Politicians Share Rice To Win Power Instead Of Fixing Nigeria’s Problems — Banwo
Public affairs commentator, Dr. Ope Banwo, has criticised what he described as the tendency of Nigerian politicians to focus on distributing food and other short-term benefits to win political support instead of addressing the infrastructure and social problems confronting citizens.
Banwo made the observation while reacting to criticism directed at an American woman over her comments about some of her experiences in Nigeria.
According to him, Nigerians should not merely attack people who expose the country’s shortcomings but should use such criticism as an opportunity to demand better living conditions and accountability from their leaders.
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Banwo argued that several of the problems highlighted by the American woman, including poor infrastructure, flooding and inadequate public facilities, were issues that Nigerian authorities were already aware of.
He said it was therefore necessary for citizens to question why such challenges continued to persist despite the enormous resources and political attention devoted to elections.
“Our governors and representatives see and know these things, but they are busy sharing rice to win power without fixing these issues for us,” Banwo said.
He stressed that political leaders should pay greater attention to providing basic infrastructure and creating an environment where citizens can live with dignity, rather than relying on temporary gestures to secure political loyalty.
Banwo also criticised the failure to adequately address public sanitation, particularly the practice of urinating in public spaces.
He said such practices, alongside poor infrastructure, should not be dismissed as normal features of Nigerian life but should be treated as problems requiring deliberate government intervention and enforcement.
The commentator said the controversy surrounding the American woman’s remarks should therefore prompt Nigerians to look beyond the messenger and confront the realities she described.
“To me, this is not demarketing Nigeria at all. The Nigerian market is bad by itself in many respects, even if we have our great points. This is showing Nigerians the mirror of what she sees, and it’s not pretty,” he said.
Banwo maintained that criticism of Nigeria should not automatically be interpreted as an attack on the country, arguing that honest assessments could help expose areas requiring urgent improvement.
He added that Nigerians should channel their frustration into demanding accountability from elected officials and insisting on practical solutions to the problems affecting their communities.
