Nigeria

Nigeria. The country of my birth. Beautiful in youth. Wrinkled as the years pass by. Through no fault of hers. But by the doing and undoing of her children, consciously and unconsciously. Blessed by God. Impoverished by mankind. Struggling for self-liberation but incarcerated by wicked and egoistic souls. Souls who prefer to squander and milk the nation today with the goal of enjoying life and securing the future of their lineage. Nigeria. Everytime I read the dailies, the thought of what might have been makes it all the more pathetic. A nation whose citizens should ‘swim’ in milk and honey. Whose name should be revered amongst the comity of nations. But for the myopic thinking of our leaders – past and present – we are where we find ourselves; in the woods. The genesis started with their actions and inactions. Directly or indirectly, the fault is ours to bear. Forget colonization. Forget its offshoot, neo-colonization. We can be what we want to be. Fortune favours the prepared. Nigeria. A weak giant. Clueless leaders. A country with no respect for history. For the rule of law. Whose citizens are permeated with a brief memory span. Nigeria. How can looters still have the temerity to contest elections after their misdeeds some years ago! And people will vote! Another election is forthcoming; we will forget the ordeals of the past. And vote these insatiable, power-hungry, monstrously greedy, sinister people called ‘leaders’ into power! Posterity will judge. If it can’t, then God. Nigeria. Girls are being kidnapped. Maybe raped and dehumanized. Students are on strike and the government does not give a hoot. Some governors are forever enriching themselves by passing bills that will pay them billions of taxpayers’ hard-earned funds. Pensioners are being owed. Poverty is on the increase. Unemployment too. Crime. Name them. All these in a sane country! Nigeria. Until our ‘leaders’ are stopped from travelling abroad to treat headaches. Until a law is passed mandating their children to school in public institutions. Until every politician is made accountable for every kobo spent. Until the rule of law is supreme. Until our votes count… Things will sure fall apart in this country.