By Elochukwu Nicholas Ohagi
With the abundance of natural resources in Nigeria, one might think, especially those hanging from outside that life down here is beautiful. But sadly, the reverse is just the case. It is obviously certain that if Nigerians don’t stand up to their leaders, they might one day feast on themselves.
Before moving once again down to the path of 1966, if not worse. I have never seen a set of desperate and selfish leaders like the leaders in Nigeria with many conscienceless educated people supporting them.
Some of the supporters of these politicians are so tricky that they front themselves as defenders of the people but work closely with politicians. Their source of daily bread is from the politicians. Sophistry is what they use to confuse the masses on behalf of the politicians. All that glitters aren’t gold, so the English say.
At the exact moment Nigeria signed the Not Too Young to Run bill, they capped their nomination form at 55million Naira. Tell me a youth that can afford such amount. Unsuspecting ignorant Nigerians keep singing the need for people to vote, without asking themselves certain questions; questions that will bring them face to face with the sad reality that Nigeria is: Have your votes ever counted? For many years you have been voting, what have you achieved? Why do you insist on doing the same thing over and over again? You really believe you will continue to vote until you get it right. How do you get it right with the gang of underperforming men in power? Why are people so different in Nigeria?
A Nigeria man narrated how he has spent more than 600,000 Naira for his ill health and nothing good came out of it. It was an Indian doctor who opened a clinic somewhere in Onitsha that diagnosed and cured him with a very little amount. Nigeria doctors have been defrauding him while waiting for the time he will be dead and buried. They devised means to keep rolling out money from sick Nigerians. I heard they are now threatening the Indian doctor. They say his billing is too small. Such is the plight of a Nigerian without a government backing and connection.
The government contributions to these anomalies are crystal clear. The government have laid a dirty platform for atrocities to be happening in almost all of Nigeria’s establishment. No politician will dare allow himself to be murdered by Nigeria doctors in their slaughterhouses masquerading as hospitals. They fly abroad leaving the rest of the people at the mercy of unequipped hospitals.
At times I wonder why people are not sad and getting sad. Why is it that Nigerians will rather joke with all these things? Why are Nigerians excusing their leaders? ‘Don’t you know that it’s not easy to rule Nigeria? Don’t you know that he is paying salaries? Is he not trying? What did others before him do?’
This is when there is no pipe born water running in the state. They provide everything for themselves. They provide their waters, courtesy of some privileged few with their dug water boreholes and the rest buying from them. Nigerians pay for their security. My neighbours were locked inside and barred from going out by state local security the other day simply because they didn’t pay security fee.
The fire service is not working, yet the government still pays people working in the water board and fire service. Thousands of youths are risking Sahara desert, slavery and death only to travel abroad. Libya currently has many Nigerians in its prison for illegally wanting to cross over to Europe.
The life of a Nigerian is hell on earth. There are touts stationed on Nigeria roads by the rich. These rich people then pay some amount every day to the state government. The state government will give this contract to these rich people and at intervals send police against them as to keep deceiving the people.
I have seen them beat the hell out of road users. It has become a normal thing for the poor. They gladly give as to save themselves from some mad beating. What of the police and the military? Civil defence nko? I witnessed civil defence team in Onitsha giving two 25litres gallons to Tanker driver to fill the gallons with fuel for them. The driver climbed up, opened the Tanker and dipped the gallon into the fuel. What if something happens here and this highly inflammable liquid catches fire? I asked myself. This is a country that always experiences Fuel Tanker Explosion. This is a country that has crude oil but imports all fuel they consume. A nation that has many Sea ports, but only import from Lagos Sea Port.
People say they detain Tanker Drivers that don’t have the right papers, while those with papers are made to part with two gallons of fuel. It’s a daily routine. Maybe in two weeks, these rogues in civil defence uniform will have fuel worth one full Tanker to themselves.
That of the military and police remains a daylight robbery. Some military checkpoints now take 1000 Naira from lorry drivers. Legalized thievery. Nigeria police extort money from road users at the full glare of people, even in front of little kids.
This long vacation, almost all my students I saw were doing one odd job or the other. They are struggling to make sure they can make it back to school next term. Even some primary school pupils are selling pure water. Those in the university meet lecturers that ask them to pay money before they can pass exams. Girls among them they demand sex from. These things are an open secret. The leaders know about this, yet nothing is being done about it.
Youths graduate without jobs while some take to crimes. My interaction with some eligible voters showed that they are seriously waiting for the election to come so that they can collect four thousand Naira or more from party men. The people have been defeated. Hunger is the weapon with which they did it. They have lost their dignity, and they are ready to sell their future for a paltry four thousand Naira.
Newspapers are paid by the government of the day to report what favours the leaders. This is a lucrative moment for media men. Every government in Nigeria understands the part media plays in ensuring they win an election, so they are spending hugely on Nigeria media. The people have been defeated, they have practically nobody to salvage them.
In a normal society, the anger of the people supposed to have crescended to the extent they descend on their leaders. The people supposed to have started a revolution and even go violent if a peaceful revolution won’t do. Houses of these leaders should be threatened and they themselves with their family members heading into exile.
Nigeria leaders have failed Nigerians. Have they really killed enough? Ordinary Nigerians keep avoiding war when the war they fear is already upon them yet they say they are avoiding war. How many are dying as a result of government’s negligence? How many have fallen under the bullet and machetes of the Fulani herdsmen? How many die yearly in the hands of Nigeria military? Hundreds of IPOB members. Hundreds of Shiite Muslims.
Weeping giants are no giants. No ordinary Nigerian believe in the lie that Nigeria is the giant of Africa.
Contact e-mail cima2real@gmail.com
