I  DO not know how many of our senior government officials who take their time to go by road transportation in this country. If they do  and are allowed to face the experience it will be of tremendous benefit to this nation.  I   mean truly travelling round this country once in a while by road, without the over bearing presence of the paraphernalia of offices, including sirens and escorts. As they say “seeing is believing” and “experience is the best teacher”.

It is highly recommended that they do this, if not they will continue to sit down in Abuja and talk theories whilst the main challenges confronting this nation remain unresolved. It is very clear that many public officer holders are very far removed  from the realities of the average Nigerian. For instance, they do not have to depend on public power supply, they do not patronise our various government hospitals – at slightest notice they go abroad for medication – they do not have to depend on public water supply, everyone of them have bore holes installed in their various houses, and all of these  at government expense.

Little wonder our economy is so challenged? They take the led in the craze for foreign goods; from  cars, clothes, jewelry, to  consumables, etc. If our senior officials do not experience what the ordinary folks go through, how can they  to proffer solutions to the multiple problems confronting the nation?

Why for example do we have to wait for small pot holes to become a crater or gully before attention is given to them? What happens to the money budgeted annually for the routine maintenance of our roads? Who ensures that such maintenance work is carried out? What are the functions of the zonal or regional FERMA engineers? Do we schedule road check functions to certain officials? If yes, who are these officials? How is the maintenance done?

What role does the public works departments play on our roads? These questions are very relevant because the state our roads at all levels, speak to  the type of  maintenance engineers- or whatever title  they bear, we have. Why is it that Nigerians do not have value for what belong to Nigeria? I give a few examples here;  at the Warri end of the Benin Warri dual carriage express way, the road is about dividing into two, in fact, some motorists have started driving against traffic, which is very dangerous for such a busy road. Not quite a year ago,

it was a few pot holes that could have been fixed for less than ten thousand naira, even with concrete/asphalt works, but now the repair will cost a couple of hundred millions naira and by the time the rains come, it will be go into the multi billion naira range. That is the type they love to execute in Nigeria. Even when public spirited persons volunteer to fix these roads very early stages, they are discouraged from doing so by officials of government, unless they get special permissions that are not shun of inducements.

I want to suggest that any road supervising engineer who allows the road under his/her jurisdiction to get to such deteriorating levels before taking necessary action must be sanctioned for negligence. It must be someone’s responsibility not to allow things to get out of hand before taking action. It is clear negligence to allow a grade A expressway to deteriorate to that level. If you are going towards Bbadagry from Lagos end, the same scenario is playing out, little potholes graduating to craters at the centre of an international expressway, no one is concerned.

Soon, government would have a  trying time trying to raise the multi billion naira  funds required to fix this international road that has become an embarrassment not only to us but also to our international neighbours. The same thing is happening to the Ondo and Ogun states stretch of the Ore -Shagamu expressway. There are so many of such roads that littered the length and breadth of  the country.

When we talk of change, we refer to doing things differently in order to get a better outcome. It is not just to mouth it as a slogan. People must begin to take responsibility for their actions. It is time we change the performance indices we  use to assess our public officials, no excuse should be allowed.

How do you tolerate a system that allows a small pot hole to develop into a crater? It is only a crazy system that permit such. Instead of thinking of ways to do things more effectively and at cheaper cost, everyone is going cap in hand for the national cake with no commensurate value added. That is why the 2016 budget was inflated so ridiculously. It is time for all to be realistic in our thinking and cultural habits. Nigeria belongs to everyone and its economic demise will affect every single Nigerian individual and family.

That is why our senior government officials must begin to set the right examples by ensuring that they travel the Nigerian road routes, patronise our public utilities – power and water- and visit our public health centres regularly. That way the system can be kept alive.

Mr. Sunny Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.