NIGERIA: A NATION OF ABSURDITIES
Nigeria is no doubt a nation of absurdities. The word "absurdity" is the noun form of the root word "absurd" which is an adjective. The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English by A.S. Hornby, 7th Edition defines the word "absurd" as completely ridiculous; not logical and sensible.
Events of the recent past have made Nigeria, the most populous black country on the surface of the earth, to be relegated to the status of a nation of absurdities, as the actions of some highly placed people are quite reprehensible, irrational, senseless and outrightly obnoxious.
Things have degenerated in Nigeria to the point that reasonable people all over the world are wondering what is wrong with most of our leaders in view of the manifestation of extreme impunity in them, even among those who should know better.
One glaring absurdity that has been observed in Nigeria recently is the brutally wicked increase in electricity tariffs by the Power Holding Company Nigeria PLC in June this year, in spite of the poor services of the company. Check out the Federal Government's reason for approving the unjustifiable increase in electricity tariffs: To make the Nigerian power sector attractive to investors! With this increase in electricity tariffs, the government has shown that it has scant or no regard for the interest of Nigerians the majority of whom have been groaning under the yoke of perennial power black out in spite of heavy electricity bill that they are constantly inundated with on a monthly basis, bills which are based on estimates instead of actual consumption, which is the norm in civilized countries of the world. Of course, the government has received a barrage of criticisms for the obnoxious increase in the electricity tariffs.
Another visible absurdity is the usurpation of the position of the chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum by the governor of Plateau State of Nigeria, Mr. Jonah Jang some months ago after losing the election to the governor of Rivers State of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi. It would be recalled that a free and fair election was conducted to fill the position amidst a lot of intrigues, but in spite of the intrigues, the latter still won the election after garnering 19 votes against the former's 16 votes, yet the governor of Plateau State went ahead to claim victory in the election and has been shamelessly parading himself as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum..
It is quite absurd for the loser of an election to claim victory in civilized societies of the world, but this is Nigeria, a nation of absurdities where anything goes.
Yet another absurdity that has been witnessed in Nigeria is the purported impeachment of the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly some weeks ago by just five out of the twenty-seven members of the house who gathered for the session of the House. It is only in Nigeria, a nation of absurdities that a tiny minority would seek to overrule a majority. Informed minds have, since the fracas in the Rivers State House of Assembly began, been able to decipher the voice of Jacob, but the hand of Esau in all the events that have happened so far in the state.
Recently, the Senate, the upper legislative chamber of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, deliberated on a number of burning issues of national and public interest in their bid to amend the nation's Constitution. Quite ironically, the senators voted against popular opinion., and their actions left in their trail controversies and barrage of criticisms from both within and outside the shores of the country. People felt that it was absurd for the upper legislative chamber to vote against the wishes and aspirations of the citizens, but to the (dis)honourable (?) Senate, their actions were proper because this is Nigeria, a nation of absurdities.
Perhaps, the worst of the absurdities that have been witnessed so far, is the refusal of the Federal Government of Nigeria to honour and respect the terms of an agreement that it willingly entered into with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (A.S.U.U.) in 2009, an agreement that was signed on its behalf by its responsible (?) officials. Without any modicum of shame, the same government's officials are seeking a renegotiation of the terms of the agreement. As a result, the university lecturers have been on strike while the students are at home at the mercy of the devil who is usually seen as the employer of the idle.
In the midst of the face-off between the Federal Government and university lecturers, the whole world have been watching, mouths agape, the manifestation of impunity by government officials. Is it not ironical that a government that willingly signed an agreement, has refused to honour the agreement? This can only happen in Nigeria, a nation of absurdities. Where lies the honour and legitimacy of a government that reneges on agreements? Indeed, these are perilous times for Nigeria, the giant of Africa.