I WEEP FOR NIGERIA

 

    Well well well… I’ve got a lot on my mind of late. My thoughts can’t seem to wonder away from the ills inherent in our great and beloved nation Nigeria. I mean we are not doing badly compared to other African nations, however, we have the potentials to do and be better than we are today.

What exactly am I trying to say? Firstly, let’s take a look at the level of unemployment in Nigeria. It’s highly embarrassing. It’s a shame that our “graduates of glittering citadels’ (as the late Esiaba Irobi will put it) have to leave the country to seek for greener pastures in other countries. It was bad enough when people have to leave Nigeria for the United States, Europe, Germany, Australia, etc, not for business or pleasure: not even to work by invitation, but to go and look for work. It has become sooooo bad that people leave Nigeria to find greener pastures in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo, Cote d’voire and other neighboring nations surrounding Nigeria. Are we not supposed to be the ‘Giant of Africa?’ It’s a shame. It’s highly embarrassing. As a Nigerian living in Nigeria, one may not feel or understand what I am talking about, but if you are a Nigerian living in another country, then you will/may get me a little. Growing up, I heard stories of Nigerians who leave the country to become cleaners, taxi drivers, waitresses, etc abroad. Oh! Did I forget drug pushers, prostitutes, etc. I can’t stop but wonder, many years have passed since then and now and there hasn’t been any difference. Are we moving forward or backwards or are we simply standing still?

Ok, now that’s employment. Let’s look at the system of government. Hmmmmmm. Where do I start? I recall way back then in school. I loved Government as a course because it was quite expository considering it was all about the history of this great nation. Our founding fathers fought a lot to make this Nation one, what happened? What went wrong? I am very sure that they knew very well that we spoke different languages and had different customs and traditions. How come the different tribes and religions didn’t fight for independence then? I hope someone reading this can answer that question because I know many people are thinking like me.

Furthermore on government. Isn’t democracy a government of the people, by the people and for the people? However, what I see in my beloved country is a government of the people, by the rich and for the rich. Why do I say so? We have a system of government where everyone is encouraged to vote and select a leader, even though the people’s vote does not matter because rigging of elections have become a common thing in the political world. Now, once a leader is elected, aha! The people are relegated to the background. It becomes a battle between the bourgeoisies in the society. It becomes a competition of who can grab what and how much you can grab before your tenure is up. From the local to the federal government. No one is innocent. The delegates in their little offices squander the moneys given to them to take care of a project or a particular community or compensate their staff, etc. everyone playing God in one way or the other. After a few years, that government is over, another comes in and things begin to happen the same way all over again. What do we see then? A static system of governance and angry subordinates who decide to take laws into their own hands, hence, chaos!

   Once, a friend of mine relocating from Nigeria to South Africa told me, “I can’t wait to leave this country, in South Africa ALL the roads are tarred” I know ‘all’ is mere exaggeration, but it shows the extent to which the government have taken care of the surrounding that one can actually say that the whole place is tarred. The bible says, “to whom much is given, much is expected.” Nigeria has been blessed with great natural resources enough to enable every citizen live an average life, but what is going on? If you look closely, you’ll find that 10% of the Nigerian population are in control of 80% of these wealth that belongs to the nation, while the remaining 90% of citizens are struggling for the remaining 20% wealth. I stand to be corrected. Nonetheless, why must it be so? Why?

Many Nigerians can claim to be rich, but can all of them proudly come out and declare the source of their wealth?

   How about development? Firstly, development is an act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining. It is also the act of making some area of land or water more profitable or productive or useful. Fellow Nigerians, especially those who have lived abroad or who presently do or who wish to someday, can we proudly say our nation is improving, expanding, enlarging, refining, etc? I know we are not doing sooooo bad, but one can agree with me that we have the potentials to be much better than we are doing already. Check out our roads, the streets, some places like Abia State are nothing to write home about, our educational system is so “terrible” that the Nigerian certificate is “practically” invalid in most countries. Most Nigerians who travel out have to further their studies or take up some professional courses to upgrade their curriculum vitae. Many Nigerians flee our country to seek residency in other countries because life is easier, better and finer. Some prefer to be washing plates in restaurants, pushing drugs, cleaning and doing any other form of menial job abroad than be a banker in Nigeria.

Why is our country so rich and yet our people suffer greatly? Why is our country so rich and yet our people are humiliated in other countries? Why is our country so rich and yet our people are flown abroad to seek medical help? Why is our country so rich and yet our people flee from it on daily bases?

These questions and more are what we, especially our leaders should ponder on. Let’s build our land!!!!!

 I pray God will grant us great leaders who are not selfish. Leaders who will put the people first. Leaders whose greatest desire and ambition is to make Nigeria truly deserve the title ‘the Giant of Africa.’

God Bless Nigeria.