Occupy Nigeria

I have watched and listened to the news in mounting horror over the last year coming out of my homeland: my Nigeria.

  

I know we have as a people not had the best of days in the past: I daresay Nigeria's political, religious and sociocultural past plays like a movie rivaling any stories that tinsel town could ever produce. It has been from one thriller to another and always WE and not the principal government characters suffer. In saying WE, I mean the fathers of Nigeria who work so hard and yet fail in their responsibilities to their families, the mothers of Nigeria who slave away and at the end have nothing to show for it and the children of Nigeria whose dreams are daily eroded by the failures of the system their parents have built and more importantly tolerated.

  

We as Nigeria have had more than our fair share of bad press especially in international circles, however in addressing those who speak evil about us I would say that “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” We are the not the worst of nations and even in those places that have labeled us with all sorts of unsavory appellations there exits layers of crime, corruption and bad leadership but what makes them different is how they present themselves and go about their issues. I MUST at this point strongly say I have not and will never condone the nonsense that we as Nigerians have done in the past ranging from corruption, scamming, bad leadership and bombing to mention a few that have given us a bad name: It really has to stop.

Speaking of bombing, I remember the Christmas day bomber in the US a couple of years ago: our brother Abdulmutalab. In defense of our great nation we had brazenly told the US government that bombing and terrorism wasn't in our nature, I dare us to say the same now. 

I don't get the method to the madness called “Boko Haram.” They claim to be sect who oppose western education, yet they use western developed explosives and if my prior information about their mission statement if one may call it that is true, their grouse is or should I say was with the government, because judging from recent targets they obviously now have a grouse with the common man too. They had carried out smaller scale non news worthy events in the past, but on Nigeria's 50^th independence anniversary, they came out with a bang literally and went national doing so with such shocking boldness and sadly that was just a fore taste of things to come. They have struck with such bewildering fearlessness bombing federal buildings, international buildings and more recently places of public gathering.

Shame on you Boko Haram! Shame on us Nigeria! And Shame on you Nigerian leadership!

May I address you Boko Haram and your cohorts: it is despicable the absolute rubbish it is that you perpetuate. I condemn you in every way and manner possible, you are cowards, faceless barbarians who hide behind the mask of terror to unleash an evil that I pray would in your lifetimes turn around and bite you in the rear causing you the same pain that you have caused us. I speak to the sponsors of this evil financially and politically, I speak to the family members and friends who have waved “fare thee well” to the bombers as they exited to go wreck their havoc: all of whom are as guilty as the person who does the actual process of bombing.

If I ever did understand what your bone of contention as Boko Haram is at this point, maybe I would understand how you pick your targets. So far, your target pickings have obviously been the work of a maniac with no evidence of a pattern or a cause being fought. If your issue is with the government, then get in line, because we all have an issue with this monument to ineptitude called the Nigerian government, but you don't see us throwing bombs at the United Nations building or offering our own foul interpretation of Christmas fireworks in the guise of bombs to the innocent citizenry who despite being constantly raped by a callous administration still manage to get themselves to a Christmas service to celebrate the undeniable help that they have received from the celestial realm.

The pain you have caused, the hurt you have unleashed, the blood you have spilled and the fear that you have inspired truly bear testament to the sordid truth that you have made a pact with the devil to ruin a great nation, let me tell you a little detail you must have over looked while you signed your demonic covenant: in the end light would always win over darkness.

Speaking to us Nigerians, I must first of all salute our infinite tenacity to bear up under and with almost impossible scenarios that would crack the fiber of most people. I find in us a rare sense of humor especially on the social network sites when ever anything happens, ranging from bombs, to ridiculous federal spending, to really anything that is trending.

As much as I appreciate and participate in the fun, I would need to speak to us a bit more sternly. These bombers are Nigerians, who live in Nigeria and have Nigerians as friends and family, yet we expect the law enforcement agencies which have been crippled by the now governmental norm of corruption to work literal magic and catch these criminals who we hide, protect, feed, clothe, hug, laugh with, share memories with and the list goes on. Let us get off this jocular horse and instead ride a meaner machine poised to effect change. Let us own up and be responsible: when you see something, say something and more importantly do something. It is high time we became proactive with our security because the government obviously has no idea of what it means to secure the people and the property which really is their first responsibility as elected officials. This is no call to chaos or jungle justice but instead a clarion call that we as responsible citizens play our very necessary part in securing our own lives and property by being pro-active: something our leadership fails at so much it is appalling. Tell the authorities when you see something out of place and keep pressuring them till action is taking, with persistence even the biblical wicked judge finally gave in to justice. 

We should vehemently demand that this government live up to its responsibilities and stop joking about every wrong doing that they indulge in, because something tells me that those lazy people in Abuja actually factor in that we would do nothing when they do all those wrong things. Let us shock them, let's tell them you cannot keep doing the same things that have been done to us over the years and get away with it: enough really is enough

The federal government is a sham, a painful realization that it takes more than a name to actually turn around the luck of a nation. In the face of this Boko Haram madness, this government has failed woefully. The Boko Haram group which operates with a limited budget and poorer human resources has overcome a more financially and human resource buoyant government. I guess in this age the underdog: David still kills Goliath: the loud mouthed big for nothing government, except only that this “David” is probably poor sighted because he is shooting and killing the wrong targets: the people and not the “Goliath” government.

Shame on you politicians who have sat in your posh mansions, being driven around in your immorally expensive automobiles and enlarged  not just your waist girths but your bank accounts as well while the nation you claim to lead is blown into shriveling bits.

Mr. President, at some point I did pity you for the unfair political treatment that had been meted you in the recent past by your now seemingly more influential political adversaries, but with your attitude, lack of initiative, dearth of action and honestly your inappropriately annoying smile I feel nothing but disappointment in you Sir. You are in a coma as far as leadership is concerned, what will it take to jolt you to consciousness: a bomb? Because you've had more than enough of that, a strike? I believe there is one on going now. Wake up and smell the sweat and blood of everyday Nigerians as they suffer unduly under your leadership or maybe the lack of it thereof.

I am not asking that you run away or resign because sad as it may be a vacant presidency is probably the only thing worse than what we have now. What I am asking that you do is man up and be the leader that you were elected to be. Rid yourself of those charlatans who poison the intentions of even the most saintly of hearts, get surrounded by true professionals, invest in the future of Nigeria, fix education, fix health and then you would automatically say that you do not have money to do that.

The rather rude and insensitive New year's gift you gave Nigeria in the name of fuel subsidy removal is another issue, but you claim it is to provide you the money to fix the travails of Nigeria, as much as I don't believe you, you deserve a chance to try, but I beg you don't do what we somewhat expect you to do, which is fail. Surprise us: succeed, we need you to, we pray that you do.

Don't go down in posterity as a total leadership disaster even worse than the evil machinations of those who have bombed us. Give the future a reason to remember you and smile for good reasons only. Be the light we have asked for, defeat the darkness. I would help in any and every way I can and I pray that all Nigeria does the same.

God bless Nigeria.