A World Adrift: When Governance Fails the People
The daily news cycle, a relentless torrent of events, often reveals a troubling pattern: governments struggling to uphold their fundamental duty to protect and serve their citizens. From battlefields to budget meetings, from border policies to historical injustices, the narratives unfolding across continents underscore a profound disconnect between the promise of governance and the lived realities of the people.
Consider the stark revelations emerging from Nigeria. In Plateau State, over 300 vigilantes, supported by military personnel, felt compelled to take the fight directly to bandits who had terrorized their communities from a forest stronghold. Despite losing a commander and three other members, with 16 wounded, their leader hailed the offensive as a “great success,” suggesting a desperate triumph born of necessity.
Meanwhile, in Benue State, after over 200 Nigerians were killed, a human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, blasted President Tinubu’s condolence visit, calling it a “campaign speech” and accusing the government of “complicity” and “insensitivity” to the “senseless genocide” unfolding. Farotimi further alleged that security agencies know of terrorist camps but fail to act, even suggesting the government enables violence by disarming local populations and leaving them vulnerable.
This sentiment is amplified by the terrifying threats from Lakurawa terrorists in Kebbi State, who are reportedly dictating farming methods and threatening execution for those who dare to adopt modern tools over traditional cattle-based methods, after already devastating communities with cattle rustling.
The priorities of governance become glaringly suspect when juxtaposed against such crises. In Oyo State, the government approved a staggering ₦63.4 billion for the renovation of the state house, an amount that surpasses the entire health budget for 2025 and is 18 times the allocation for school construction. This single renovation project consumes nearly 44% of the state’s projected internally generated revenue, with a combined 70.7% going towards renovation and debt servicing, even though many households lack access to clean water and adequate sanitation. This financial decision, framed as addressing an “embarrassing state” of facilities, rings hollow when citizens face such dire basic needs.
Across the Atlantic, the United States grapples with its own brand of policy chaos, particularly in immigration. The erratic flip-flops of the Trump administration regarding ICE raids have left businesses “baffled” and workers steeped in “fear and worry”. Despite low unemployment rates and businesses desperate for labor, aggressive policies, including a tenfold increase in daily arrest quotas, have disrupted industries vital to the economy, such as farming and hospitality. The fear of raids, even rumors of them, has caused foreign-born workers, who comprise significant portions of these workforces, to stay home, impacting dairy farms and cherry harvests. This policy, critics argue, is at odds with economic objectives, creating uncertainty and even scaring off lawful immigrants.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, the enduring quest for truth and accountability highlights the long shadow of past governance failures. A new inquiry into the 40-year-old apartheid-era killings of the “Cradock Four”—four Black men abducted, tortured, and murdered by security forces—underscores a painful, unresolved history. Despite previous inquiries and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that denied amnesty to implicated officers, no one has been prosecuted, prompting families to take the government to court. The emotional testimony of victims’ relatives, decades later, serves as a poignant reminder that justice delayed is justice denied, and that wounds fester until truth prevails.
Globally, conflict continues to demand attention, forcing nations to safeguard their citizens abroad. Nigeria, for instance, is actively arranging the evacuation of its citizens from Israel and Iran as hostilities escalate, emphasizing its commitment to their safety amid a conflict where Iranian missiles have hit a hospital and residential buildings, and Israel has retaliated against a heavy water reactor.
Even as peace efforts are underway, such as the upcoming signing of a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda to address the long-standing conflict in eastern Congo, the fragility of these diplomatic efforts remains a stark reality, with past talks having stalled and root causes, like ethnic tensions and economic influence, still simmering.
These diverse narratives, though geographically disparate, weave a common thread: the urgent need for responsible and empathetic governance. When leaders prioritize optics over palpable suffering, when resources are misallocated, when security is compromised by complicity or inaction, and when historical injustices remain unaddressed, the fabric of society frays. The true measure of a government lies not in its pronouncements, but in its unwavering commitment to the safety, well-being, and justice of its people. The world is watching, and the people are demanding more.
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