Anthropology Of Hypocritical Governance In Nigeria

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"Close One Yesterday"
One more day in the struggle
Have to get up and juggle
You done know, want a little sugar inna de pan
Me nah see fi trouble, no man
Oh oh oh
Said I had close one yesterday
Jah put an angel over me, be strong
Hold a firm meditation
One day things must get better, don't you go down

Keep your head above the water
Say, one day things must get better, be strong
The rich is wise in his conceit
But the fool with over standing search him out
Poor man mourn, the rich riches increase
Be not grieved, riches are not forever
Envy not the oppressor choses none of his ways
Be not wise in his own eyes, only jah you must praise

Strive not with a man without cause
If he have done no harm, let by gone be by gone
This nine to five is a joke
Compare to the pressure the minister say
The economy is getting better
Misleading the people
The mass still suffer on jah
Scarce benefit and spoils
Jah know that we feel it day--Buju Banton's "Close one yesterday"

That was the song playing in the background as my friend Alhaji Okoro reflected in a soliloquy of the life of a poor man in Nigeria: I listened and wondered which way Nigeria.

For 2012 dem talk say we don broke, money no dey we pocket, say if we continue this subsidy matter we go quench

Dem even talk say after few months, we go be like London, make we no worry. But people bin continue to suffer because of petrol matter.

Dem be promise 3,877km of railroad, 1,326km of roads and bridges, and some make body no tire arrangement. Today all dat one na wash.

Dat time I remember say dem buy 1600 diesel buses say e go solve problem of transportation inside we 36 states and cater for some over 150 million Nigerians, dem forget say roads wey dem promise to build or repair, still dey open like burial ground hole.

I talk am dat time say the problem no be fuel subsidy; say na corruption from on top head to bottom, leadership we no sabi and contra people we dey confuse.

Dem talk tori dat time; invent one magic wey dem call Subsidy Reinvestment And Empowerment Program (SURE). All dat one don disappear inside voicemail, N1 trillion just waka!

Dem talk say inside subsidy leg no gree waka, we dey put money for pocket wey dey leak and corruption no gree am work...but dem forget say na so e be, from health to education, security to agriculture, nothing dey work wan e go better for we poor people.

Efri Naija goferment don cry dis subsidy matter without poor for dem mind. Na dem-dem dey enjoy their thing. We forget say dem even detain some people, and dat tori of law maker wey turn him cap to adeshi for dollar, even him state law makers visit am for house wey no get gate for Kuje. All don turn one chance.

Today we still dey the matter, Obj be talk say him regret no to turn NNPC to private runs. We still dey to build refinery matter. Goferment say no be say dem remove subsidy, dem just increase price. Anywhich way I concur!

Again Lie, my error, Lai Mohammed say we don broke, say money no dey to do big things wey oyinbo dey call capital project, again dem talk say we fit save dat kind N16.5n efri month. You don hear say after six months price go drop yens yakata.

When dem wan deceive us, dem go dey blow BIG grammar, but wetin be the meaning of subsidy sef, wetin be deregulation, wetin be turn around maintenance, how modular refinery, and PIB take concern man wey dey ask for only garri.

Infact, arrange don dey ground to share some kind millions and billions on to help we poor people not to fast without prayer. Wetin dey bottom be say our economy according to one big is shaking like dis, and shaking like dat, and can collapse if we don't allow petrol sell anyhow anyhow.

My people, Abacha invite Chinese, Obasanjo practice Kung-fu with Chinese, even Ya'ardua do him own snake in the monkey shadow with Chinese, and Jonathan been speak Chia fu yin with our economy, today Buhari carry matter reach levels, as after Naira now yen abi wetin call. I just even remember one state bin talk say dem go dey teach Chinese for dem schools.

The anthropology of a nation of hypocritical leaders and followers, a people repeating the same process, and full of self-deceit, we are being promised better, when they have not given us even good. The provision of road, electricity, water, education, and health services are not palliatives, these are the duties and essence of government.

The Yoruba's say Ẹni tó tan ara-a rẹ̀ lòrìṣà òkè ńtàn: àpọń tí ò láya nílé, tó ní kí òrìṣà ó bùn un lọ́mọ. Meaning, it is the person who deceives himself that the gods above deceive: a bachelor who has no wife at home but implores the gods to grant him children. (It is self-deceit to expect the gods to do everything for one, when one has not lifted a finger on one's behalf).

Whether it is change, or changing the change, whether the sing-song is patience, we can only deceive ourselves, until we are ready to confront truth and get it right, we will still be debating deregulation, subsidy, palliatives and little or no headway, the choice is ours as a people, to keep lying to ourselves, to remain divided across all line, or to get it right; the question though is, when—Only time will tell.

Prince Charles Dickson PhD
Freelance Journalist
Research|Policy|Media|Private Investigation
2348033311301, 2348184880370

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Articles by Prince Charles Dickson