By Ben Efe
“Where have all the Nigerians gone? Where have all the Nigerians gone? Long long time passing, men in power oppress them, when would they ever learn? when would they ever learn?”
This lyrics resembles a dirge most Independent Day Nigerian born babies sang in their adolescence. Through the passage of time the country they once beloved, the country their parents rich or poor gave their offsprings a decent life, education and health care; a country every young man and woman dreamed of a future bliss, has turned into a nation in distress.
Things were rosy, life was good but just like in the days of Noah, people never bothered about the doomsday prophecies of the sages, the economists and forward lookers, who based on societal indices, foresaw Armageddon from a distance.
To those in the helm of affairs, these group of seers are mad, deranged and have no love of country to be making such predictions. Now in 2024, Nigerians are seeing “rapture” in full swing and there’s no Messiah in sight.
Through the military coups, the civil war, the catastrophic civilian political regimes, the tribal and religious jingoism and the unbridled corruption and shameless nepotism, Nigeria and Nigerians have settled with the reality: “There was once a country.”
The pre and post Independent Day babies now in full bloom of life, and on the home stretch to eternity cannot stop wondering what happened to the country where nobody wanted to be seen driving in a secondhand car. A country where eating of iced fish was equated with poverty and a country where fathers marched their children to Bata to make their choices after their kids sang: “Christmas dey come o papa buy shoe for me.”
In almost 25 years of stable democratic rule, the country has been sent back to an unprecedented low, the people and ancestors of Oyo Empire, Benin Kingdom, Kenem Borno Empire and the others must be weeping for what a land they once knew has become. Not even in their primitive statehood back then, people on these shores past and present have never witnessed the level of desolation and desperation sweeping across the land.
Most people now live a secondhand life; Tokunbo Cars have taken over, Okirika clothes and shoes adorn “Bend Down Select Boutiques.” The minimum wage cannot buy a bag of rice, garri, yam tomatoes are not smiling either. Iced fish is simply out of reach, 1kg of fish is N4,800, same amount a hard working middle class Nigerian bought a “tear rubber” Volkswagen Santana back in the nation’s formative years.
Misrule after misrule since 1999, has finally reached its nadir. Dishonest, shady and greedy politicians, like leaches have sucked the country dry. The giant Africa has turned into a whimp in the Sun.
Political class who collide with with equally avaricious and profiteering billionaires in corporate and pulpit zones to rape the masses they have impoverished and balkanised.
Those who complained are labeled wailers and those who dared to protest are either killed or clamped into prison to join many others, innocent and guilty ones whose trials have been pepertually stalled by a corrupt judiciary.
Judges who are no longer the hope of the common man, but the lapdogs of criminally insane politicians who connive with University professors to rig elections and pepertuate their evil agenda.
Where in the developed and developing nations do political leaders throw their people on the rail tracks so that they can crushed by the train of inflation, high cost living and escalating price of commodities.
President Bola Tinubu on several occasions has urged Nigerians to bear the pains as he arrogantly boasted about how he used his own resources to bulldoze his way to power and having got his “Emilokan” now he says he cannot wave the magic wand and make the problems facing the country disappear.
What is the end game of his coven driven policies? Nobody knows. Where is he driving Nigerians to in his bus of calamity? A ride to nowhere… Eight years will come and go just like it has done before.
The suffering it seems has no expiry date and people in power will continue revel because they are untouchables. It’s only a witch and a saddist that would see people suffering around him and yet inflicts more pain and rub salt on the injury done to the citizens.
It is clear that Tinubu is clueless just like Muhammadu Buhari before him. Back to back Presidents who failed are still failing to turn the fortunes of the country around.
They believe that running a government of throwing money at problems and bribing legislators, having media moguls on the list of their contractors and putting the lesser mortals in the news industry on monthly or quarterly stipends can salvage the situation.
Criminal administrations run by gangs of cabals who are only concerned about cornering the resources of the nation for themselves and their goons. Turn by turn they rig themselves into power and appointment unqualified persons loyal to them to run a country badly in need of an antidote to bad governance.
Nigeriand yearn for Leaders who will inspire to build their nation and not sit near the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and be counting their loot one by one while the citizens are languishing in the basement of financial struggles.
Citizens who have to practically pay for everything after paying their taxes. They pay for essential services like basic education, basic health care and worse of all pay for installation of electrical transformers in their communities.
Corrupt practices at high places, lack patriotism have put Nigeria on a backwards moonwalk dance into oblivion, while other African nations despite their limited resources are surging forward into economic prosperity.
Sixty four years and still searching for a leadership that can work magic and launch the country into the clubs of developed nations, it is long in coming.
But on the other hand are Nigerians really desirous of having a good leadership?
It’s going to be hard, with their little brains that’s ever ready to sell their votes for a 1kg pack of rice, a loaf of bread and a bag of pure water. Their little brains of laying down and be run over by liars in long flowing garments who bait them tribe and religion. Who can blame the folks who are hungry, unemployed, not paid their pensions, not given good education and orientation? The political juggernauts made it this way, so that they can ride on with their “Chop make I Chop” politics.
Endure the hardships while it lasts and for those benefiting from the chaos, enjoy the bounty while it lasts.