“It’s one thing to be a nation, but a different phenomenon for such a nation to be a society that’s domiciled by patriotic citizens or by a bunch of docile, unrepentant, confused and wicked human beings.”
— DSM.
The premise for the above quote was to remind us if truly there’s a difference between being a mere inhabitant and a scavenging stranger in a society, especially, amongst those who pretend to be citizens. Otherwise, how can one fathom a country named Nigeria to be this miserable after more than 60 years of existence? We can blame all our failures on others but not ourselves. We can’t gang up to fight against our tyrants, but we can shamelessly praise our captors as thin gods.
In a nutshell, let’s ponder on this traumatic experience of an average Nigerian presently.
We have Professors who deliberately manipulated elections results without a hoot about their exalted societal accolades. They will in turn, be the same professors, who have embarked on the most critical strikes against the same leaders they’ve helped to enthroned. Unfortunately, this cycle of criminality imposition has been a recurring transaction, and I bet you, in 2027, they will still repeat the same mistake as a people under a spell. How can you know that a criminal is best for your country’s leadership enthronement, and you are expecting a decent society? It doesn’t happen that way. A professor, who ought to maintain the highest moral standard in a society can sell off such morality value for money, and shamelessly turn around to fight against what he or she has enthroned. Does that make any iota of sense? It doesn’t, and this is because, these professors were deliberately and shamelessly trying to morally justify their selfish actions by embarking on stupid strikes as if they are not the architects in the enthronement of the criminals in power. If a professor could build a faulty foundation in any national ideological inference, why attack the criminals that he or she used in destroying the entire nation?
Secondly, we have heard about lawyers bragging about being learned men, but these same learned men and women have become more of educated liabilities in the building of a decent society. The problem of Nigeria, especially in this regime was more of an imposition of known criminals into our leadership fronts by judiciary deliberate verdicts. How can a learned judge, and with all known evidences, decided to impose some persons with characters deformities on the citizens without any iota of remorse, or having any premonition to the future consequences of such verdicts? Sometimes, most of the decisions we take in life is not always hinged on laws and regulations, but we take an indepht personal analysis to discern what is right and wrong. So, judgement cannot only be a debate on what the law or constitution says, but on the discerning inquest into the morality standards and values in the society. A Judge has been shown how an armed robber invaded a home through CCTV and even people’s witnesses, and due to conscience deafness and deadness or money inducement, he or she decides to quote laws as if the laws are meant to cover up a clear case of robbery. This is why I asked, ‘Is Nigeria a curse to Nigerians?’ If such a highly exalted profession of learned personalities could close their eyes to an issue of black saboteurs but convict those with white nationalism, what else is left of a society that’s domiciled by unpatriotic citizens?
To compensate the judiciary system for whatsoever reason, the Judges salary and benefits have been increased by 300% through NASS impunity recommendation, with the Chief Justice earning a whopping sum of N65 million per annum. Yet, the only way to compensate a Nigerian worker is to offer him a partry sum of N62,000 per month (N744,000 per annum). That means, there are super and inferior Nigerians. A scenario of appreciation for the past evident fraudulent verdicts and future campaign fund upfront inducement, and of course, with 2027 elections in view. But to even pay just N100,000 minimum wage a month (N1.2m per annum), which is not even up to a super Nigerian one month salary slip, the Nigeria economy will be destroyed. The PIG and Others…(Animal Farm in practical term)
Thirdly, what exactly are the functions of our different security agencies? This becomes very critical because, despite all the criminals caught red handed and those alleged to have committed various types of crimes, our security agencies are still the same outfits that are providing and protecting all these known criminals in government and public corridors today. Criminalities are measured by the societal influence segment of the culprit, and that is, WHO IS THE CRIMINAL REPRESENTING?
I won’t mention most cases of complicity, but the recent misadventure to arrest the past Governor of Kogi State must trigger certain idea of what the security agencies of Nigeria has become. A clear case of discrimination, where crimes are pursued vigorously based on who’s the culprit. The security agencies should know that they’re employed to serve the nation and not the president, governor or highly placed individuals. Democracy thrives when the right of the people are protected, and this right is not about government functionaries, but for EVERY NIGERIAN. Nigeria must be built when citizens are not treated as enemies while leaders are behaving as kings. Opportunity, equity and accountability must be seen to be transparent, and every misdeed must be treated with uttermost despatch and without any discriminatory toga.
Fourthly, the media has become a shadow of itself. Investigative journalism is dead, and what we have today is BROWN ENVELOPE JOURNALISM (BEJ). Truths are suppressed especially in the mainstream media outfits that are 89% owned by same societal oppressors. It’s becoming more difficult to get justice even when evidences are very clear. In fact, there are situations right now where the hunters have turned out to be the hunted. A lot of journalists are now being poached as animals in an animals game reserve. Most of us are living in burrows just as rabbits, because, speaking out against the ugliest policies of our time may land you into DSS or POLICE nets. A ploy well mapped out by the oppressors just to gag the truth. Appreciation must be given to the social media hype, and where most credible information are being revealed to most Nigerians.
The fifth is the docile nature of an average Nigerian citizen, who believes that his liberation must come from someone else. Everyone is waiting for another to start the process of emancipation, and at the end, everyone is either blaming others or complaining of hunger, insecurity and poverty. It’s becoming worst right now, and this is because, the security agencies that ought to be nationalistic in the performance of their statutory functions have all been captured by the few criminals in power. Like animal farm, the pigs that are known to eat from the gutters are now being served as kings in the palace by the same people being oppressed. What we failed to realise is that democracy is not about the involvement of only civil society, activists or some of us who are still voicing out, rather, democracy is the participation of ALL CITIZENS. This participation must be before, during and after every electioneering period. Democracy is powered by the citizens resolve to shun any sort of evil, especially when known criminals ask for our votes. We must engage our leaders and sometimes question their stewardships, especially on how our collective commonwealth are spent. Democracy is all about the citizens, and strictly for those who must be conscious to say ‘NO’ to any evidence of criminality both in our governance system and in our personal lifestyles. Democracy in Nigeria presently has unleashed unpleasant demoralising ego amongst many Nigerians with more than 130 million Nigerians under poverty and insecurity bondage. While China, India and most emerging countries are lifting their citizens out of poverty and insecurity bondage, Nigeria government are pushing more citizens into an open market of unemployment in a geometric frequency.
