Self-examination at 51

Tony Miles, Contributor

The easiest thing for the majority of human beings to do is to blame others for our failures. Some even have the audacity to contribute their success to their making only, but history is yet to identify a single human who achieved success without assistance.

The aforementioned is a prelude to a questionnaire which I want to engage each one of us as to why a country so blessed: ideal climatic conditions, perfectly located, talented, friendly, caring, bright, people have deteriorated socio-economically, escalating crime rate, high rate of corruption, political divisiveness, and 50 years of post-Independence unsatisfactory governments.

Something must have gone awry. Each of us needs to do a serious self-examination to where our own shortcomings could have contributed to our country's debacle.

1. Have you ever been offered, or accepted bribe from any source?

2. Have you lied on any form you have been asked to fill out? On completion, did you sign the form declaring you told the truth?

3. Do you honestly believe you should be a member of the country's security forces? Would your conscience tell you to leave, or would you wait to be taken out?

4. Do you underpay your employees and withhold taxes, using them instead for your personal use?

5. Do you overcharge your customers who happen to be in the lower-income bracket and, because of circumstances, purchase goods from you. You pay no GCT, no form of taxes, yet your prices are more than the business people who employ thousands of people, pay billions of dollars in taxes. Did you get proper permission to operate business in the residential community?

6. Are you in the profession because you like it or you want something to hold on to?

7. Do you use the phone while driving, display road rage often, buy bootleg movies, music videos, etc, knowing it's a breach of copyright law?

DISREGARDING OTHERS TO GET AHEAD?

8. Have you ever lied to get a promotion, good grades at university, to become a political candidate, school principal, head a government organisation, or to get on a corporate board, to get contracts or any other form of deception to achieve your selfish desire?

9. Do you wish you were born in another country?

10. Do you put your country before party politics? Would you tell the country the truth about blunders in your administration if it would shorten your tenure in office?

11. Have you named the wrong person as your child's father?

12. Do you perform your job efficiently and with commitment?

13. Do you use your media status to enforce your ideas on others, and to malign people you don't like?

14. If your Government asks you to give up 35 hours, or pay once in a lifetime to help the less fortunate in the country, would you?

15. Do you believe your criminal activities are beneficial to the country?

16. Have you gained your riches by dishonest means? If yes, what redemption have you offered?

17. Do you feel happy making a lot of money, although your product is harmful to others?

18. Have you used the pulpit for your avaricious greed and sexual exploitation?

19. Have you ever made a wrong decision that have caused innocent people to be punished?

20. Who do you believe has contributed most to the country's unsatisfactory situation?

(a) Political parties

(b) Weak prime ministers

(c) Wrong system of electing party leaders

(d) Citizens' acceptance of bad governments.

(e) Polarising politics

21. Do you believe the questions are relevant to nation building?

Let us start the 52nd year of Independence on a positive note, as we all have to accept a lot of the blame for what has happened in the last 51 years.

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