LOVING NIGERIA TO DEATH

Nigeria is not a pet. If you love it, let it breath, do not smother it to death. We express our love of the Country in different ways. If it was not a durable Country, so called patriots that cannot do without its oil earnings, could have snuffed the daylight out of it. These “patriots” claim they are ready to die for Nigeria by bleeding the Country to death. Indeed, a few of them confess their surprise that Nigeria is still standing. It takes only some ants stinging a lion, the king of animals, from all sides to lay it to rest and die.

The truth is the stingers of Nigeria want to kill the Country because they have no intention for it to survive. So whenever they are in any position to grab, they loot the hell out of it. They have abandoned their stake in the Country. As long as Nigeria is still standing, they will come back for more until they see the end of it as a country. In disguise, they claim they will not let Nigeria disintegrate, but only until they have had their fill. Whenever they are challenged, like an old woman in Igbo proverb, they feel uneasy whenever bones are mentioned. These looters display their uneasiness by stifling their opponents. Their way or no way, love Nigeria tender, please.

We have to sort out the real patriots in a country. There is a difference between those who are resigned to their faith because they have no where they can run to or accept them, so they stay and fight on. Unlike those of us who run in and out when it gets too hot in the kitchen. It is not a choice for many but a destiny. If we steal enough money to live outside coffers, vacation out of deep pockets, get medical check-ups and treatment outside that purse and send children out of our home without language or culture to identify with us; we can hardly claim to be patriots.

We have heard about bastards that sent thugs to go and rob their fathers never expecting that they would kill him. These thugs intend to kill Nigeria, disregard the lofty sacrifice they claimed they made so that Nigeria can survive, just as long as there is oil money to loot. It is the lice that suck the dog to death not realizing their own death wish, says a Yoruba proverb.

They fleece both government and workers by not paying salary to encourage bribes. Businesses followed their lead. It was an introduction of bribes for survival into our already stressed polity. The habit of collecting payment on contracts they never perform has gone into their blood so when they go into business, the workers get paid last or never get paid at all. It used to be that a prudent businessman that took the risk gets paid last by making sacrifice for later profit.

There are some of those destined to survive inside the Country by hook or crook while others still play by the rules. Those that have decided to be criminals prey on the wrong set of people that are law abiding and are too proud to be outlaws. They are victimized in their homes and on the streets. In most cases, they are defenseless with no deterrents against criminals. Their lives are taken for granted and they die undeservedly. Most of the criminals dare not face their exploiters. Instead of facing the oppressors, they worship them as thugs and body guards.

There are also two types of complainants. Those that criticize because they are excluded from the pot and cannot get their hands in. As soon as they are invited to looters' club, the country is fine. There are also sincere critics who care about the future of their children and the country wondering what the next generation will be after they are gone. They desire no gratuity, favor or payback but a civilized community in their time and a bright future for our children and the unborn. The plight of the country is their constant obsession until progress is made.

All Africans, not only Swahili proverb know that it takes a village to raise a child. You are either for Africa or against us and if you are a party that contributes to the demise of any country in the Continent, you can call yourself an African but we know you as a Judas. If Nigeria breaks, there is no African Country big enough to take all of us. If we can just reflect on the massive looting, local and external debts with sheer indifference to the plight of our fellow men, there is nothing left for our children. A country that does not think about its children, lacks a future. Believe it or not, these vultures realize that and they just don't care.

We have no sense of urgency in Africa to provide basic needs that will benefit everyone, no matter what your station is in life. The rich and the poor do eat, buy and ply the same road to and from their different activities in life. The sight of poverty, shacks and debilitated housing are revolting to the sight and also painful for those forced to use them. What we do is turn our minds away from those unpalatable structures that may offend us. Some of us have developed attitudes of “better them than me”.

It is not a disease common to Africans alone. Many of those we hold in high esteem also share this selfish notion that if the country collapses it will not fall on them because they have golden parachutes to greener pasture. That is why they will crave for allowances, benefits, exceptions or tax cuts they know the country cannot afford even if these estacodes come out of allowance of the poor: food, schools of children, pension of the old or the tolls contribution for old roads.

Survival of the fittest instinct from the jungle days of animals is entrenched in some people all around the globe and it is demonstrated in different form. In our part of the world, we wonder how those who claim they believe in the unity of the Country are willing to see the same people on their knees begging for basic needs. Some have displayed their disgust for our unity by massive stealing begetting militants that have usurped the good cause of the dispossessed.

We are not that helpless. We must take on the bulls by the horn by throwing ordinary sands to disrupt their weddings and other ceremonies making it hard to celebrate their accumulations. We have to raise their blood pressure, track, and expose them overseas. Conspicuous spending and greed drives them. Those motives must be blocked to cut down on pillaging of resources.