Happy New Year Naija:
If you are like me, you want to be rid of 2020 as fast as possible, a year that will go down in ignominy. It started just like every other year with all of us full of hope and aspiration that this may finally be your year of exaltation, but no, it was not meant to be. Meanwhile, a little-known virus called Corona was warming its way through the City of Wuhan. We all knew about it, with warning coming out of China for the world not to ignore this virus, but who would have thought this little-known virus, limited to this small Wuhan village in China will nearly cripple the world. No, it is in China, it is their problem and so long as it is there in China, who cares, let the Chinese take care of their virus problems, we will be alright. How wrong could we all have been. Meanwhile, in Japan, a pro-democracy group is battling the same Chinese government to retain their rights and freedoms. Again, it is their problem, they are not going to mess up our new year resolutions. So long as it remains in Japan, who cares…let the Japanese take care of their problems. All over the world, there continues to be packets of challenges pointing to the fact that 2020 is not going to be a normal year. In Nigeria, the Boko Haram menace continues unabated, the Herdsman killing continued with impunity, the police continued to extort, harass the citizens they are paid to protect and SARS Security took it to a different level by actually killing Nigerian citizens at their whims. Robbery in the country intensified, including kidnapping and occult killing.
Then the PANDEMIC hit! This tiny virus hit the world like an unexpected “dirty slap” like they would say in Nigeria. And before we all knew it, we were all sitting at home looking out our windows like jail birds. The entire earth was paralyzed. Nothing was moving, no traveling, no visiting friends, only going to the store to buy essential products, and that is, if you could find any. Western governments knowing the impact of such paralysis, jumped to develop ways of softening the blow on its citizens. Some countries offered money for both citizens and businesses. And to be candid, so did Nigeria! While the world was on lockdown, the Nigerian police and security apparatus saw an opportunity to make money. They patrolled the street in the guise of seeking out quarantine violators, and with their ATM machines were extorting money from folks who venture out to get food to feed their families. Mind you, in Nigeria, lockdown means lockdown! Don’t even come out to your veranda to get some fresh air or cool off due to not having electricity. Meanwhile, scores of young men were being transported from the North to the South for reasons no one has been able to explain. It was rumored to be Boko Haram moving their military to the south to Islamize the entire country. The internet was agog as to the motives of these people movement - who knows, we created the environment for our suspicious minds to run amok and it did. Knowing Nigerians, coronavirus had more synonyms than anything you ever thought in the past. We made joke of the virus while we suffered the consequences of being and staying home. I guess in truth, that is our way of coping with hard times. Remember, we were voted the happiest people in the world despite having nothing to be happy about – and that is my country. A COUNTRY WHERE THE WORST WILL NEVER HAPPEN BUT NOTHING EVER GETS BETTER!
Well, and while we were all still at home, the American police continued their racist killing of African Americans in the US. This has been going on for a long time, but I guess in the “quiet” of the pandemic, it started to echo more loudly. While sitting at home doing nothing, very busy Americans were able to sit still long enough to realize that “my god, we have a rotten police organization.” And when in front of the entire nation, George Floyd was slowing but deliberately killed by the police, the entire country erupted. White America who have been so busy enjoying their white privilege while pursuing the American dream, now understood that “the pursuit of the American dream is just a dream to a certain segment of their society.” They took to the streets in protest. To hell with Covid-19, our country knows better! And everyone in unison echoed “Black Lives Matter.”
Meanwhile in Nigeria, our youth, while on quarantine, realized, oh my goodness, SARS or FSARS outfit has been killing us by the dozens for no apparent reason. If they do not like the way we dress, you pay or get shot, they do not like your hairstyle, you are publicly humiliate or get shot, they misread the content of your cell phone, you better have some money or get shot. Meanwhile, crime continues unabated, kidnapping, occultism, rape, incest, and phone crimes became the new norm. in fact, what we consider cultural abominations, are now accepted norms in the country. Just like their American counterparts, our youth said, enough is enough – they took to the streets and hence the birth of #ENDSARS protests.
The #ENDSARS protests was billed to be one of the most organized and peaceful protests in Nigerian history. That is until the government, in its infinite wisdom, deployed the military to the Lekki Bridge and introduced hoodlums who hijacked the movement and the country descended into anarchy. Amidst the counter protesters, the military and police intervention, and the will of our determined youth who insisted on being heard, the entire nation was thrown into chaos and burned. It was sad to see the destruction, killings and just utter confusion that was the order of the day. After so much pain, agony, loss of lives, and screams from all corners of the world, our hapless president decided to finally address the nation regarding some of the activities of the period. He promised first to disband the SARS and FSARS security outfit, but in its place, created the SWAT. What sense? He also promised to address the five major grievances of our youth in due time. Knowing Baba Go-Slow, in due time is simply an eternity. Only time will tell.
