Elusiyan Tolu’ Francis
In
the present world, the image of Nigeria is that of a corrupt-ridden,
disorganised, unstable, and shamelessly pretentious country. It is a failed
nation that swims in the massive ocean of corruption and seems drowning for she
sinks daily in malevolent acts and grows spontaneously in despicable vices.
Though acclaimed as the giant of Africa, what is visible in Nigeria is only a
similitude of a pygmy and a dwarf nation that continues to struggle in the
pangs of poisonous situations that have continually hindered its growth. This
diminutive nation has inculcated in her citizens the very plague that hinders
her development, hence, everybody whether consciously or not wears that
diminishing garb. We therefore become microcosms of failure and abject
blindness. The truth be told! This crucial pang of dwaftness has eaten deep
into the nations fabrics such that it affect everything does and that again is
vividly seen in recent times of the minimalistic culture that is transmitted as
the ordo rationale in our beloved country.
That
minimalistic proclivity has thrown the nation into a state of identity crisis. To borrow the words of IBIYEMI AKINWALE VICTOR
‘The Nigerian has not an identity for herself. She is lost amidst the crowd.
The Nigerian is joggled in the middle of cultures and cultures stand as markers
of identity. She has nothing to show forth as truly her own in the presentation
of cultural phenomena. So lost, that the question of her origin is mostly
reviewed by the superior races to which she is loyal. Indeed it is a drama of
crisis. Nigeria has come so, not because she does not truly have her own
patrimony but because she has become an insatiable voracious consumer of others
dung’s. She has therefore lost everything that truly was hers’. Nigeria evolves
daily as a consumer nation. She not only borrows unstoppably from other
cultures but she has become addicted to depend disproportionately and
excessively on others for her existence.
Nigeria
literally has become an official dumping ground for others. In the odour of
this offensive pong, she lost her identity. Nigeria therefore can be described
as a country of paradoxes, perplexities and complexities. A faceless
association of people that lack the essentialities of a country. Maybe there
was never a country!
The
hesitant continuous pursuit for armistice, peace, development, growth, in the
country and more explosive, volatile and irascible expressions of emotions in
current times have questioned the matrimonial compatibility of the many ethnic
groups under the canopy ‘Nigeria’. To also borrow the words of NIYI OSUNDARE
‘the current image of Nigeria is that of a big for nothing country where
nothing works the right way, a country that is finding it increasingly difficult
to govern itself’
Why
don’t we abandon our exercise in hypocrisy and face up to the fact that we live
in a country that is rotten to its very core, a country whose near-fatal
structural defects bring terrifying echoes of the year 1914 and Frederick Laggard’s
imperial amalgamation? What June 12 election did was to proffer a hope, or the
hint of a hope, that out country could be one, that it is, indeed, possible for
a candidate potentially great country, his/her ethnic, religious, social origin
notwithstanding[i].
Corruption,
a household name in Nigeria is the fountain of all our troubles. It is grossly
unfortunate that Nigeria continued to grow daily in this crime and no hope of
redemption. For much has been preached on something related to this topic to effect
a rapid metanoia[ii].
Corruption was there before colonization, for many ignorantly equate corruption
to colonization. However, it heighted with the event colonization and ever
since it has continued to sporadically multiply destroying all facets of progress
and success in Nigeria. The characteristics with corrupt countries are
political instabilities, money laundering and theft, debauchery, hunger, strife,
wars, terrorism sometimes, and other catastrophes.[iii]
The
scarcity of justice in Nigeria has essentially increased the threat and danger
of crime and violence; assessing the fact that quality education is very
expensive to get, admission into federal universities is very tough and the
hardship that follows passing through the school is thoroughly exhausting, yet
graduates pour out of school in thousands annually without job[iv].
Even as millions are living in poverty, small scale businesses close down by
the day primarily because of high cost spent on generating electricity by the
business owners; the leadership of Nigeria has practically denied the masses
basic needs to survive especially in this modern age and also gradually
normalized ‘pain’ on the populace, the masses are angered and the broad
consequence is that, they have to survive through any means available to them,
violence and crime are potential options in this situation. Many social issues
and controversies in Nigeria if subjected to moral debates, it would not be
difficult for anyone to conclude that
the people who own and deserve public resources are been denied of their rights
which has led to increased crime and violence in the nation.
I
have read so many articles, opinions and suggestions and views about the state
of our nation. Regardless of the diversity of these views, everyone is or
appears to be in perfect harmony with one fact: Nigeria is corrupt and in
desperate need of change. Not just any change, but a positive change that will
enhance the life of everyone. Change that will usher in equal opportunity for
every body. Many also agreed that Nigeria has more than it would take to
improve the life of the greatest number of her citizens. Everyone agreed that
the ban on our nation is corruption; from corrupt citizens to corrupt
government officials. Everyone unequivocally agreed that Nigeria is corrupt and
needs a change.
However
in all these, the answer to one fundamental question appears misdirected: who
will do the changing? In what seems to be an answer, everyone echoes.... the
government. Like the picture of the witnesses on that balcony the day martin
luther king was shot, everyone pointed
directly to one direction. Everyone syas: the government must change the nation.
Most authors, experts, even retired looters all say the government should
change our country. But wait a minute, the government to change the government?
Has it ever happened?
Maybe
a brief history of nations and world politics will give us a hint. The great
wall of segregation stood firm in America for over a hundrend years. Did the
segregationist change and reinvent themselves for good? Adolf hitler in his
deranged mind soaked his hand with the blood of millions. Did he suddenly
change his mind and stopped? Did Idi Amin end his reign of horror because
Ugandan’s complained about it? Oh! Maybe if not death, whether natural or
hatched, Abacha would have broken down in tears one day and change Nigeria for
good. What do we say about Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, what about Mobutu? What
about the apartheid regime in South Africa? May be these people would have read
a commentary on the newspaper, weep their hearts out, confess their sins, and
change their reign of selfishness. No, it never happened. If history is right,
there must be an energy applied to either change power or change those in
power. The will of the people, or the will of nations who support freedom. Oh,
and that unstoppable force of change that those in power seems to always
forget. The unexpected visitor whose cold hand grips and drags a soul to the
land of oblivion unexpectedly.
In
the case of Nigeria, what are our options? Death cannot wipe away every corrupt
government officials and every corrupt citizen; unless God decides to rain down
fire and brimstone. At this very point, you may have looked at yourself and
puzzled, what can i do? I wondered as well, and then suddenly, I realized that
the people are the power, until i realized that there is no force on earth that
can crush soul force. The will of a few might be bent, but no one can bend the
will of all, unless the all allows it. Everyone and almost everything can enjoy
a ride on your back until you decide to stand and not bend. Every Nigerian must
stand up to say ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
[i] Niyi Osundare ‘June 12 and After’ in Dialogue with my country
(Ibadan:bookcraft publishers,2011)p.288.
[ii] Metanoia: this is a greek word which means total conversion.
[iii] Forbes reveals this with the other corrupt countires like Somalia,
Myanmar, Afghanistan,Iraq,Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, sudan, chad, Burundi,
equatorial ginea....etc.
[iv] Rotimi Ogungbola ‘crime, violence, and social injustice in Nigeria’
sharareporters.com/2013/04/05 ‘retrieved 17/03/2016.
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