In Nigeria

There is not a thing more alarming than those whom they call leaders, those whom the people massacred in Yobe call leaders, those whom we all call leaders. There is nothing that’s alarming than those cream of the crop seating, folding hands and watching how things go upside down, how people fall apart even unlike natural disasters that are this days prevented.

It all started in the eve of 2001, the volcano started then and till tomorrow creates scar that cannot heal in all eternity. The volcano that has created widows, orphans, that has removed hands, legs and left us with handicaps’.

One may wonder if the gods are slumbering these days or have been handicapped too. Few days to the nation’s independence, a night when young hardworking students were resting, the volcano again strikes, this time stealing students from teachers, children from parents and congregates from preacher men. It was for many considered perhaps a tip of the icebergs; it has not been the one with the highest casualties and was not considered news by few.

There were days, gone days, days desired when my home was my pride, when I boasted to my friends in other countries that there is not a place as sweet, as loving, as peaceful as my home, I would boast then that my countrymen were sheep never have I thought of a wolf, a cancer entering and destroying this use to be beautiful flock.

This days our leaders claim and publicly say that this cancer, terrorism did not start in their regime or is it tenure and so shouldn’t be blamed for their inability to perform their most important function, providing security, this days our leaders says that Asuu has a norm of going on strike and we shouldn’t be worried about it because it is normal, this days our leaders privatize such important function of electricity provision to individuals whom source of wealth is not known. Are we to remain like this or perhaps worsen? Is it not longer the duty of the president to see to the proper functioning of things, issues in this nation? Do our old haggard women have to protest naked as they did during the subsidy removal again to appeal to the leaders not to privatize all our institutions? Are we to look on as education and electricity standstill looms? And the dreaded roads that leads to demise from the earth? Or at those entering menopause and growing beards at home due to a leaders triviality and yet graduates without a job offer for they have grown out of age? Are we still bounded by that goal, that common goal not affected by ethnic or religion? Are we to keep lamenting about the problems not the solution?

Even as we become giants in violence, as we become giants in unemployment, insecurity I could still see a smoke, a smoke if ignited can come back to life. Perhaps a meaning be given to the biblical phrase that instructs us to be as ant, considering its ways and be wise. One would wonder how ones prosperous nation, how a ones economy buoyant people has gone down the drain, one would think about our heroes past and how with lesser incomes flourished this dying nation.  The ant in the biblical phrase prepares meat in the summer but I may ask where our meat is kept, maybe in Iboris account, or some other people’s account, persons that have converted a nation’s meat to theirs.  If politics were a dirty game why not turn it to a chess game? When will our president becomes a leader and stop being a politician?

Well its starts from the home, the problem of this nation are bred in our home, school, and religious organizations. In a home where parent fail to teach love, fails to show love, where the father becomes a beast, what do you expect from a child from that home? A child filled with hatred right, to the streets where his hatred is unleashed on a young girl, rapes her and got her pregnant, hatred is spread. We must first examine our homes, schools and all.

Nigeria is not a failed state but what do I call a home, a divided nation where key responsibilities are not carried out? A failing nation is what I call Nigeria. A paper burnt remains into ashes and cannot revert to actual state. A tree do not make a forest, you do. Give enough seed to rebuild our nation.