Nigeria still has a long way to go,” my friend Valentine once said during the CoronaVirus pandemic when government and some
governors were declaring normal business activities but only the people should abide by the rules to reduce the spread of CoronaVirus. It was preventive measures though.He said this because the government declared online learning for primary and secondary school students. Anambra directive read.
So Valentine wasn’t convinced Nigerian pupils and students could cope online and his reasons not farfetched, being that Nigeria is underdeveloped. He talked of his friends who was defending his doctoring degree online in Canada while he was doing that in Anambra state. He admired the easiest way of his friend's online learning. He was eager and keen listening to hear the declarations of normal school activities as it were. He didn’t want his program to be disrupted. I bought the idea of Nigeria has a long way to go but not quite. Why did he say this? If Nigeria has a long way to go, what then stops us from making her journey short.
The only problem of human is the bile inside it; if it bursts it affects the whole system.
The problem is with us and it’s living with us and it’s us. I was political with him. No doubt he was a realist. I appreciate him because he was always sounding real and he didn’t like mincing words. He said things the way they were. But funnily I was activistic and liked putting things right and judgement. It didn’t augur well when we started our argument because he hated fallacy and I believed in logic and proof as a political analyst. But I always gave him credit and would allow him win because he was too persistent.
Few days later I was talking to my elder brother. He said, "I don’t think there is CoronaVirus in Nigeria," I was shocked at this but I remembered he once told me after my analysis on CoronaVirus. I told people that there is no CoronaVirus in Nigeria including Valentine and my elder brother Michael they disagreed and contended with the belief. And now my elder brother seemed to concur.
He said this to my great surprise, I walked closed to him overwhelmed. Why did he change his belief. He began to narrate how Nigerian politicians had been the problem of this country and politicizing on every single issue. He then believed and bought my idea that the supposed CoronaVirus they had made so alarming was actually to achieve their selfish political goals. I then realized that he was with me. He mentioned of how they set a certain place on fire, saying that the billions of naira citizen donated to help fight and support the poor masses as we were on shutdown and staying at home due to the pandemic was announced to be burnt after the selfish politicians had syphon it.
They question now is who set the house on fire and how did they expect the dumb masses as they see us to react? Probably they expect the masses to buy the cock and bull story just like the previous fairytales of snake swallowed billions and monkey made away with monies set aside for government budget. What a country? We lamented. “I’m willing to go for president. I want to be a candidate, I can so this better than this unscrupulous elements,” I laughed. But on a serious note big brother I have talked about Nigeria. I have cried profusely to stop this polluted government. Nigerian politicians are the problem. I suggest the eradication of godfatherism in Nigeria is the way forward.
"Nigeria is not corrupt," he said. The only problem Nigeria has is overuse of emulated western practices. The emulate western culture and practices but are unable to coordinate themselves therefore practicing it wrongly due to lack of expertise. "What did that mean?" "It means they are over wise showing themselves off in everything. Implicating themselves by bringing themselves out and so gets easily noticed and recognized, just like the popular proverb, ‘it is only who the sea sees that it swallows its feet’ So Nigeria made herself to be noticed. So she is the committer of the crime but still not the originator,” he said after giving fact to prove his point. I agreed with him.
This pandemic taught everyone a lesson but mine was too much coupled with what I know about Nigeria and it’s flaws. Nigeria refused to grow but she must grow. Still Nigerian politicians who were at it again that the agreed 20,000 to give masses as palliative they would be able to continue living. What happened that the donations was burnt. It was a pitiful experience to have in a rich country such as Nigeria yet the masses suffer. Mismanagement of national wealth and income. they declared lockdown was later aborted just to see that traders, businessmen and businesswomen were back to their feet to help fuel the economy. Really now they seemed to believe in citizen.
On 5th March was when the declared release of shutdown. Seeing people coming and walking on the street crowd trooping. It was as if they opened the foot border. People were acting released and relieved as they looked freed from captivity at same time. It wasn’t funny. If it had lasted longer than this, just one month, people would have started dying massively out of hunger and starvation. This was so because Nigeria as a lawless country, didn’t know how to cater and take care of its citizens at same time.
When a leader fails, the citizens suffer it.
It might sound unfair but it’s true. Nigerian government had plans when they release the shutdown. This was to liven business activities, to ensure businesses started in full swing. No longer the secret business traders had been indulging themselves during the pandemic just to sustain life which shouldn’t be so but against the pandemic law but because of a corrupt government it was so. Now same citizens they didn’t want to give their fundamental human right. Same citizens that had no right over the government they also own. Same citizens that were not experiencing and enjoying true democracy but looking blindly at how their own country was maligned as it continued to be worthless with its currency devaluation from time to time.
When two elephants fights, the grass suffers it.
