Pupils whose parents cannot afford chairs and lockers make do with the floor. Photo: GBENRO ADEOYE / 234NEXT.com

This is an image that breaks the heart! Hattip

“What we must realise is the fact that to fight an incumbent is an unequal battle. This is because when the politician realises that he can be sworn in and fight from the seat, knowing that the case can drag on till the end of his tenure, he can always go out and manipulate the process to his advantage. That some enjoy unmerited access to Government with the attendant perks all through the process of litigation, more than anything else, is a major incentive to rigging and manipulation.” — Dr Segun Mimiko, Ondo State Governor.

The take-home message here is simple: All electoral disputes MUST be resolved before any of the candidates is sworn in. But it would take a constitutional amendment to fix it…

Can this happen? And how long must Nigerians wait to see this happen?

Several things came to mind watching this clip…

Forget about the million naira McMansions in the video for a second…

Is this really a decent way to live given the wealth and connections the homeowners command?

Beautiful houses crammed in tight compounds (yards) walled with high fences. Note the barb wires at the top too, and the high gates. Further in the video, you would see huge and magnificent structures being constructed on plots of land with little or no street drainage plan, sidewalk or even access roads!

I’m sorry if it seems I’m picking on the poor chap in the video; it’s not intentional. I have relatives who own properties and living in the area as well! What irks me deeply is that this microcosm of existence depicted in the video is a reflection of how things have fallen apart in the home country.

Everybody is interested in having the best, biggest and costliest homes in the land — even in a small residential neighborhood as shown in this video — but no one is interested in diverting/investing some of their resources — be it political connections, wealth, global exposure or technical expertise — individually, or collectively, in making the shared space better and more livable.

Simple logic demands that given the huge investment going on in some of the areas shown in the video, that efforts will be made also to make the place more livable and comparable to global standards. No that won’t happen. It’s every man for himself…in Nigeria!