During the reign of President Milosevic of Old Yugoslavia,
independent journalists were labelled traitors and foreign spies.
Several; journalists were killed, put in jail or convicted in the law
court.
That particular period of Old Yugoslavia’s history, a clique ruled
the country. Milosevic ensured that Serbs became the biggest pariah of
the international community. The President also ensured that Serbs were
guilty of everything, even as 23 per cent of Serbs were sent packing
from their homes. Monthly salaries did not exceed $3.
Indeed, the Judicial system was not independent and not strong enough
to ensure justice for the citizenry. This resulted in Milosevic’s trial
for war crimes outside his country. Sadly, the international community
did not have confidence in the local courts.
Situations like this abound in several countries around the world,
still grappling with the hydra like problems of dwindling economic
fortunes and corruption. In this countries, the unemployment rate is
abnormally high, while the citizens adopt crime as a means to an end.
At the commencement of the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration in Osun
state, Nigeria in May 2003, infrastructure, Education, Water supply and
the Health sectors among others were in bad shape.
Osun state been a worker driven economy, the previous administration
has impoverished citizens of the state, with its decision to sack a
larger number of civil and public servants. Those still lucky to still
be in service were earning pittance, occasioned by deductions, initiated
by the administration. Today, the state is back to where it was before
May, 2003.
Curiously, vocabularies synonymous with capitalism such as Public
Private Partnership ad Consultant have taken root in several states of
Nigeria.
Of note is the fact that Nigeria’s President, General Muhammadu
Buhari(rtd) had written a letter dated 18th April, 2003, to then
President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
President, Buhari had stated in his letter ”I decided to join
partisan politics and seek elective office solely out of my concern for
the condition of the country. Here, I need to go into issues such as the
collapse of public undertakings, like NEPA, Our university system,
health services, roads and transportation and security of life and
property. All these inspite of the stupendously high oil revenues that
have accrued to the nation since you became President. In my relatively
short period of political activism, one of my constant advice to the
Nigerian public has always been that they should safeguard their
constitutional rights. Without doubt, Nigerians are already acting out
President Buhari’s advice by safeguarding their constitutional rights,
in a country with a Judicial system similar to that of Old Yugoslavia.
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