There
is absolutely no doubt that Nigeria is a great country and indeed a
land of plenty in terms of human, material and mineral resources. Yet, a
vast majority of her population live in abject poverty. It is so bad
that most of the poor in her land live below the acceptable world
poverty line.
Crude oil, otherwise known as black gold,
flows like a river run wild; deep beneath the earth on which she stands
but the refined petroleum products required to make life productive and
comfortable for her citizens are a rarity and almost viewed as a luxury
and privilege rather than a right.
Nigeria is
blessed with a vast arable land which lies waste because farming has not
been given its pride of place. As a result, farming is neglected for
white collar jobs which are limited and hard to find. This has led to
massive unemployment amongst the country’s once proud and vibrant
youths.
University graduates roam the streets in search of jobs
to enable them to survive; but many find none. In anger and frustration,
many have turned to crime and many more have been reduced to suicide
bombers as well as spontaneous and sporadic killing machines.
Inequality
of the wealth distribution amongst her citizens has increasingly
widened the gap between the “haves and the have-nots”; (a term I
borrowed from the famous Karl Marx). This has created venomous hatred in
the hearts and minds of the have-nots, against the Nigerian state.
Her
once cherished communal life, where everyone genuinely loved, cared and
protected one another regardless of religious or tribal affiliations
has been thrown to the dogs and is long gone with the wind. It has
seemingly been replaced by somewhat more personalised western
civilisation where the dominant focus is self; nuclear family and
society.
The dreams and aspirations of her founding fathers and
nationalists who fought for her independence, have been flushed down the
drain by Mr. and Mrs. Greed and their children; Bribery, Corruption and
Mediocrity.
Her pride amongst the comity of nations has been
buried for selfish gains and ambitions by a select few. Her currency,
the naira, hitherto stronger than the dollar, which once upon a time was
accepted as a legal tender abroad, has been reduced almost to a loaf of
bread. Sit tight rulers with no clue to the nation’s problems nor solid
and creative plans to solve them have previously held on to power for
many decades, refusing to let go.
Hardwork, honesty and
integrity have been laid to rest as mediocrity, corruption, connection
and kick-back have become illegally enshrined in our polity even as the
blood of innocent citizens waters the earth.
Nigeria; arise!
Awaken from your deep slumber. A giant you are; a giant you will remain.
A sleeping giant no matter how powerful is of no real threat to anyone
and is at best of no use to anyone.
No group of people no matter
how strong or powerful can be greater than the collective will of the
people. Let all Nigerians arise and unite! Let us send poverty;
bloodshed, mediocrity, ethnic and religious divisions and dissentions,
packing from our land. Let our bands of unity be for a new and better
Nigeria and better quality of life. A place where improved services,
youth employment and empowerment as well as the security of lives and
property are key; a place where our children can go to school and return
in peace and of course a place where basic infrastructure and amenities
are provided and life is held sacrosanct.
Arise; Nigeria! The
time has come for you to take into captivity all that held you captive
and to take back your pride of place in the comity of nations and in
international politics.
Nigerians have arisen and spoken boldly and bluntly at the polls. It is now time to act.
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