Without demeaning any institution, we are all aware that the present composition of National Assembly won’t tamper on the already existing constitution that gave them extreme power to pad and conjure selfish political advantages and benefits. We have clamoured that the military imposed decree constitution be totally rejected or reviewed. Rather than reviewing the constitution, it has become a new way of defrauding Nigerians of billions of Naira at every composition of NASS committee on constitution review jamboree. The raw truth is that, no one will ever review a situation that will deprive him or her, the comfort of free money exploitation. With various allegations, NASS members have become more of a cult classic zone, and of course, every president must dance to whatsoever rewards demanded by NASS members. Without much discussion, we have noted that since the assumption of office of this regime, all loans and other president’s requests have all been favourably recommended, including the reversed old national anthem that took less than 24 hours to passage.
With the above mentioned functionalities deformities in most of our critical institutions, are we looking forward to a new Nigeria, where liberty, dignity and aspiration of every Nigerian matters?
Generally, that’s why an average Nigerian won’t question the rationale behind a ₦21 billions Vice President residence at a time when many Nigerians are languishing in IDP camps.
Till date, nobody has ever talked about the residence of the US Vice President, but White House. What happens if the Nigerian Vice President’s residence is located somewhere within the massive expanse land in Aso Rock? Will such arrangement demean the office of the Vice President of Nigeria?
If the UK Prime Minister, a man who oversees the world’s largest fifth economy, could live in a modest three-bedroom flat in central London with his family, what make a poverty capital country’s president or vice president so special to live in more than ₦20 billions residence?
As at today, the bank interest rate is 26%, inflationary rate is 39%, out of school children is 30%, unemployment rate 40%, and with public health care, schools and highways in unprecedented downgraded situations, and yet, a president could have an 87 number of imported SUVs as a convoy for a trip in his own claimed developed state. For students to register for their West African School Certificate examination, National Identify Number (NIN) was made compulsory. It was alleged that these students were made to pay ₦4,000 before they can be registered and availed with their NIN slips. One begins to wonder what exactly can a Nigerian gain as free in this country that’s so blessed? No social security or welfare policy for the aged, or anyone else, and yet, we pride ourselves as giant of Africa while citizens remain muted as if they’re slaves.
“A nation under captivity jubilated because a national anthem was changed, but kept mute at its citizens miserable situation.”- DSM .
It is not the National Anthem that truly transforms a nation, but rather the individuals within, especially those with visionary leadership insights. Leaders and citizens with a deep sense of patriotism, empathy, and unwavering integrity are the real catalysts for change. When thieves are in charge of a yam barn, should we expect honesty when the review of our yam counts is conducted? Change Agents are those who have selflessly dedicated themselves to serving others, rather than seeking to be served. These are people who have the power to create positive impact on society that can be easily seen and tangibly felt by the citizens. Nigerians must wake up and understand that change Agents are not common sense of tribal, religious and political affiliations, rather, individuals with transformational leadership foresights, and who are capable of shaping better future for generations.
Our main problem is not the lack of awareness of those who have held us captive, but our foolishness to see every national issue from the ugly perspective of who’s in charge of our liberation movement or who is in charge of government policies. Once the person’s name didn’t collaborate with our native diction, we will shamelessly jump up to castigate the Change Agent. We tend to discuss issues based on our foolish tribal bigotry, religious rituals and political affiliation, and the reason being that, WE HAVE NEVER TRUSTED OUR DIVERSE NATIONALITIES, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND POLITICAL/ OCCULTIC AFFLICTION. At every point of view or discourse, there’s a certain veil of emotional sentiments that tend to erode the truism of our senses of patriotism, humanness and reasoning.
In conclusion, let me express my friend’s (Aina Ayodele) fear about a society under self-deceit.
‘In as much as Nigeria remains a country founded on the foundation of lies, built up with blocks of insincerity and governed by liars, charlatans, corrupt and egocentric politicians, nothing will work, and I’m afraid things may continue to get worse.
The very foundation of Nigeria, and especially the current dispensation of 4th republic from 1999 that is largely fraudulent may as well be “the beginning of the end” (a la Tai Solarin), because, definitely, this house (Nigeria) is not sustainable.’
This is the true reflection of Nigeria, a country without any clear cut national ideology or strategies for generations, except hoisting corrupt infested personalities, who have showcased certain abnormal characters, and at the end, Nigerians are behaving like a horde of confusionists under their leadership poverty spell, spiritual bondage or ancestral curse.
In whichever case, I wish all Nigerians a happy Democracy Day, and may God Almighty continue to sustain us as we look forward to celebrating next year’s Democracy Day in good health and a better economic development experience. May PBAT’s recovers from the sad parade ground slip, and may God’s amazing healing process perfect his health condition, in Jesus Christ name, Amen.
On this note, don’t forget that, I come in PEACE.
Dr. Sunny Oby Maduka (DSM), is an Author, Resource Personality, Management Consultant/ Trainer, Chartered/Certified – Au d i t o r / A c c o u n t a n t , Financial Compliance Expert, Economic/Political Analyst Strategist, Marine Expert and Motivationist)
