I grew up not knowing a ‘good’ Nigeria. It’s not
sentiment but the truth. What marvels me is the fact that as I grew older,
things went from bad to worse and we all did two things: We prayed the more and
secondly, we looked for an alternative. Power
problem got us the ‘award’ of being the highest importer of generator in the
world with some people making billions and ‘flexing muscles’ as to who is
richer. Insecurity made almost every
retired military personnel a stakeholder in the private security outfit as they
sprung up like the grass. Bad roads ensured
that estates had a formidable association where monthly dues are contributed to
ensure the portholes are fixed and ‘maximum’ security ensured. Health sector ensured that the looters
went to Israel or Germany whenever they sneezed whilst the comfortable ones
made do with private hospitals. Portable
water has been replaced by water dispensers, bottled water and not to
forget the ever available pure water, all these beside those who could afford
the bore hole.
All these and many more which are the responsibilities
of any government have not only been neglected but the people seem content with
all these and as such looked for an alternative, readily pay extra for their
‘comfort’ and move on as if all was well thereby leaving the rot to dig deeper
and wider.
Another amazing thing is fear of death which if you ask
me is simply the lot of every man. We are so afraid of death that the people in
government have capitalized on it. We have become so docile, resilient and
easily cowed into accepting ‘fate’ even when it’s obviously clear that the
people in government are playing ‘kalo kalo’ with our lives because they simply
do not give a hoot. Negligence and corruption are eroding our mortality at a faster
rate compared to the number police would have killed if we took to the streets
in protest. Please check the mortality rate of the average Nigerian and that
you will be appalled is an understatement. Also do not forget the average
Nigerian lives on about $2 a day. I am forced to believe that the Nigerian minds
have been so battered that they can’t even sit to have a think about how much
their lives are worth to successive governments that is if it is worth anything
at all.
I have always stated that the government we have been
voting are murderers by extension or how else do you want to explain the daily
deaths on the Benin-Ore expressway cum Lagos-Ibadan expressway just to use the
two as a case study when the funds were released some years ago to some man who
held the money and simply refused to touch the roads? How better can one
explain this man’s inhumanity to man? Yet we have these people being decorated
with titles, awards and ceremonial degrees, not to forget they also occupy the
front rows at church whilst their praises are sung like no man’s business. All
these because their offerings and tithes are ‘heavy’ and they also come in
handy during donations....Can you beat that?
And our contribution(s) as citizens are appalling as we
all DO NOT WANT TO BE KILLED though
we seem comfortable with dying anyway. When calls are made for protests, the
multitude shy away and some will even call those who are brave enough some
funny names. I can bet my life that life has resumed at the Nigerian aviation
as usual and people have continued with the hustling and bustling. I am 100%
sure some even flew in from the same Abuja today. In some few more days, we
would have forgotten save for those who lost their dear ones in both the crash
and houses this ill fated air bus crashed into. Call on all Nigerians to
boycott travelling by air for just a week to allow for some sanity and strict
measures that will ensure security of lives and safety but you will be shocked
at the response you will get; some will even call you ‘enemy of progress’ and
tag you all sorts. In all honestly, we know this boycott will have an adverse
effect on our pockets BUT will eventually help those concerned to sit up. The
million dollar question is: Are we ever willing to make such SACRIFICES?
Truth be told, we all would not want to take to the
street and protest in showing our grievances for fear of getting killed by the
police, MOPOL, army or what have you forgetting that freedom is not willingly
given by the oppressors but must be forcefully taken by the oppressed: Rather
we seem content with dying on the roads
that have become death traps, fumes
from the generator which is the most poisonous gas, armed robbers which are predictably everywhere, bomb blasts which have become the order
of the day, deaths due to lack of a properly structured emergency response system, failing health sector which ensures
people die like fowls because we lack the facilities needed to adequately respond
to emergencies.
It marvels me that we prefer to die for nothing because
we DO NOT want to be killed rather
than dying for something even if it meant being killed. We do not want to be
killed whilst fighting a cause that will lead to freedom but we still end up dying for nothing anyway.....What an IRONY!!!
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