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When the dust eventually settles

By Steve Obum Orajiaku
17 June 2021   |   2:23 am
The entire delivery of government efforts anchored by both the largely military and sparsely democratic leaders post independence in Nigeria can be reduced to just one word - retrogressive.

Democracy Day

The entire delivery of government efforts anchored by both the largely military and sparsely democratic leaders post independence in Nigeria can be reduced to just one word – retrogressive. The succeeding administrations have always flourished in helping outperform, in negative terms, their predecessors, quite unfortunate indeed. And as for the people, the more they look or want to keenly observe things, the less they end up seeing in practical terms. The disillusionment is unparalleled and appalling. But if this is the awkward burden expected to be borne by the supposed giant of Africa, it is enough. Much more than you can harbour it at heart or fantasize it in your rationale mind, Nigerians have never had it this bad. It is clearly a troublous, torturing and trying times. Help! Help!! Help!!! Cries the drowning souls! ‘When shall all these come to an end…’ such a wailing and gnashing of the teeth faintly heard as in the wilderness. As poetic as it may sound, the economic, social and political emancipation of the distinct people of Nigeria is long overdue and cannot be overemphasized. The international community must incline their ears and rapidly respond to the hues and cries of the perishing proletariats in Nigeria otherwise they are doomed. Desolation, destitution, devastation, and crass destruction is, as we speak, at the doorstep of every household in Nigeria while their callous and crippled government representatives remain either incapacitated or covertly in conspiracy with the schemers. It makes one’s heart to bleed.

Our inexhaustive inks seem to have refused to flow any longer in chronicling heart-rending events such as ‘57 killed in Zamfara State as the government suspend activities marking June 12 2021 Democracy Day.’ Indeed, I find it excessively morbid if not sadistic to rush publishing the reports of killings that has become a daily happening in Nigeria today. It is also ubiquitous and an enthralling besiege spoiling and ruining cast upon the hopeful land. What more can a people do? Our cries are well channelled to the heavens. Our trepidations and travails are turned to the gracious God for immediate redemptive intervention. For succour and salvation have we subjected our bodies in suppliant stations on every pews and concourses to bombard the sole occupant of the Eternal Throne that he may show us mercy and delight in helping us. But we are not putting all eggs in one basket but spread our tentacles to accommodate the endorsement of resolute moves towards pressing our demands for proper and proactive governance humanly possible to achieve.

A restructured Nigeria that wear the semblance of true federalism whereby the component regions of the vast unit of the country do harness appreciatively their inherent resources including the exploration of their illustrious human potentials sounds sellable than this unproductive method now in place. Our aspirations are stifled. Our desired growth and progress, whether as integral parts of or by extension the whole federating unit, is strangled and stagnated by the foreign imposed inept political leaders. Such cancerous reality of leadership cum fellowship phenomenon is a major burden and undoing we have had to endure in Nigeria. What has it benefitted us… absolutely nothing except heartache, bewailings, sadness and regret. We are held hostage as in the dramatic movie setting – where an armed notorious but disoriented few cramps on a majority and multitude of commuters in a closet – demanding stringent ransom otherwise they all be dead men and women, shortly. For example, irrespective of the accumulated debt profiles of the Third World nations of mainly Latin America and Africa States, the twilight of 80s decade, the United States of America had allowed itself to acquire an internal debt of US $3.2 trillion (1989), greater than any other country in the world at the time. It was said to be a ‘dark stormcloud on the global economic horizon.’ Now welcome home… As at this material point in time, the public external debt profile of Nigeria (the gigantic boastful Africa best economy) has reached the neighborhood of US $33 to $38 Billion and still rising as further requests for foreign loan proposals are presented to the National Assembly for approval by the nonchalant government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

I wonder why more attention should not be given to the creation and management of a certain Creditors Creative/Productive Fund body more than is being done to the existing Debt Management Office in Nigeria. It seems to me that’s being retrogressive and reactionary mentality in practice. Enough rooms are deliberately being created for the consumer disposed people in a nation where rather productive minded professionals is urgently needed. Alas! our political charlatans have done this nation the greatest disservice which no one can imagine in his or her widest illusion. They have mocked the vast people of Nigerians in their nocturnal summits and covens. They have mesmerized the psychological stability of the unsuspecting Nigerians and mortgaged their well-beings without any recourse to sobriety, moderation and humanitarianism. They are destitute of self restraint and kindness. They are callous, criminally versed, conquistadors, conservatively corrupt and fantastically ignorant.

The rising army of the people’s liberation and liberty is on course. They may wear the garb of irredentist or harmless self determination agitators but their missions and motives are commonly responsible, resolute and realistically favourable to the entire people, indiscriminately. They may not have uttered it but if you listen to their hearbeats, if you pay minute attention to their deepest feelings and pantings; actually they are in essence saying with all their beings, AWAY WITH PAROCHIALISM, IRRESPONSIBLE REACTIONARY AND INIQUITOUS
GOVERNANCE THAT CONDONES NEPOTISM AND SECTARIANISM. They mince no words declaring their non negotiable interest and position towards pursuing, possessing and preserving an equitable, enviable and enduring system of government. They are unmistakably eloquent, categorically clear, and articulated sufficiently at stating their demands to whom it may concern. Their are not faceless. They are not hiding in the bushes and thick forests only to emerge periodically to wreck mayhem in their brutish blitzkrieg among the gathering of the hapless people. Their strongholds and strategic manifestos are not shrouded in any gainsaying schemes or disputations. Instead, these expressions of demands are in public domain as well stipulated aforementioned here awaiting proper analysis and attention by the supposedly responsive government. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case… the suppression and strangling of the people’s plights, yearnings and mandates who purportedly elected them to power utilizing every pervasive measures.

In the meantime, whenever this boisterous, blinding and prevalent dust (all the national calamities) finally settles and the knotty issues unravelled and resolved (and this we strongly hope it will not linger longer) we shall look back in jubilation and deep affection for surviving the onslaught, then loudly sing new songs of thanksgiving. But with some verses of dirge and paid condolences post-mortemly for those who paid the supreme sacrifice – we shall roll out drums for celebrations. Even now, shall we observe a minute silence for the departed souls who perished participating in the struggle against maladminiatration, ill-governance and the perennial governments high handedness… May their souls find repose in the Great Beyond, Amen. God grant consolation and avail his great providence for their bereaved surviving relatives.

God bless the people of Nigeria. God bless you as an individual, Amen and Amen.
Orajiaku is a freelance journalist and social activist.

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