Labaran Goof

The recent avowal by the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku that Nigeria is immune to the Egyptian-type revolution must certainly have been an assessment of an ex student activist now ballooning in puffy men’s paradise. And one hopes that President Goodluck Jonathan was not listening to such goof by a praise-singing minister, which has no nexus with the realities of present day Nigeria.

In case the minister cares to know, angry unemployed educated youths are at the hub of the ferocious wind of change that is blowing across the Arab world and sweeping away brutal leaders who foisted misrule in that world. We could recall that it all started in Tunisia when a graduate vegetable seller set himself ablaze in protest against unemployment and hopelessness and not that deposed president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali has ruled for too long.

If the honourable minister were a good student of history he would have known that discontent with the status-quo is always the trigger of all the revolutions the world has witnessed, with the French providing the first momentous experience with political ideology. Discontent could stem from diverse reasons – political, social cum economic oppression, lack of freedom, unemployment and not only limited to dictatorship which by the way also accompanied the economic problems that confronted the Arab youths.

Let it be known that Egypt is, in all ramifications, at least 50 years ahead of Nigeria, no thanks to bad leadership. In Egypt, there is at least light and water, good roads, security, relative food security and 95 percent of the families have a decent roof over their heads and not-too-bad employment ratio by African standards. Yet still, the people legitimately revolted for a better life. Therefore, if a revolution could take place in a country like Egypt that is comparatively better than Nigeria, especially in standard of living, how in hell then could an honourable minister say that Nigerians are too happy with governance to think of revolution?

How could the minister be boasting that Nigeria has the highest number of ex presidents and heads of state alive? Instead of regretting the fact that the many leaders, who got the chance to change the destiny of this nation were disastrous failures in leadership and mindless looters of the treasury.

For the avoidance of doubt, President Goodluck Jonathan represents hope and his promise of transformation resonates well with the people. But should he fail Nigerians like all the leaders before him, Nigeria could go to any direction. Put differently, the April Elections will be a turning point for Nigeria: either it turns for the better or it dips into irredeemable abyss with everything, including revolution, succession, anarchy etc as possibilities.

If Labaran is not one of those who benefit from suppressing the truth, he ought to know that there is unsurpassed discontent in the country. There is hunger everywhere; 80 percent of Nigerian youths are unemployed and frustrated. They could barely feed themselves or their families and Nigerians are dying of hunger. I don’t know where Labaran is from, but there is at least one funeral each week in my village. People are dying due to lack of proper nutrition in the midst of plenty and health care. Has the minister ever asked himself what happens to an ordinary Nigerian who falls sick or got hit by one injury or the other? Last month, I saw a Good Samaritan bring a young boy from the North to a clinic in Garki. His right hand was sternly injured and he did not even have access to medical care. The result was that he lived and watched hour after hour his hand decay because his country that has earned over 600 Billion US Dollars from oil alone since independence has no plans for him. If not for the humanitarian intervention of a good neighbour, the boy could have had his hand amputated according to the doctor. That boy lives in the Nigeria I live in, I don’t know in which Nigeria Labaran lives.

Does the honourable Minister know that Nigerian Children, due to failed leadership, pine away in the markets in Abuja as wheelbarrow pushers instead of being in schools. If you have ever gone to the markets, especially the one in Garki, you will see what a nuisance they have become. Imagine when they grow up in the next 10 years without education and perspective. Won’t they be dangerous to society and country? This is why there is Boko Haram today and the restiveness in the Niger Delta is a product of the country not caring for the youths.

Nigeria thrives only in the absurd; it is only in Nigeria that the leaders have no connect with the people they pretend to be representing. As a result our leaders can not feel the pulse of the nation. If they could, how could it be that they fail to see an angry and disappointed nation? Why can’t they see the abject poverty and suffering in the land. 60 percent of Nigerians are living below the poverty line and another 20 percent living lives that are only meant for animals. Mr Minister, I challenge you to come out of your world and come to Garki 2 by 10 PM in the night and see how young Nigerians cluster  public toilet for solace. I will show you that Keke Napeps are now dwelling houses for Nigerian young men and women in Abuja come rain or shine. By the way, how could a responsible government allow government officials connive with ruthless business people to sell Keke Napeps that should not worth more than one hundred and fifty thousand Naira to desperate unemployed youths for four hundred thousand when other responsible governments all over the world are paying such unemployed people unemployment benefits?

Nigerians are homeless because their money is stolen and diverted into private funds. I know only very few Nigerian Millionaires who made their money from anything ingenuous. The rest are only enjoying the money that was made for all. Take the case of those sleeping in toilets in Abuja for example. Is it not heartbreaking that while 55 percent of the houses in Abuja were built by their money stolen by a greedy few, the owners of the wealth are living like dogs? Is Labaran saying that Nigerians of my generation who have been dispossessed by the ravenous elite should swallow their fate if nothing is done to correct the wrong?

There can be no denying the fact that Nigerian youths are frustrated and disillusioned. And that it would be foolery to rebuff that all the conditions for both a peaceful and violent revolution are not present in today’s Nigeria. It is better we learned from Tunisia and Egypt and not allow the country to boil. That it has not happened does not mean it will or can not happen. History is replete with the fact that there is always an end to injustice no matter how long it took. Nigerians should not be taken for granted for their patience which is running out – the same way the Arab youths were hauled over the coals for being frustrated but politically feckless. But it took one courageous act of deviance to spark off the revolution that is now changing the Arab world. It further proves that the best revolutions are never planned. So, in as much as there is discontent, no right thinking person can say there can never be revolution.

Who could have believed that such could happen in the Arab world that is firmly under the grip of brutal corrupt despots? Especially in Egypt, where the West desperately needed Husni Mubarak to stay in power in order to guarantee the security of Israel. But when the time came, even the West knew that they could no longer tie the people’s legitimate stake for a better life and democracy by the majority to the need to protect Israel.

Millions of young Nigerians have aspirations that badly need to be fulfilled. Good should and always prevails over evil and there is a need for Nigerian leaders to stir the country for the common good of the people and not for crazy selfish calculations. My late grandmother used to tell me that it is not good for anyone until it is good for all. Our Leaders should strive to provide Nigerians with the basic things of life. When these must have been achieved, then anyone who has the idea of lawfully accumulating wealth is free to do so and can peacefully enjoy his or her money. But as it is in present Nigeria, where the majority flounder in poverty and degradation, the rich few can only be endangered.

I make bold to say that, due to misrule and corrupt leadership, Nigeria is sitting on a tub of gunpowder and only a change in the way business is done by the so-called leaders can save the country from exploding into collapse. Sweet talks and promises are no longer enough. In fact, it is now even in the interest of our leaders to transform the country for good. The alternative would be that Nigeria would slip into anarchy and when the dust would have settled, they would not be able to keep their looted wealth.



*Charles Ofoji is the author of Illegal In Berlin
[email protected]

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