By Kunle Sotibi
Benjamin Franklin said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail“. This underscores that when we keep repeating the same mistake continually then we are bound to be at the spot without any improvement. Logistically speaking, Nigeria is a country which suffers great failure as a result of its inability to adequately prepare and plan for events, even her economy is disorganised because of her lack of preparedness.
The postponement of the 2019 general elections- Presidential and National House of Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assembly initially slated for February 16 and March 2 respectively which ought to hold got shifted around 2:50am on the said date of the presidential election by a week because of logistics problems. Isn’t that gross incompetence from a body who had four years to prepare?
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been on preparation for the 2019 elections for up to two years, six months into the election INEC claimed to be ready for the election, likewise weeks and days into the election but few hours to the election, logistic issues did set in, what a shame on INEC!
Warren Buffett once said: “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago”. This shows that there is no achievement without proper preparation. If we can’t develop and evolve against the so-called logistic problems at the right point in time, then, we are just making mockery of our democratic dispensation in Africa.
How can we prove we are the giant of Africa when we cannot conduct important event like election without it being postponed because of one logistics reason or another? Lack of preparation is a virus which has destroy the integrity and pride of the country.
While African countries like Ghana, Egypt, Cameron, even Chad which is small geographically, could handle and conduct election without any logistic issues, so why should the so-called giant of Africa be faced with such fraudulent situation?
Many have defended INEC by claiming there was postponement in 2011 even when election had started in some States, it was also postponed in 2015, so it’s not a new thing. But if a plane crashed two years ago, another one crashed last year, is it good for another to crash this year? Must we use bad examples to justify our incompetence? No, it should not be, past mistakes should be a directive measure for the present. You fail today isn’t a bad thing but you fail again carelessly without following your past experience makes you foolish.
Giant of Africa is a title on paper which Nigeria claim to be which is practically wrong, the country should be honoured by claiming the crown of the giant of logistics problems which is practically right.
It is when we step up our games in doing things right by preparing greatly on the logistics and operational plan of any aspect of the activities of the country which many African countries do, then maybe we will be on the path re-claiming the crown of giant of Africa for real.
