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Nigeria: the sick giant

September 3, 2009

Image removed.For about ten years now, individuals who coughs routinely as observed during their speech making, have either ruled or currently ruling Nigeria. These individual’s (here in referred to as “coughing presidents”) have attracted a reserved attention with their trademark-coughing pattern, which even to the not so observant, is very obvious.


Medically, coughing is a symptom of several clinical conditions and for that reason I dare ask these questions: can it be likened to what is happening to Nigeria judging from that perspective? If presidents are considered the best amongst ‘the best’, does it mean then that these presidents are the best from our best? Is Nigeria not really sick? Will it not be associated with the steady backward match as a nation in the midst of several ‘mouthy’ efforts with billions of dollars down the drain? Is the dry cough of our incumbent president, an indication for something? What of the wet-like cough of our immediate past president? Could it be that the former president passed it on to the incumbent in that form?  If yes, then why is that of the incumbent dry? Is it a sign of hasher times for us as a nation in a manner that can be compared to a dry season? Will this dry season end soon or would we wait for the end of a second tenure for the incumbent? If eventually we survive it as a nation, what type of cough would then be passed on to the next unknown and the probably hand picked?  

In fact, take a pause and evaluate what is happening in Nigeria, even when our political leaders do not accept it despite the ‘snub’ by the incumbent American president and the ‘head to head’ confrontation by the straight talking American former first lady who is as well, the current American secretary of States. Indeed, her tongue lashing or may be flogging, expectedly did not go well with our politicians. Unfortunately, the most prominent and disgraceful reaction came from our chief legislature who, never minding his status and the choice of words, fallaciously exposed our leader’s indifference and chronic unpatriotic disposition to the enormity of our glaring national dilemma.

Presently, our political leaders are at their deceptive best with reckless abandon. Observe that our energy sector is in shambles. The few industries are in ruins. Our education sector is in coma due to the fact that our political leaders hates academics with passion and no wonder the emergence of an education-hating ‘terrorist’ group called  “Boko Haram” in the wake of ASUU’s strike. Security is non-existent as armed robbers and kidnappers are on rampage. Corruption is at its peak. Naira is fast experiencing ‘erosion’ towards a seemingly irredeemable level to the extent that Ghana’s 700 Cedis is exchanging for about 85,000 Naira. Recall what happened to our ‘consolidator’ Central Bank Governor, who wanted to copy the Ghana’s example in order to restore the Naira. Our so-called political leaders kicked against it with so much unpatriotic and self-serving passion.

Again, just in a flash came the banking version of the ‘Boko Haram’, which revealed that the so-called rich Nigerians are indeed alike. It is either they steal our money in the form of political leaders or as billions of Naira bank debtors. As it is today, our ‘bow tie wearing’ bank’s ‘watch man’ is on rampage against the debtors with a seemingly genuine agenda for banking sanity. Our hope however, is that it should not eventually become one of such deceptive distractions that adds to the several national problems bedevilling us. No wonder the hard fighting ASUU and some other stake holders are asking where the 420 billion Naira bank bail-out money for the non productive banking sector came from when our so called political leaders had kept on telling us that there is no money to bail out productive sectors like the industrial and education sectors.

In the midst of all these came amnesty for the Niger Delta Militants with its seemingly genuine intentions and yet appearing deceptive. Don’t you see that the militants themselves, for which this package is designed, are already crying foul? They are even saying that the entire Hollywood, Bollywood or Nollywood-like weapon TV shows are simply a façade. Who do we believe? Of course, majority would hang out with the opinions voiced out by the militants judging from the antecedents of our politicians. Interestingly, they are on each other’s throat following the shameful and disgraceful political prostitution by some of them in the name of “cross carpeting”. Even the state branch of the ‘slippery party’, in which one of the south-eastern governors cross-carpeted to, is presently having its fair share of in fighting. Let’s hope that this party’s ‘about-to-erupt’ volcano does not sweep the ‘cross-carpetter’ away because if it turns out to be the case, the ‘Law of Karma’ would have once more lived up to its bidding.   

Despite the cancer-like proliferation of religious groups, we must acknowledge that the genuine ones, by their prayers, have saved Nigeria from becoming extinct. Of course, one cannot deny the fact that Nigeria’s sins are enough for God to hand her the death sentence. Come to think of it, Nigeria is unimaginably blessed with rich human and natural resources and yet so poor in all ramification. In most homes, poverty is a ‘landlord’. Even when there are no natural disaster like the tsunami, cyclones, earthquakes, volcanoes and the like, our human replicas of these natural disasters are of more devastating effect because, unlike the natural forms, they are premeditated, rehearsed, executed and replicated repeatedly without regard to its life threatening consequences on Nigeria and her people. Will God not be angry?

Amongst the consequences are brain drain, human trafficking (for prostitution and child labour), drug trafficking, boundless armed robbery and kidnapping, advanced fee fraud (‘419’), internet fraud (‘Yahoo –Yahoo’), repulsive level of corruption, disgusting electoral process, nauseating political prostitution, unspeakable remuneration for lazy political leaders, death trap roads, national black out due to a failed power/energy sector, incompetence in governance, shameful lack of national pride and industrial emigration to hitherto ‘no go’ countries which, to the shame of Nigeria, has started getting it right. These countries even call Nigeria their “big brother” but deep down in them, they know it is simply an “oral” status.  

Indeed, this lack of shame by a nation that prides itself as the giant of Africa and as the most populous black nation in the world is indeed infecting all spheres of our national life like a virus. It is exemplified in the actions and utterances of our public office holders particularly our representatives in the national assembly. Imagine the levity by which the educational crisis in Nigeria is being handled by the supervising ministry as well as the regulatory and fund’s intervention bodies. Imagine also the insincerity of our under 17 football team players decamped following an MRI scan that determined their true ages. One could recall that previously, the world’s football regulatory body sanctioned Nigeria for a similar offence. Is it not embarrassing that a nation of about one hundred and forty million people (140 million) cannot comfortable select few under-17 young boys to represent her in the youth grade football world cup scheduled for October 2009, in Nigeria? This further exposed the rot in the nation called Nigeria.   

Going by the opinion of one writer, it is disheartening to note that most Nigerians respond stupidly to the different shades of our national cross and are comfortable with the status of being the ‘happiest’ but ‘most stupid’ people on earth. Nevertheless, must we continue like this? Can’t we aspire to change and do the right thing? Must we always deceive ourselves? Why are our leaders not ashamed of themselves considering the disgraceful state of our country in their care? Why are our leaders trying to rebrand us when they cannot rebrand themselves? Can a fake product (e.g. a hospital drug) be re-branded if not discarded? Oh! Madam in charge, there is something you are ignoring o! If you can’t rebrand from the top, then you can’t rebrand from the bottom o! That Nigeria, with all its potentials, does not know her left from her right is indeed very unfortunate. Honestly, let’s weep. Nigeria, ‘the African big brother and giant’, is sick and requires a medical attention. 
1 Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo, Nigeria.
GSM: 0803 744 1401. E-mail: [email protected]

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