Degradation Of Nationhood

When the masses lose the right to demand for good governance and accountability, a Nation state becomes dead. This is the tragedy of the Post Endsars Movement Nigeria. The dissident group and stream of enraged youths were silenced and threatened into compulsory subjugation by the repressive hands of the State's forces. The military; that carnivorous entity infamously famous for unleashing doom and destructive rage on those who dared to question the so called peace and sanity of the nation and the "normal order" of things in the polity were responsible for this murderous act. Some irrational voices chose to avoid the tagging of this killing as a genocidal act due to the uncertain number of casualties. What we all know is that lives were lost.

The collective conscience of what is left of Nigeria's morality was finally betrayed on that day, the black Tuesday or 20/10/20. It was a doom no one foresaw in the Nigerian Government's long history of silencing opposition voices to their care free and squandermaniac approach to issues of nation building.

Although, as a student of history, I have learnt to succumb to this painful truth that History always repeats itself, we are trapped in this vicious cycle of inhuman repressiveness repeating itself intermittently in the bloody History of the post Colonial Nigeria.

20/10/20 was one among a number of dreary scenarios when NIGERIA consumed its own inhabitants in cold bloods.. One among such scenarios in the dark history of Nigeria was the murder of Ken Saro-wiwa. It was a horror show. When this act was perpetrated, I had not gain admission into the citizenship of this cold world. On that day, what was left of hope was nothing but misery and gloom. This evil act was commandeered by his Lordship: General Sani Abacha the notorious.. When grading humans and demons, Abacha better suited the latter category, he had relegated his sense of compassion to the very basest of his human nature. On that day of the murder, he ceased to be human.

The man who currently sits on the iron throne of Aso Rock, be it Buhari or the theory been propounded of a certain Jubril is known to have a stoical and indifferent disposition when it comes to the issue of dissipating justice. His calculated and haunting silence when national artrocities are committed is painful and depressing. On occasions, when he lends his voice, effusions of hopelessness and threats are thrown right before the faces of Nigerians

Who gave the order of 20/10/20?
On the day after the carnage, Initially, the blame was immediately shifted to the now enstranged and unpopular Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu. Constitutionally, he was the Chief Commander of his State, he had the rights to invite the military to restore 'peace' and calmness in moments of public restiveness. He self destroyed himself when he denied that any Lekki shooting ever took place. He betrayed the trust the Lagosians had on him, he watched in silence while Yoruba land was desecrated by the Enemies of Humanity who were camouflaged in the trademark Khaki green of the NIGERIAN army..

The cry of the common man in Nigeria for so long has been for a better dividend of governance.. Nigerians are known to be faithful tithe and tax payers in their various Religious bodies and state apparatus, Nigeria was also endowed with the finest and lucrative calibre of natural resources gifted to her by mother nature.. This is why I supported the crusade for a better NIGERIA in the Endsars Movement which was hijacked and infiltrated by paid Government Elements and Thugs who were skilled in doing the dirty jobs of an Authoritarian government.

Here is a country that harasses Revolutionary voices and Activists who are valiant in their fight for human rights and a better society.

Every man was born free to make his own decisions, but in the process of time, as man evolved into advanced stages, the institution of the State was formed as a collective body which thrives on the approval of the People/Electorate who occasionally appoint for themselves Leaders from among themselves who will represent their voices, goals and aspirations. In a sane Nation, a president is the number One Public Servant, he is answerable to the People on whose backs he rode to power, he thus owe it as an obligation to always report the progress and setbacks in the state of the union. Such a one was entrusted in power to protect the overall interests of the Citizens of the state and not base his decisions on ethnic or tribal sentiments. For Nigeria, which I term an highly insane country, the President is known to assume the role of an Emperor while his Employers assume the role of his subjects. The bane of the current APC led Government is that Nigeria now has an introverted Leader, the pure Machiavellian specimen who is rarely seen or heard, he makes cameo appearances once in long intervals to mark attendance of his been alive..

Thus the Biblical peroration holds sway; the head must always be stable so the whole body will work effectively. When the head becomes comatose, wanton acts of savagery, chaos and travesty are propagated indiscriminately..Thus, this head who wears the crown of kingship in Nigeria is unfit to steer the ship of Nigeria..

Some Men who might have erred posterity and history earned for themselves honor when they finally relinquished power and resigned to their fate.. such acts are rare in Nigeria and Africa. Jonathan, the gentle and courtly otueke Politician whose rise to power was deemed an act of Divine will and a wand of good luck earned himself a heroic statue in Nigeria, Africa and global politics for willingly giving up his power and much maligned Administration to prevent an impending doom that was to befall NIGERIA if Buhari had lost that election. Of course he had dished out series of subtle threats to all other contestants in that election, including the incumbent if he failed to win. Threats of another civil and Religious war haunted my dreams, never in the history of Nigeria was an election so pensive and whose aftermath was filled with suspense as this.. The whole world was watching, Buhari was ready to release his cult followers to the streets so as to enable them cause mayhem on the "dogs and baboons"

Thus, Jonathan knew the nature of the do or die politics in Nigeria, he foresaw an image of blood bath, this scary gaze into a future filled with darkness motivated his decision to concede defeat. There is a time to fight and their is a time to restrain from fighting.. That decision, on the surface was well meaning for the security and safety of properties and lives, however it spelt the predicted doom of NIGERIA. Nigerians willingly handed over power to the reticent "War against Indiscipline" Crusader, that stubborn and unsmiling face who lorded over NIGERIA as a military dictator..

This ill founded choice truly saw the end to Nigeria's claim to Nationhood. We are currently in the metaphoric hell described in the Bible and other moral texts, painted with vivid pictures of people weeping, crying, gnashing their teeths, and singing sonorous tunes of constant grief, Poverty, lack, wants and despair which are recurring scenarios in this archetypal hell on Earth. We constantly see people with crestfallen appearances, looking Haggard and worn out due to the tiring feast of blood and negativity that has become the lot of Nigeria's political Terrain. The future of Posterity in Nigeria is not assured, what is left to hold on to is hope which is gradually fading.. Thus, when those bullets were brandished on the Innocent and peaceful Protesters at Lekki, we heard the quivering voices of the heroes of today patriotically reciting the national anthem of a failed state while perishing in the darkness of the toll gate. They sang to their early graves, their only crime was that they clamoured for their rights in a peaceful manner which was interpreted by Buhari as a threat to the sovereignity of the Nation and to the cabalistic Group who make money from the current lopsided economic and Political arrangements of the country which were formulated at the aftermath of 1960, the year The Nation called Nigeria was handed over to the Fulanis by the British government. This choice of leadership assigned to us by those Foreigners who contributed in no small way to the current state of impoverishment in the country directly humiliated Chief Obafemi Awolowo the Sage and Dr. Nmamdi Azikiwe, the Valiant Nationalist, They were best suited for the reins of leadership in a newly formed Nigeria. It was well established that they were the visionaries who could transform Nigeria into the status of greatness.

On the Black Tuesday, Nigeria failed them and desecrated her flag. One day, history will do justice to this topic.. As for now, the only weapon at my disposal to expel the rage building on within me is the weapon of my pen and my thunderous voice..

© OLUSHOLA AREMU ADEJUMO.
Writing from Abuja, NIGERIA.
23rd December, 2020