The Forgetful Nigerians.

Here’s a probable theory, but far from a conspiracy theory because based on the statistics on ground, which stands against every logic that any individual may want to push forward in defense of the obvious which bring the situation to a point where I dare to ask, are the mind and brain of Nigerians incarcerated in a maximum state-of-the-act penitentiary? Because it doesn’t feel like what can be attributed to patience anymore or even cowardice for that matter. Perhaps it is a deliberate attempt by those at the helm of affairs to use economic stagnation to control the behavioural attitude of common people in the society, because the masses are busy on a daily basis feeding from hand-to-mouth. Has the daily hustling and bustling made Nigerians to lose focus on issues that if they tackle will forever liberate them from the shackles of poverty and everyday hard work with little or nothing to show for it.

We have over the years given room to the situation we experience today. That the youth are without jobs is the fault of the common man, no constant power supply, still the fault of the masses and maybe the day the President refuse to sleep or fail to have a good night rest, that itself, will also be the fault of ordinary Nigerians, because we have kept quiet for long and things keep deteriorating. When there is a strong case of massive embezzlement of public funds, the whole country will all shout at once and talk in thousands, within few days the whole case die down and no one remembers or speak of it again. There are thousands of evidence pointing to the fact that Nigerians are the commanding officers when it comes to playing to the gallery which for the past 49 years and still counting, have kept the richer getting richer and the poor, getting poorer.

If our popular phrase of “sweep under the carpet” is something that can be transferred to the physical, by now the carpet accommodating the things the government have swept underneath would have culminated into a huge waste-bin, which will stink to high heaven. How many Nigerians could still remember that Honorable Farouk Lawal was accused and later found guilty of accepting bribe of $620, 000 from Mr. Femi Otedola which compromised the oil theft investigations? The same Farouk Lawal is still a member, House of Representative and Femi Otedola’s name was among the nominees for the lucrative post of CBN Governor. Recycling of corrupt people in government breeds corruption at the peak. The cases have piled up to the extent that even the judiciary cannot begin to imagine and contemplate to dig from the archives, all they are concerned with this days is just how and when to move on.

If Sanusi Lamido is removed from office, does it mean Nigerians should forget the case of the missing 20 billion dollar, which has NNPC written all over it? Though FG are always pretentious. Pretending to forget. Financial misappropriation and massive embezzlement attract recommendation from even the common people this days and yet we live in penury, while those you sing for swell in riches. How many past corrupt leader have been successfully prosecuted and convicted with a prove of him being behind bars? It comes like a wave of event and Nigerians shout about it, immediately the government comes up with another event to cover the previous sordid event and everybody jump on that bound wagon without seeing one to conclusion. This attitude have provided the people in government a springboard to behave recklessly since they know how forgetful Nigerians are, and they will never border to pursue forgetting matter as long as they keep us entertained with other activities to distract attention from sordid act.

Injustices is typified in Nigeria and the common man on the street is making it possible for them, those ones in power. Nigerians are making it very easy and comfortable for the thieves to continue thereby, impoverishing the entire generation. Do we still recall how the director of the Police Pension Office, Mr. John Yusuf stole N27.2 billion of the pensioners fund? The bigger injustice was when a N27.2 billion thief was set free for a bail fee of N750,000 for three offenses he pleaded guilty to by Justice Abubakar Talba. If that is not encouragement for a crime, I don’t know what is. How about the case of Abba Moro who took Nigerian unemployed to slaughter house? How about Mrs. Stella Odua, the former aviation minister, who used $250,000 to buy a 2 bullet proof cars? All she got was a resignation to assume another position soon? The current issue which Nigeria judiciary has succeeded in quelling the probe is that of the minister of petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke who used $10 million to hire a private jet when millions of Nigerians are living in penury. Uncountable injustices Nigerians have allowed to happen because they are busy trying to make ends meet, but if taking care of at once, the toiling will never be as cumbersome as it is at the moment.

We have to start asking pertinent question that addresses the problem and Nigerians must not stop at asking the question, but also demand answers. It is time we take the destiny of this country in our hands and make judicious use of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. When it is said “a whole new world”, it just doesn’t come with the attitude of “one day e go better”, we have to work for it.