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| Photo: THE WILL |
By Liberty Ruyi
Happy Independence Day is an easy phrase like mimicking the Americans, yet to ordinary Nigerian citizens, it signifies the carcasses of a hitherto growing Lion.
Our family values are gone, competitive education gone, grassroots health care is gone, power and roads are worse of, intellectual fraud both in public and private life has taken dangerous dimensions, and poverty is sinking deeper with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer with attendant insecurity.
The story from preceding generations is the same. Every generation tells the next that Nigeria was better in their days as youths, a clear graphical representation of a declining society that is politically painted to be heading towards “Canaan” as expected of leadership, whether in faith or faithlessness. The paradox of “I believe in Nigeria”, but my kids must school and get medical attention abroad, even become citizens in foreign lands.
At 57, take it or pretend to leave it, Nigeria youths no longer believes in learning, hard work, creativity, innovativeness and perseverance.
They have seen their contemporaries become millionaires through the back door overnight, stealing of public funds, advance fee fraud, kidnapping, robbery, militancy, thuggery, rituals, drugs, and the list is endless.
Many of the poor class that couldn’t take the heat have taken into street labour, begging and prostitution in Europe and Asia aided by trafficking. And our international ratings continue to grow on the negative.
It is cheap and easy to say Nigeria is making progress when you are up there. I bet you, it isn’t rosy down here. A higher percentage of Nigerians are resorting to self-help that is capable of sending our nation into extinction in a considerable period.
A mix up in the street will blow your mind. From the greatest to the least, the desperation to be certain of survival without recourse to the law has gone beyond a frightening dimension. It is at a cross road of human history.
Make no mistake about it. Both the fortunate leaders and the led are engulfed in this cycle of uncertainty, hence the growing case of nepotism in the distribution of power and wealth. Factually, it is a national dilemma that will not only require political competence and will power, but divine providence. As it is, we are yet to reverse the declining negative trend since there is no one solution like a broad spectrum antibiotics to our numerous and multi facial problems. It is still a case of “try your luck” at all levels of governance.
May I close by telling you the hard truth? Things are not likely to change for the better the way the political structure is as at today. Whereas, the children of the very rich are better trained abroad than the education and exposure we have here, leaving us to blame game. Little do we realize that a more competent class is already being designed by this influential team of our generation to lead our tomorrow, with the poor and ordinary at their continuous mercy.
But I think there is a considerable way out. “Devolution of power and improved participation in governance”. Lamentations and blackmail will lead us nowhere. It is time to embrace knowledge and take actions.
First Published 2017
