NIGERIA; YOU JUST WONDER SOMETIMES!

As a Nigerian, I ponder over a lot of issues and sometimes, all I do is wonder because I simply cannot get a clear picture of where we are headed as a nation. We cannot do away with the simplest issues, things get complicated and the ever present elements; Nepotism, Tribalism, Religion, Ethnicity and the big brother, Mr Corruption.

We woke up the first day of this year with that famous fuel subsidy removal, the protest, lives lost and then it all fizzled out. No Nigerian president has suffered that much insult as did Goodluck Jonathan but He does not seem to care, the man kept his cool. I cannot help wondering what the difference between N141 and N97 really is, when we were all clamouring for the old price of N65. Whatever the reasons for NLC/TUC accepting the N97 does not really count now, I just cannot help the thought and feeling that those who lost their lives, might have done so in vain….the N65 never happened. There were reports of blackmail, sabotage as reasons for NLC/TUC ending the protest but how does that affect the common man on the street? It has always been about that common man and yet it has never been about them….No one seems care; it is always in Campaign promises and paperwork. We know how to talk in Nigeria!

Joblessness, a lack of direction and purpose have eaten deep into in the fabric of our society. Young people lack role models, no inspiration; nothing to even look up to and believe it self-inspiration is not easy especially in an environment like this. It is easier said than done. Many Nigerians continue to migrate for economic reasons and they will prefer to live as immigrants regardless of their conditions than come back home. It is a lot of work to survive in Nigeria, to keep your sanity, to rise above mere existence. So many Suffer-head method of doing thing, lack of value for human lives, zero respect for human dignity….. When people say we are beginning to settle for less as Nigerians, they may not be far from the truth in many respects. Things are just over the top, complicated with processes, red-tapeism that is unyielding, unprogressive and system that would seem to be working on the surface but deep down it does not solve anything.

Why did the former Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, wait till this time to resign? He was compelled to and one would have thought that a man of his standing should exhibit a sense of responsibility in leadership. He lacklustre regime that yielded nothing, he almost lost his own life when the police HQ was bombed, how can someone protect others when he himself cannot protect himself? Honour and human character cannot be bought; you have to earn it, traits that should not be lacking high up the ladder of leadership. It is no longer news that Nigerians are no longer safe, bomb explosions and the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram is just everyday news. Reports say they have killed over 900 people!!  From what looked like a scare, we have now been labelled a terrorist Nation. It is a shame that a country this great can be reduced to a ghost of it past glory because of poor leadership. The New IG is already been scrutinized because of previous reports labelling him as a supposed fanatic based on the famous Justice Niki Tobi Panel regarding his role as the Commissioner of Police in Plateau State, then.  Reports confirm Outright sack was recommended but here today, he is the man-in-charge.

What about the buses promised by the Federal Executive Council(FEC) to serve as palliative measures in the wake of the fuel subsidy removal? You guessed right! We are not even expecting it, we are crunching under the price increase and just dealing with it our own way. Our Leaders and those in the corridors of power are obviously on a different page from the rest of us. It is why, they can sit around in FEC meeting laugh, have a good time deliberating when people are dying everyday, failed educational system, dilapidated public amenities and then we will continue to struggle as a developing country when Ghana is miles ahead of us. The grammar in Nigeria is just too much. We want results, we want proofs, and we want systems that work. We are tired of promises. Everyday, you read the Tabloids, listen to the news, the story is the same, one step forward, three steps backward. Nigerians are trying to survive, put food on our tables and find a way to overcome recycled leadership.

Nigeria is a country of mixed fortunes and talk can no longer help us. There are a lot of things to ponder on, it is a shame!