Tolerance Range

RANDOM THOTS

Nigerians can boast of several flattering titles: the friendliest, most long-suffering and most accommodating citizens around. Some have even tagged the citizens the most docile and most tolerant of bad leadership, but that last title on tolerance is presently in serious jeopardy.

Even the biggest cynics of this current administration could not have envisaged the level of hardship faced by the average citizen, despite the campaign manifestoes and promise of positive change made by the present leadership in power.

Although some apologists are quick to point out that the current problems and harsh economic pains around the country are the manifestations of previous bad leadership and the accumulated rot of corruption, the scale of woes and hardship being faced by the populace is unprecedented and totally unexpected from a central government that was voted into power on a wave of popularity.

Now tempers are flaring, nerves are frayed and there are signs of anger and frustration everywhere, and the easiest target is the government of the day, not those who reportedly messed things up and emptied the national treasury in the past.

Unless the federal government (for a start) and the salary-owing state governments move quickly to calm the frayed nerves of the people, there is real fear that public anger may boil over beyond the emerging protests in the major cities. Yes, the situation is very gloomy as befitting a country in recession, but corruption and inequality still persist in some corridors of power.

Though many citizens are willing to give the current administration the benefit of doubt to deliver good governance, God forbid that the tolerance range is exceeded before this government addresses the situation….a real worry…