I appreciate @ericvancewalton for giving us such an opportunity like this to reflect on the possible changes we have witnessed in our country. #memoirmonday is a good initiative as it teaches us to reflect on our lives and share our experiences. Join the initiative here