Nigeria, What Is Cooking?

By Mosunmola Adebola

Nigeria, our beloved country, the beautiful dark continent and giant of Africa. A country filled with beautiful landscapes and blessed with human, agricultural and natural resources. A land overflowing with beautiful multicultural heritage and diversetraditions. What is cooking?

Imagining waking up to the aroma of food emanating from the kitchen with all your senses at alert, and you are already salivating, anticipating and imagining how justice will be served to the delicacy, but alas! What is cooking?

Nigeria, what is cooking?
Corruption is the order of the day. Despite the country earning a considerable sum of money from its natural resources such as oil and gas, millions of its citizens are left impoverished because the largest sum of the proceeds is always shared by the few high and mighty whose only aim is to enrich their pockets. They keep getting richer as the day progresses, while the poor masses are getting themselves entrenched in the dark muds of poverty which has become an enigma that each household is striving to dust off on a daily basis. It has made a sane man to act out of character as the rich in the society keepenriching themselves with the sweats of the masses, who are only hoping for a better and brighter days to come.

Nigeria, what is cooking?
Depression, anxiety and joblessness has deeply affected the minds and souls of the masses and the way out for survival is to “japa”. Japa? Yes, japa! Japa has become a commonYoruba slangs among the Nigerian youths today, which means to flee or escape to a foreign country in search of a greener pastures. Hence, our youths are not smiling as the economic situation of our beloved country is also not smiling as well. Everyone desires a good life but such does not just happen in Nigeria, today. Being employed in an organisation is by connection. Meaning, you must know somebody that knowssomeone that matters in the particular organisation you are seeking employment from, as the significance of a certificate is of a lesser value. And this brings about this saying “get connection to be connected in the right places.”

Nigeria, what is cooking?
Scarcity of health care workers has reduced the quality of services rendered by this institution. This sector is also not left out of the “japa” syndrome, as most Nigerian doctors have relocated for a better working and living conditions, since their services rendered are not well appreciated and valued by its government. This however, has affected the masses who can only afford the services rendered by this public institution. Hmmm...

Nigeria, what is cooking?
Kidnapping is at its peak and has become an everyday occurrence where everyone moves cautiously and the senses of alertness is high. In fact, no where is safe because even while at home or walking on the street, this atrocious act can happen, and it is mostly rampant in the northern part of the country. And due to the high cost of travelling by air, the masses are therefore left at the mercy of the kidnappers whentravelling by road or by train. Thus, families of kidnap victims often sell their property, take loans from banks and crowdfund to raise the ransom for their beloved ones. Oh, what an insane society.

Nigeria, what is cooking?
What is cooking is not palatable. Let us change our ingredients in other to be served a delicious and sumptuous meal. Nigeria, this is the time to change what is cooking because bad ingredients spoil the soup. The situation of ourbeloved Nigeria can still be salvaged. So, get your PVC and vote, because your vote counts. Please, do the needful so that what is cooking can be palatable.