One would think that given all the events of 2020 leading up to the #ENDSARS campaign, that Nigeria may finally begin to wake up from her sleep? That we could be witnessing the beginning of something big, something great…the start of true reform in my dear country? Need I dare to dream? But no, the reform did expose our leaders for the heartless souls that they all are. Some of the hoodlums that hijacked the #ENDSARS protest either stumbled on, or where informed of the location of Covid-19 palliatives meant for the struggling masses. Remember what I said earlier about countries finding ways to help their people deal with the sting of Coronavirus? Yes, Nigeria did as well, but as greed would have it, our leaders decided to stash the palliatives meant to help citizens for themselves – that’s Naija for you!! While the world was condemning the killing by our military and police at Lekki and around the country, our security outfits are busy preparing to once again engage in the same behaviors that led to the protests in the first place. Naija, A COUNTRY WHERE THE WORST WILL NEVER HAPPEN BUT NOTHING EVER GETS BETTER.
Since Covid-19, what has been happening in Nigeria? Did you hear about the Kola nut gift from a governorship candidate to Chiefs and Priests, yes, I said Priests! We found out because the person delivering the kola was accused of dipping his hands in the bag. Of course, in Nigeria, a proverb goes that the trumpeter must wipe their running nose too (wink, wink). This is truly laughable. Then there is the story of states wanting to build their own airports. But why? Why are we building more airport when we cannot maintain the ones we already have? Show me one airport in Nigeria that meets international standard? Yet, we want to build more airports just for the bragging rights my state has an airport. We do have our priorities all screwed up. As if this bonehead decision regarding the airports is not stupid enough, now this idea of spending Nigeria money to build a refinery in Niger Republic? What in the hell is going on? So, we will drill the oil in southern Nigeria, and then transport the crude all the way to the Niger Republic to refine and then ship the gasoline back to Nigeria. And you wonder why gasoline cost so much in Nigeria? Lest I forget, we are also constructing a rail line to connect Nigeria to the Niger Republic. Meanwhile, Nigerians cannot get from one side of their cities to the other, much less interstate connectivity. Can someone tell me how we are supposed to connect to the Niger Republic if we do not have access ways to get us to this rail line? Na wah oo for our leaders. By the way, is Niger Republic a state in Nigeria? Just asking, just asking!
I am not done yet folks! Did someone say that our military have deployed drones and personnel to fish out IPOB’s Eastern Security Network? Wow, are they even real? So, our hapless military, who have failed to secure the country, failed to contain Boko Haram and their menace, failed to protect our school girls and boys, turned their guns on the same people they are paid to protect are now deploying resources to the East to “fish out” the Eastern Security Network? This is real funny. The efforts of our military should be directed towards Boko Haram the havoc they are reeking in the North. The wanton kidnapping of school children in huge numbers with ease, and the killing of our ill-equipped army by Boko Haram. That is what should be worrying the military and not a social media army that no one knows exist. The military should be more concerned that despite their best efforts, security is totally lacking in Nigeria. We waste millions of Naira annually funding a moribund security apparatus that has no Return on Investment (ROI) for us, and now they are chasing a shadow group that exists only on social media. If this is not the height of stupidity, I have no idea what is. When and if they eventually fish out the ESN, please they should let us all know.
Early in December 2020, the central bank reacting to lack of access to foreign exchange monies due to reduced export, reversed itself and is now allowing diaspora transfers to be collected in any currency in Nigeria. My question is what happened to necessitate such change? Was it not the same group who opted to limit diaspora transfers to be collected only in the local currency? I vividly remember that prior to that change, any person could transfer monies to Nigeria and collect in any currency of their preference. This included the ability to transfer from bank to bank and collect in the local or foreign currency and depending on if you have a domiciliary account. I am not an economist and cannot begin to tell you the benefits of this new process by the Central bank. All I know is that if I want to transfer money to my account in Nigeria, I have to send it to a third party who will collect the money, exchange it at the black market rate and then deposit in my account. This process creates opportunities for abuse! Why do we always find solutions that will create challenges for Nigerian citizens? Every solution we proffer in Nigeria creates opportunities for someone to extort and abuse others. The Covid-19 testing procedure created opportunities for the sale of fake test results, the airport employees and custom officials to extort money for passage out of the country and the list goes on. We got to do better.
As 2020 cascades into our memories and we anticipate the arrival of 2021 and all the luck and good life we expect. Let me remind everyone that Nigerian population, at 200 million+ is careening to unmanageable levels. If we do not find ways to manage our population growth, it will come a time when we will no longer have enough resources to sustain that bourgeoning population. And if you think there is suffer in Nigeria today, imagine what will happen then. If you think people are resorting to stealing, kidnapping, murder, rape and all kinds of abominable crimes, imagine when our population is out of control. I know I am not making you feel any better about yourself by reminding you that Nigeria still has a couple more years under the stewardship of this inept government – however, it is enough time for us all to think about how best to make out next selection and election to right this Nigerian ship. If we fail to change our current approach, then we have no choice but believe that Nigeria will continue to be A COUNTRY WHERE THE WORST WILL NEVER HAPPEN BUT NOTHING WILL EVER GET BETTER!
WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS 2021. MAY YOU BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU PROFESS AND WORK TO GET ALL THAT YOU ASK!
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