It’s really affecting Nigeria.” Before Nigeria can stand out from its malfunctioning state, it has to bring in leaders of integrity, and a strict law to be abiding which would regulate both leaders and people in higher authority and the led; the beauzasers and the protectorates. Nobody should be above the law. Because the problem of Nigeria is that people are above the law and no set standards, it’s so unfortunate. People in authority weren’t regulated and coordinated. No democracy, they led have no say in government. Deprived of the right to vote and be voted for. No franchise and political lobbying during elections. I call them unfortunate corrupt leader. This was why Biafrans called Nigeria a zoo. The zoologists-Northerners herding instead of leading the people,” he said and left the discussion room.
It was then obvious that I was staying at home to stay safe from the pandemic till the end of my service year. Really the B1 had been given their POP date 28 of May. Barely two months for B2 to go.
After reading the message Amadi Samuel Chinedu, CLO Njikoka, mandating that we pay our magazine subscription on or before 6th May, 2020 batch B2 inclusive I knew things had gone out of shape. It was getting clearer that we were going to end our service year online. “Attached is my account details, though it is #1000 only” It was possible I might end up not paying, I thought. Read also, Effects of daring to live a perfect life
It was 7th May 2020 we were sitting outside, my dad saw the rainbow in the sky, and moaned, huh, this is a tragic sign. It shows terrible things are happening in Nigeria," “You mean Nigeria? No, the world. The world is changing, everything has changed. Things have fallen apart ; no longer at ease,” like Chinua Achebe of Thinga Fall Apart," brother Michael said. It is a sign of strange and ugly incidents, happening and the ones yet going to happen,” said dad.
“It is a sign of great things that is about to happen in my life,” I said. Mom was confused, she believed in what dad said. Mom began to count to ensure it was really seven colors but some colors were hidden in others. I concluded it was seven though some attached.
Early that day news was that, the DCO Anambra state was suspected to have contracted COVID19, and other police officers and other forces so fears gripped police officers in the state. There was urgent palliative measures to stop the spread of CoronaVirus in Abia state. Abia traders had not locked up the market, the government of Abia states said they had to be sure the set strict law abiding regulations and appointed standing regulators and enforcement agents to make sure that precautionary measures are taken in the markets.
A time came it was announced that markets would be opened for three days a week. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
When a dog wants to die, it never allows it to smell the human excrete. If you must die, you must learn to live.
How selfless Nigeria politicians could be, commissioner for financial accepted to give contract to be selling wash hand pool bucket at the price of 5000. Traders began to cry. What a cry we get from people who are supposed to be our great leaders who are supposed to have our interest at heart?
I remembered the first time I visited GTBank on my return to Aba from Anambra State. My first welcome was the security officer to show me a sanitizing machine. He ordered me to bring out my palm. He pressed it and I had a drip of sanitizer on my palm. I thought it was finished, he said “Wait! look up,” he faced a small thermometer towards my face. “What again? What is it? Are you going to flash it on my eyes?” I asked curiously. “No,” and instantly he withdrew it and showed me, “This is your temperature,” I saw the number 36. Is it okay or not,” I asked. “It’s okay,” then I walked in to the banking hall. What a nonsense! All this formalities. I know Nigeria has not got the right instruments for the test of CoronaVirus as of earlier that time, so why the pretence.
Later I began to wandered. What was the essence of that, to know one’s temperature? But someone’s temperature could be low or hot cause of every other ailment which must not be CoronaVirus. This simply explained how handicap Nigeria was at the situation is yet pretends to be alright.
He who does not know and does not know that he doesn't know is a fool.
She didn’t have adequate medical equipment for this so why pretence and deceiving herself. I wandered how Nigeria would survive should CoronaVirus enter Nigeria. No proper medical care. The peoples were in fear. But they were making joke out of CoronaVirus. Few were observing the rules and measures of prevention of CoronaVirus such as wearing nose mask, washing of hand with soap and water and sanitizing hand, I found out they weren’t observing but I was really in fear for Abia inhabitants because, social distancing was the last measure they had considered to observe.
The amazing incident was my experience that day on transportation. The doubled the price of transportation fare, you had to observe the distancing in tricycle, carrying two at the back seat and considering how passengers found it difficult to pay the amount made some of the tricycle drivers not to be willing to carry limited passengers. Rather they went as far as conveying five passengers, three at the back seat and one at the driver’s right and the other at his left. "Wow! This is not happening! How then can we survive it, if truly there was CoronaVirus in Nigeria every inhabitant would have contracted it even before now. I frowned at this, I didn’t know the problem of Nigeria. Read also, Nigeria weeps for corruption
At times I would push the blame to Nigerian government, apportioning blanes on the government can't help issues at all. The next I would start apportioning blame on the selfish politicians and looking at it rightly I would say that the masses had a great contribution to the fallen Nigeria. At times I wonder if it were liven beings or dead humans that live in this country. The way the people act carelessly and making jokes out of everything baffled me, that most times I feel like pouring out my heart without reserve. But nobody is willing to listen to you.
If you talk you die, if you don't talk you will still die. No why pretending. Isn't it better to talk and die?
Let's learn to embrace good governance and treat the people that place us on the position fairly. Good name is better than gold and silver.
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