OUR DIVERSITY IN WEAKNESS

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Our Strength in adversity, our health in weakness, our comfort in sorrow". These are some of the words out of a prayer booklet, one which I am very familiar with. However, thinking about it now, especially with the current circumstances, nothing of such rings true. An observer of the posts on this blog would have noticed nothing new has been posted since October. This is not due to the scarcity of content, but due to weakness on my part. There have been so many happenings, many things to talk about, and I have just being zapped of strength. 

On most days, a whole lot of thoughts come to me and I just wave them off. What would I do, writing about the obvious problems is all I do. What would these words even do? Who would they change? Who listens to me? I am probably a small fry in the grand scheme of things. Nothing makes me feel more powerless than being a Nigerian Citizen. Everywhere you turn to, all you see are signs of ineptitude. A rot that is not going to stop any time soon. Just stop hoping.

The more you look at it, the more you see how much of a comical arrangement the country is. It looks so mumbled together you could confuse this arrangement for a hurriedly built house. More like a tall building that was completed all within 3 months, without going through all the processes required. An arrangement that was not built to stand. Remember on independence day, or on democracy day where you would hear lots of jingles; mostly that of a deep voice going on about how our diversity as a nation is our biggest strength. You can tell me that again now.

Well, right from the time the "Lord" forcefully amalgamated the different regions and called it Nigeria. I could even argue, a process that was mistimed. But since then, the country has had to battle with lots of problems arising from this shabby arrangement. At this point, you will certainly believe the peddlers of the fact that Nigeria started as a business deal for the colonizers. From the progressive failure of leadership to fast crumbling government institutions.   

I am not writing this to proffer solutions. Many people do that on a daily; experts, technocrats, and even former leaders who suddenly wear the toga of "nation builders" when they leave the office. It's always as if the scales fall from their eyes when they leave that exalted position and they finally realize the mess the country is in. Nah, I am not proffering solutions, I just want to rant. I have always had some form of hope in Nigeria, but without mincing words, that hope is fast eroding. 

Many things are not in place in Nigeria; A whole lot of things seem to be wrong. What should be common, and easily accessible is now luxury. Talk of pipe-borne water, Electricity, Security, Quality healthcare, etc. Nigerians have become so adept at providing these things for themselves. This is right among white elephant projects that have no direct impact on the lives of the people. At least, the effectiveness of an administration should be determined by its impact on those in the hinterlands.

You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you underrate the wickedness of these lots. The diversity we have always been proud of is now our biggest weakness. With the General's Administration, all you see is hopelessness. Our leaders have over time made you think that solving the problems of this country is rocket science of some sort. Big lie! The problem of  Nigeria is interwoven. Solving one would automatically give you ideas on how to tackle the next. These things are obvious.

Insecurity, Corruption, and all other vices are to the highest heavens in this entity we call Nigeria. And one funny thing is that we are so quick to make unreasonable people popular. But what do you expect from a group of people that have been starved of quality leadership for so long? They immediately listen to that one voice bold enough to sow seeds of discord. It's as simple as that.  And as usual, what does the government do?

The Nigerian government has never been known to exercise restraint where it matters. Restraint is only possible where hundreds of students have been kidnapped or when That man up north is strapping up with dollars. Where issues have to be carefully dissected and every opinion needs to be considered, it prefers the shoot on sight order. If the entity called Nigeria ends today, many are quick to think well we would only have the commonly named three republics. What a big joke. All we would have is progressive implosions till we have nothing left. Sorry if this is not what you want to hear.

Since birth, I have known that you get to make use of a piece of land either by renting or buying it. But in the banana republic, Anything goes. Urged on by federal forces, Those I am supposed to remember at some time of the year, there is terror in the land. To whom do we lookup? We certainly cannot afford a full-on civil war at this point. But Nigeria has this uncanny ability to get through dicey situations. I hope this is part of them. No law supports the fact that a particular tribe has the almighty ownership of all the resources of the land; as we are made to think. 

Even the political structure of the country is so weird. It seems we cannot vote for those that will do us right. Poverty has been so weaponized that throw folks some notes and they will move anything for you. I also know of interests, it is that way all over. You are elected as a leader, you have to satisfy the interests of those who moved their weights to put you there. The only difference is that in Nigeria, these interests are selfish egomaniacs. These ones do not like you. In times like these, you are reminded of how important good quality leadership is. But sadly, for most of us, that is a big-time mirage.

 Well as regards that diversity I have been mentioning, it is a crucial time in our nation's history. The general seems not to care whose ores are gored. The silence here and there, Threatening speeches and everything nice. But this is not the time; we have never had it so bad. Different militia groups, Cows, and kidnappings. Time will certainly tell. I still have a whole lot to talk about, but let me stop here; I sincerely hope you are not tired. Because I am