HERE we go again, chasing shadows and leaving the substance. The British, by announcing an impending Visa Bond, are saying, very clearly, that they do not want us in their country; and, as usual, we are flaring up, fuming and shouting.
Our almighty Federal Government is crying foul, with our dear President and Commander-in-Chief, Goodluck Jonathan, up in arms demanding that Britain does not implement the hike.
But, is he, along with his cabinet and his “largest party in Africa” that has over these past 14 years, pushed Nigeria into the deep abyss that she now is in, not ignoring certain important fundamentals, relative to the matter on the ground?
Instead of raving at Britain, should our leaders not be thinking of how to return Nigeria, once again, to a country whose citizens do not love RUNNING AWAY from? Or, can they pretend not to know that Nigerians are fleeing away in droves for the simple reason that conditions of living here have become unbearable due to their mis-governance, profligacy, impunity, thieving and corruption?
The UNDP’s Human Development Index Report for 2013, issued in March, ranks Nigeria at 153 of the 186 countries assessed, with 68 percent of the population living below 1.25 USD (about N200) per day.
The depth to which living conditions have sunk for the average Nigerian, the grave impoverishment that he is today suffering, was confirmed by President Jonathan’s government itself when, shortly after the January 2012 fuel price riots, a very graphic statement came out of Aso Rock saying that participants at that historical event were bribed by the opposition with “Pure Water” (!!!). Meaning: 50 Kobo sachet of water was so very much beyond the reach of the people that they could subject themselves to all the pains, discomfort and inconveniences that they experienced during those two weeks of the riots.
The aftermath of that event was a flurry of hi-octane body motions and a load of promises by Jonathan and his government about how they would transform Nigeria into paradise on earth. But, as we expected, it has all turned out to be just motion and no movement.
A mere mirage except for the politicians and those in government, along with their dependants, government apologists and sycophants, contractors and other human parasites who are feeding fat from our (tax-payers’) money. These people, numbering under ONE PERCENT of our 160 million population, corner 80 percent of our collective wealth in, arguably, the greatest case of lootocracy that the world has ever seen.
Since the riots, or, even over these past 14 years that the present crop of leaders invaded Aso Rock, where are the promised giant leaps in education, health care, roads and other infrastructure, jobs, power? As far as economic growth is concerned, where other nations, like our smaller and poorer neighbours, are doing tangible, sustainable things that reflect on lives, Nigeria’s case is that of paper growth and propaganda. Regarding corruption, which was the main issue surrounding the riots, please let’s just not go there at all. President Jonathan himself signalled the death knell to the fight against this all-consuming monster when he said, sometime ago, that he does not give a damn(!!!) about assets declaration. And, as should be expected, report after report by Transparency International, such as that of a few weeks ago, show how Nigeria continues to sink deeper and deeper into the cesspit of corruption.
Now, to this matter of fees hiking. Is the Nigerian government itself not guilty of similar actions and worse? Look around you, fees and tariffs of almost all government-provided goods and services in this country are going up exponentially by the day without any thought to the stagnated incomes and the increasing poverty levels of the people who have to pay such fees.
Take the very unpopular fuel price hike, for instance, when Nigerians got their Yuletide/’New Year’ joy shattered on the very first day of the year as they woke up to the realisation that their already seriously depressed quality of life was going to go further south, following a whopping 120 percent rise in the price of a commodity that permeates every stratum of living.
Also, in the very recent past, other fees, such as cost of vehicle registration and the associated driver’s licence, have been increased indiscriminately by the FG. What about electricity tariffs? Are we not paying higher and higher bills for light that we do not get?
Add to these the completely unchecked acts of extortion, bribery, graft and similar vices by government workers, including the security agencies, and you have the very sorry picture of a population seriously oppressed by the same people who took oaths to protect and provide for them. Needless to say, all these different forms of government championed exploitation are part of the factors making Nigeria a living hell for the larger majority people.
So, if things remain so bad that 50 Kobo pure water continues to be a luxury item, can you blame Nigerians for running away from their own country and tramping all over the world looking for where to call home? And, the exodus cuts across all ages.
The young, able-bodied unemployed graduate, for instance, has this as an obvious choice between criminal activities such as stealing, robbing, as well as kidnapping or begging, in an environment where people do not have enough to care for self and family, talk less of giving out. And, does it matter if what these fleeing Nigerians get in those other countries is the most menial of jobs? For Nigerians in this 21st Century, Home is no longer Sweet Home.
Home is any other country where three square meals can be guaranteed for self and the family; where the children can get quality education; where there is access to quality health care and where light turns on at the touch of a switch and stays on for as long as you need it.
Availability of these basics which other countries have long taken for granted continues to be a mirage in Nigeria. What makes it so daunting is that there is no hope or indication that things will change in the foreseeable future as our leaders are obviously clueless or just do not “give a damn” about how to handle Nigeria’s multifarious problems. All we see is a lot of grandstanding and more and more promises.
Obviously, these leaders, particularly over the past 14 years of this our strange and uniquely Nigerian version of democracy, do not know the first thing about the important leadership mind set known as “Pride of Self and Country”. If they did, they would be far more committed to Brand Nigeria and work hard to make the country they rule over that country that foreigners love to flock to.
Instead, they are totally preoccupied with perpetuating their stay in power, even as Nigeria continues to hurt and bleed and descend closer and closer to its past pariah State status.
The way we are going, it will be no big surprise when even our smaller and poorer neighbours also find ways to chase us away from their shores, just as Britain is now doing. For, even those countries have long got over such primordial developmental challenges as power supply and taken giant strides of progress, while our Giant of Africa country, led by the “largest party in Africa”, still lies grovelling on the ground in its medieval darkness.
May God save us from our leaders lest we all port away.
Mr. TUNDE ILEVBARE, a social critic, wrote from Lagos.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/before-we-all-port-away/#sthash.iHITMMB3.dpuf
0 Comments