I guess one thing we all have to accept is that the world is controlled by the government, and the government is decided by politics. Politics isn’t just about campaigning during an election and getting voted into power. No, it’s so much more than that. Because many times, campaigns and election runs cost an arm and a leg. They need good money to fund these things, and many politicians will never be able to afford it. Even worse, they don’t like using their money for it.
So then, who do they turn to? The rich! They turn to civilians with the means to fund campaigns on such a large scale. Under the guise of donations and doing things for the common good, they pay huge sums of money to get their person into power. But then, none of these is done on a smiling face. They don’t do it because they love the candidate and they want what’s best for the country. No, they do it simply because of what they stand to gain.
If you’re helped by someone to get into office, there will be favors expected when you’re in that office. It could be by passing new policies or making new laws that will favor these people. And many times, you have to do it, or you’d put your reelection in jeopardy. Hell, even if you’re not looking to get reelected, they could come for you when you eventually leave power.
So, all this is a parasitic, toxic relationship where they’re both feeding off each other. But instead of them being drained, the masses are the ones suffering for it. When you think about all the policies of the world and all the laws that have been made, people always benefit from them. It’s never about the good of society, but about how it helps further the cause of the people.
In Nigeria, the last administration banned X for a while, and during that time, someone tried to create an app to replace it. The only reason we have X back is that the plan failed because no one wanted it. If, for some reason, that app gained some traction, we would never have seen X again. And I believe it’s the same reason we might never have a steady power supply in Nigeria. Simply because there are way too many people who will lose money once power is reliable.
Generator sellers, everyone that has to do with solar power, petrol sellers, even generator mechanics… these guys will not be praying for a constant power supply like you and me because it would affect their business. And I’m sure stakeholders in these industries are playing a huge role in why this is still happening. There are places you’d go to in the country where there is 247 electricity, or at the very least, 18-22 hours of constant electricity each day. There are places like that, but those are the big men areas where buying generators and installing solar panels are nothing at all.
And so it goes, policies are made by the government, but many times, there are hands in the background that are controlling the puppets, doing what they want and bringing their much-needed results to life. And for the masses, they’re simply just passengers on this train bound for God knows where.
Well, we’ll be fine. I hope.
