I was pleasantly surprised to find that in spite of the extended weekend of Christmas celebrations, many readers had the time to respond to my piece on our rulers’ lack of goodwill and accountability towards us.

It seems most of them share my view and  experiences, and there are a lot of disgruntled citizens out there.  Do our rulers really not know that, or do they simply not care?’

‘Mrs Helen, a MERRY XMAS to you and your family.  I read you piece on accountability as I was travelling to the east to join my family for the xmas and new year celebrations.  You aptly captured most of what goes on in the nation, even though you didn’t mention the desperate issue of security.

It was when I got home that I heard on television that there had been blasts in churches in the north (yet again) and people were killed and injured.  That ruined my celebrations.  Here were people who went to worship their God and seek His face on many issues, and then got blasted when there’s no war going on.

Innocent citizens who have nothing to do with ruling the nation, or making decisions which those who sent them to their graves are perhaps displeased with!  May the souls of the departed rest in peace and may the Lord bring peace to Nigeria His own way, using the right leaders. – Raphael, Abakaliki.’

‘Helen, I enjoyed your piece, but I wondered if,  like others in your field who write endlessly on bad governance, you were not wasting your breath.  Are those who rule this nation interested in us and in our welfare?  If they were, lives here would  be much more better than it are now.  Right now, Academic Staff  Union of Nigeria is on strike.

That means that our children who were looking forward to starting life in a higher institution cannot do so.  Those who were going to return to continue their education there, cannot do so.  Yet these academicians are not asking for the moon or making new demands.

Various governments over the years, have failed to address the needs of teachers in this country.  Our young ones are roaming the streets aimlessly, with all the attendant risks and danger.  Our rulers are a write-off at any given time. Sorry!  Thanks –  Seun,  Ibadan.’

‘Madam, the era of good governance, accountability and selfless service, ended with the demise of the 1st Republic on 15/1/66 and since the 70s till date, those in the corridors of power, including unscrupulous civil servants have been voraciously eating up our resources to become richer than our country.

By being so greedy, selfish, unpatriotic and insatiable in the accumulation of obscene wealth, they have become uninterested in providing us with the basic necessities of life with the abundant resources at their disposal, resulting in our failure to develop like the Asian Tigers!

In the part of Awka I reside, pipe borne water stopped running since late 1999 till date, and the residents now depend on private wells and boreholes as source of water supply.  Electricity supply in the same area, is one day on, one day off, since 2007 till date.  A 12.5 kg cylinder is now N3,500, while kerosene sells for N140 per litre!  –  Ifeka Okonkwo.’

‘Good day madam.  A 10000 bbl per day refinery has STARTED OPERATION in Ahoada in Rivers State?  If you believe that, then you better start believing you are now the Pope. – Alhaji Musah, PH.’

‘Madam Ovbiagele, everything is a struggle right now for us the Nigerian women. There are husbands who have been retrenched or made redundant at their places of work, yet wives have to put food on the table. A family struggles financially to send children to the university, hoping that on graduation, he/she would get a good job that will help lift the family out of poverty, but there are no jobs for these children, and parents have to clothe and feed them.

And if the head of the family is unemployed, you can imagine the state of that family.  There’s no authority to cry to.  Big men fix their own children somewhere even before they finish their youth service.  Poverty should not be an excuse for criminal activities, madam, but in the face of starvation, any desperate way can be employed.

You once suggested that every ward or local government in the country should have a list of the unemployed youths in their area, and some of us thought that was a good idea.  Nothing came out of that.  We’re sitting on a time bomb in this country.  May God help us all this new year.  I fear for Nigeria.  –  Mrs. Oluwole,  Owo.’

‘Whenever I read of impeachment of Speakers or whichever leader in parliament in this country, it is never for not directing the assembly or parliament in things that would help Nigerians, rather, it is always ‘for not looking after the interests of  members of the House’!

Madam, with such a scenario over the years, do you really believe that our rulers care for any other, other than themselves?  Yet, they needed the votes of citizens to get into parliament.  Just what are they doing for those citizens.

Frankly, I despair for this country, because of the calibre of our rulers.  Now, let those who failed to be elected not  tell the nation that they would have ruled better.  They wouldn’t.  Once they get into the seat of power, they change tune and indulge in the struggle for power and financial gains.  Despite the prayers of all the numerous religious groups in the country, our saviours in that respect are yet to emerge.  –  Johnston, Jos.’

‘Your piece was fine, madam, but let’s have hope in the new year.  At least, we were able to travel home on the Benin Ore road this Christmas on a fairly good road which is still under serious repair.  We had steeled ourselves for a very hazardous and bumpy ride, but were pleasantly surprised.

There are many things which need to be addressed in order to improve our welfare in this country, but I have this hope that even though there’s much corruption and greed in the system, there would be some progress.  When we lose hope and faith, the the country will head for the rocks, to the detriment of all.  God is still in control, and He hasn’t excluded Nigeria from His plans. –  Elder  Daniel –  Sapele.’

‘I feel very concerned about the increase in the cost of  cooking gas and kerosene.  The minister for Petroleum is female.  Can’t she give us some explanations and some hope?  Doesn’t any member of  her family complain to her?

Can’t she do something, knowing how her fellow women out there are struggling with these essential commodities, on top of everything else? I’m sure she can help us, even though she’s got a lot on her desk to attend to.  People have to eat, and that means we have to cook.  Thanks –  Jumoke, Lagos.’

‘Helen, may God bless you for bringing out that piece on the last Sunday of the year.  Let’s hope we have leaders who are genuinely keen on improving the welfare of our citizens.  Removing fuel subsidy at this time is not tactful at all, neither is collecting tolls on the Lekki/Epe road!

How insensitive can these rulers be?  That you have a vehicle doesn’t mean you’re among the rich, and you have to pay more for fuel or for using our roads.  Both these decisions affect all categories of citizens adversely.  Higher cost of petrol  and toll gates will up the transport fares that the masses have to pay.

Many have no jobs and are just managing to exist.  At the end of the day, the rich will also suffer when criminal activities increase as people try to cope with these unpopular decisions.  The rulers shouldn’t think that the people would ‘get used’ to the changes.  They won’t, because there are too many things that are wrong in the system already, and people are at breaking point!  Anything can happen!’