Published by Daily Trust
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/what-if-our-leaders-travel-by-road.html
The bad condition of our roads suggest that our leaders do not perform to expectation in discharging their constitutional duties. I often think that our leaders are, to a very large extent, disconnected from the grassroot. The Jengre–Sami Naka road that linked Plateau State and Kaduna State displays a seeming failure of the government and a proof to the above assertion. The road has been bad for many many years and nothing is done and nothing seems to be done yet. Hardly will a person pass that road without health problem springing up.
It is fundamentally this reason and the roads of similar bad condition across Nigeria that makes me imagine a law that will make it compulsory for our leaders when having a journey of not more than six(6) hours or more within Nigeria to go by road. This will, to my own humble imagination, doubtlessly makes the Nigerian leaders very much aware of the predicament of the people at the grassroots. I believe the leaders will be rushing to ensure that the roads with potholes, some of them almost impassable like that of Jengre–Sami Naka will be a thing of the past. If a common man, a man from the ghetto will be ill on such roads, then what about our leaders?
The multiple effects of a law like this will also make the leaders aware of the problems associated with the journey by road. For example, highway robbery, kidnapping as well as the shameful bribes collected by our security agents on the highway. Our leaders will likely ensure the presence of security agents on the road. Those bribe-taking men in khaki bringing down the image of our security structure will also be dealt with.
In the financial realm, the government will save huge amount of fund spent on regular flights from Jos to Zaria, from Zamfara to Kano or Kaduna to Minna, Benue to Lafiya...to Abuja. The fund can be preciously used in addressing the problems of other sectors.
But like I stated above, I only imagine such a law. I intentionally put it this way because the same leaders will make the law and the result of it will fall back on them. Can they make it? This remains a big question. Karl Marx in his Marxist Theory of Law, states that law is a manifestation of the interests of the leaders and a tool that does not favour the poor man. Karl Marx is a human being, fallible and imperfect. I will be happy if my leaders prove him wrong on this and come up with a law that will make it compulsory for our leaders to travel by road on a journey of not more than six(6) hours or more.
By Abdul Mutallib Muktar
abdulmutallib.muktar@gmail.com
12th Nov., 2019.
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/what-if-our-leaders-travel-by-road.html
The bad condition of our roads suggest that our leaders do not perform to expectation in discharging their constitutional duties. I often think that our leaders are, to a very large extent, disconnected from the grassroot. The Jengre–Sami Naka road that linked Plateau State and Kaduna State displays a seeming failure of the government and a proof to the above assertion. The road has been bad for many many years and nothing is done and nothing seems to be done yet. Hardly will a person pass that road without health problem springing up.
It is fundamentally this reason and the roads of similar bad condition across Nigeria that makes me imagine a law that will make it compulsory for our leaders when having a journey of not more than six(6) hours or more within Nigeria to go by road. This will, to my own humble imagination, doubtlessly makes the Nigerian leaders very much aware of the predicament of the people at the grassroots. I believe the leaders will be rushing to ensure that the roads with potholes, some of them almost impassable like that of Jengre–Sami Naka will be a thing of the past. If a common man, a man from the ghetto will be ill on such roads, then what about our leaders?
The multiple effects of a law like this will also make the leaders aware of the problems associated with the journey by road. For example, highway robbery, kidnapping as well as the shameful bribes collected by our security agents on the highway. Our leaders will likely ensure the presence of security agents on the road. Those bribe-taking men in khaki bringing down the image of our security structure will also be dealt with.
In the financial realm, the government will save huge amount of fund spent on regular flights from Jos to Zaria, from Zamfara to Kano or Kaduna to Minna, Benue to Lafiya...to Abuja. The fund can be preciously used in addressing the problems of other sectors.
But like I stated above, I only imagine such a law. I intentionally put it this way because the same leaders will make the law and the result of it will fall back on them. Can they make it? This remains a big question. Karl Marx in his Marxist Theory of Law, states that law is a manifestation of the interests of the leaders and a tool that does not favour the poor man. Karl Marx is a human being, fallible and imperfect. I will be happy if my leaders prove him wrong on this and come up with a law that will make it compulsory for our leaders to travel by road on a journey of not more than six(6) hours or more.
By Abdul Mutallib Muktar
abdulmutallib.muktar@gmail.com
12th Nov., 2019.
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