By Manasseh Umoette
The year 2011 finally came to an end while a new year began with great hope, anxiety for a robust and peaceful new year.
In the year under review, Nigeria as a country had recorded some level of achievements and failures in some aspects of her national life. One outstanding achievement the nation had recorded in 2011 was the successful elections it conducted. While I don’t agree that the election was free and fair as some people want us to believe, the 2011 election was an improvement on the previous ones of 1999, 2003 and 2007. One can say that the election of 2011 was “free”. Free in the sense that for the first time in many years, Nigerian were allowed to vote, people saw the colours and design of the ballot papers. Consequently, we had a smooth transition in the country.
Of a truth, I find it difficult to identify any sector aside the election that Nigeria did well in 2011. If you have such areas or sectors please don’t hesitate to call my attention for I stand to be corrected.
The year ended was a very bad one for Nigeria in terms of sport. We had so much infighting in the Glass house and even had parallel Executives of the Nigerian Football Federation. Consequently, the nations sport collapsed and the country could not qualify for any continental or international sporting competition. Nigerian sport lovers will live with the stark reality in 2012 as the country would not take part in any sporting competition organized by FIFA; the world’s football governing body.
In the power sector, the story remains the same, ours is a nation in darkness. If you need electricity then you must be ready to buy your generating set. Whether NEPA or PHCN, it made no difference. Nigerians are still forced to pay for darkness even when the government keeps promising improved electricity supply.
Our economy did not fare any better as our naira was still prostrating before the dollar. Needless to stress that we hard serious economic hardship with prices of commodities flying to the sky even as civil servants complained that minimum wage amounted to nothing. This, perhaps, informed Mr. President’s intention to remove subsidy on petroleum product which has generated very serious debate among Nigerians. While some Nigerians support the decision to remove the subsidy, majority of Nigerians view it as a way of adding to their sufferings. Whatever the case, the debate rages on as Mr. President insist on doing away with it.
In terms of infrastructure, we have not done well. Just take a look at our federal roads, they are in very bad shape that Nigerians doubt if the re-introduced toll gate on the highways can remedy the problem. Inwardly, some state governments have done much in terms of road construction and development of other infrastructures. Topping the list of such state is Akwa Ibom state.
In the area of education, agriculture, arts culture and other sectors, nothing significant happened during the year.
We witnessed the traditional donation of fertilizers to farmer, the usual ASUU strikes even as 2011 senior school certificate examination result released by both the West African Examination Council and the National Examination Council is said to be the worst in the history for the examination bodies.
How about security? The year 2011 ended, not without a sore point and a great shocker to Nigerians and even the International Community. This is on account of a deadly tidal wave rocking the Northern part of the country in the name of BOKO HARAM. If you ask me, our ever porous security network was demystified and disgraced by the Boko Haram, a controversial militant Islamist group said to be against Western Education, culture and modern science. To say the least, the group held Nigeria to ransom in the year 2011. Security wise, the history of Nigeria in 2011 is a chequered one. During the year, we went through the most painful national trauma of Boko Haram whose emotional scars will remain for a long time.
The sect had within the year proven to Nigerians that they, (not the police) were on top of the situation. They shocked Nigeria with a bombing jamboree which spared no one and no place. Everybody and place was equal before Boko Haram. Don’t forget that the sect bombed the police Headquarters and the Inspector General narrowly escaped them, they attacked military formations, they proved to the United Nations that they were fearless by bombing the UN house, not even the mosque and churches were spared as they also unleashed terror on these places of holy worship.
The Christmas day bombing experience is still fresh on the minds of Nigerians. In all these, the security machinery becomes very helpless and handicapped while Boko Haram held sway.
Mr Umoette is a journalist in Uyo, Aks
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