National Pride
One knows the nation is in trouble when Vigilantes arresting a man who
escaped with a pot of soup heavy ladened with goat meat, makes
headlines in the national dailies.
Licking his lips with glee the alleged Weinebo, a native of Bayelsa
state was settling to eat fufu with the spoils of war following his
invasion of his neighbour's kitchen carting away the precious pot of
soup before he was caught. Unknown to him, his neighbour had alert the
local vigilante group which mounted a sweep of the community finally
catching Weinebo red handed licking his fingers and enjoying his
neighbours soup.
For a nation that has lost all its sense of National Pride to witness
this show of desperation on the front pages of our national dailies
reveals that the recession is real and not just a word.
While the abducted children from the Lagos Model School Ibeju Lekki,
remain in captivity because their parents are not of the caliber of a
CBN Governor or Minister. One prays that these innocent children don't
end up like the Chibok girls whose destiny is now akin to canon
fodder, pawns in a game of chicken between the Government and Boko
Haram.
And as the nation dips further into recession the cry of Oh Lord give
us our daily bread is only about to get louder as the Master Bakers
Association of Nigeria have announced that as from next week the price
of bread is going to double to reflect a mark up in the price of
production.
As a bag of sugar rises from N7,000 to N19,000, Butter from N4,200 to
N12,000, Yeast from N10,500 toN17,500 and flour from N9,500 to 12,700;
Bread is about to become the meal of only the tin-gods as the common
man can only hope to dream that manna from heaven will fall once
again.
And I ask those at the helm of Government that I know, "For how long
will this insanity continue?" And the only answers I get are
"Nigerians should be patient"
"It is not our fault so blame the looting spree of past leaders".
But a time frame to reverse these misdeeds seems not feasible. No one
wants to commit precious time and energy towards working with a
deadline. For even the leadership seem overwhelmed by the avalanche of
problems as the nation deconstructs.
September has come and gone yet the National School Feeding Program
promised by the Government is yet to commence.
How can a people have pride in its leadership when the simplest of all
social responsibility of giving food to school children is placed
amongst the backbenchers. And the deafening silence over the failure
to commence this programme speaks more to the enlightened that this is
a regime that has failed to realized that time is of the essence and
the need to keep to schedule is paramount.
Which employee will live to see his job remain for another day having
missed countless deadlines amidst no explanations to a litany of
flimsy excuses.
Time is running out and all we have to show for 17 months of a Buhari
regime are a panel beaten budget, a battered Naira and an Almighty
Recession. These are the economic highpoints that has robbed Nigerians
of their hope of a better tomorrow.
And now to rob us of the little pride we have might be the last straw
that breaks the camel's back.
For a Minister to have the gall to pronounce that the leading
contender to take over the concession of the Nation's Airports is a
Turkish firm is a slap in the face of every Nigerian alive considering
the inhumane treatment dished out to over 100 Nigerian Students who
were recently deported from Turkey.
Turkey should be wiped off the lips of every Nigerian Government
official alive after they arrested and detained Nigerian students
labelling them coup plotters and other unprintable names just because
the Turkish Government is locked in an orgy of uncertainty following
the recent failed coup attempt.
But one wonders if it was only Nigerians attending this so called coup
plotting University, held as a Gullenist enclave. Did the British and
American Nationals receive similar treatment or this treatment of
locking away some Black Monkeys in a cage without food or water was
preserved for only the Nigerians?
But a country that has lost all sense of National pride and is
oppressed by the cold hands of a recession now dances naked before its
enemies for the belief is we have no choice and are humble servants of
the lighter skinned men be they Indian, Lebanese , Turkish or Chinese.
We are lesser mortals who can sell our birthright for a mess of
porridge because we are in a recession.
Nigerians are all watching this drama unfold as this is the first true
test of this regime's diplomatic credentials and with their
performance so far its doubtful if they have won over any new
supporters.
To rob a people of their pride is a prelude to disaster. They become
desperate and easily malleable in the hands of agent provocateurs.
Hence to go dancing around the Turks who obviously love our money but
don't like our colour of skin is sinking too low for even in a
recession a begger can be a chooser.
Restore pride to the Nation. Protect our Naira from speculators and
middlemen. Give Nigerians a reason to keep on living and infuse them
with hope for a brighter future.
Employ more technocrats and mentors of men and less career politicians
whose only inkling of the crisis the nation is in is dragging a
parochial debate over who coined the phrase "change begins with me" as
if this phrase is going to put food in the mouths of Nigeria and
restore respect to our citizens in foreign lands.
This lesson is for the leadership of Nigeria.
Restore National pride to the people or be ready for the fall out from
the disillusionment of a people for too long. End the debasement of
Nigerians in the hands of foreigners both at home and abroad thus the
loyalty of the people to its leadership shall be strengthened.
Time is of an essence but the foot dragging continues as the recession
marches on