By Prince Ejeh Josh
The clouds are darkening over Nigeria. Her government has just pronounced that it is unable to afford food imports, precisely when it needs them most.
“Given the wasteland developing in Nigeria, home to 200 million people, one might have sympathy for its leader. But Buhari, an ex-military general is seen in many quarters as somewhat complicit in the multiple layers of insecurity that bedevils the country.”
The above were extract from the UK Telegraph of 28 May, 2020 where it argued, substantially and convincingly, that Nigeria was swiftly coming closer to a failed state.
We will only be living in self-denial if we refuse to admit that the present day Nigeria lacks competent and goal-driven political leaders that can decisively tackle the problems bedeviling the country.
Rather than solving problems most of the present crops of leaders are creating more problems for the people. They lack the requisite skills with which to tackle and surmount the challenges facing us as a people.
Overwhelmed by the enormity of the socio-economic issues lurking around the country as a result of their ill-preparedness for governance, many would resort to either shedding of crocodile tears for their failure, or calling on God to come down and save the people. The President of Nigeria once asked Nigerians to go and pray against the terror of Boko Haram and bandits. A Governor in Cross Rivers State recently broke down in tears, asking God to intervene in the basic governance of the state. Almost all political leaders in Nigeria have outsourced their constitutional roles to God. But didn’t carry God along whenever they want to loot.
A closer look at what is happening in Nigeria today shows that most state governors would leave their states more complicated and more engrossed with problems and hardship than they met them.
With this set of political leaders, Nigeria is near doom. Doom from political failure, economic marasmus, and destructive social chaos which are characteristics of a failed State.
The ruins are everywhere to see. The country seems to be without hope at the moment. Criminals and bandits are having feasts on Nigerians on daily basis, yet those saddled with the constitutional responsibilities of protecting the good citizens of Nigeria keep telling us that they are either winning the war or we should go and pray to God. And as gullible as Nigerians are, they blame God for their misfortune. They appear angry with God because they have been told God was responsible for their problems, and He alone could command those problems to disappear.
These leaders are even quick to resort to barefaced lies by telling Nigerians they are on top of the situations. On top of what? One would be forced to ask. On top of corruption! On top of proceeds of crimes and looting spree. On top of a failing state, raped into a state of comatose.
It’s saddening that Nigerians are being slaughtered in their hundreds while Mr. Presidents, northern and southern state governors, and their cronies are on top of pillaging and plundering. We now depend, unconscionably, on borrowing to service recurrent and capital expenditure. Nigeria even borrows to service its debts. We literally borrow to do everything in this country. Such unconscionable degeneration of a failing state.
The craze at which those purportedly elected by the people are mismanaging our commonwealth, squandering our resources and farting like the gods would readily send the masses into a perpetual state of depression. After all, we had all elected criminals into position of authorities. Political bandits posing as saints. Sadly, these people were elected to serve and not to be served, in principle though. That is why they are called public servants.
Today, far from that nomenclature, within that eight years or sixteen years of offices, they see themselves, not just as gods, but, in fact, equate themselves with the Almighty God. They are the Alpha and Omega! We even pray in their names while they prey on us.
They can make and mar. Any democratically dissident voice is brutally silenced with security agencies. Critics and dissenters are hounded and paraded before the media like common criminals. The “brown” envelop collecting journalists are quick to give these critics bad names just to hang them. And the fanatically corrupt judicial accomplices? Perpetual remand of advocates of good governance at the whimsical pleasure of political leaders is acceded without hesitation.
The last segments considered the voice of the truth, custodian of morality and righteousness have exchanged their souls for money and material wealth. They help reinforce political servitude and perpetuate religious gullibility on the worshippers. Religious leaders and tithes are like the Goodluck Jonathan’s goat and yam adage. Religious leaders have all sold their conscience for money. Truth has been murdered. They even incite the gullible to kill for Allah.
Our leaders’ decisions are as unstable as that coming from lunatics. Whatever they could fantasize, without even giving it a thorough thought, is their state project for that day or month. This is why Nigeria has the highest number of abandoned projects in the world. A government abandoning its own projects to start new ones? We are in a sorry situation. These Nigerian emperors dish out orders according to their passing whims and caprices. Like specialists in failure, their aides massage their egos, and would never tell them the truth for fear of being sacked. At least, they are still benefiting from the loot.
The above is the bane of Nigeria. Nobody dare tell truth to the power that be. Our leaders are all-knowing. They are omnipotent and omniscient. But they have all miserably failed. What a contradiction! It’s only in Nigeria that the government would send hundreds of combined security agencies at the dead of night to go after innocent citizens who had criticized their failed and anti-people’s policies.
You would think these security agencies were going to fight a combined team of ISIS, Boko Haram, ISWAP, kidnappers, unknown gunmen, and militants. Lo and behold, it’s Sowore, Nnamdi Kanu, Agba Jalingo, and other rights’ activists, few members of the uncompromising judiciary and opposition voices with no stick that they’ve gone after. Sirens would be blaring. The gallant men would be combat ready. Everywhere would be condoned off just to capture critics.
Is it not funny that our security agencies are only known for gallantry when it comes to arresting innocent and unarmed citizens, but exhibit a humiliating act of cowardice when it comes to the real enemies of the state: killer herdsmen, Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers, unknown gunmen and highly placed corrupt politicians plying the streets with bullion vans and those borrowing every day without the citizens seeing the projects they allege to be executing.
It is this leadership failure from the federal and state governments that has accounted for the incessant killings in the country. It is this leadership failure that has plunged millions of Nigerians into abject poverty. Good enough, in the midst of waste and affluence by few, Nigeria clinched the status of the poverty capital of the world. It is this failure and mismanagement that has pushed our educated youths into internet scam. Do you blame the “yahoo guys” when Nigeria has a yahoo government all over its regions!
It is this leadership failure that has fueled agitation for the disintegration of Nigeria. It is this leadership ineptitude that has sent many Nigerians to early grave, and more are still dying. But we, the masses, shall rise through the blood of the slain!
At the moment, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kastina, Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Imo, Anambra, etcetera, states are all bathing in a pool of blood from rampageous activities of armed bandits, terrorists, unknown gunmen and herdsmen. Many children in the north have dropped out of school, and a great many have never seen the light of primary school education since they were born in this age of technology in Nigeria. But these northern states receive huge allocations. How about that? Southern Nigeria with minimal allocation is performing better, in all respects, than the north. They are not comparable in terms of development. How about that?
Sadly, while this failure persists, Nigerians would be earnestly urged by religious leaders to pray for their political leaders, and to pray to God to take away their problems. How foolish are we! We rush down to the “Houses of Prayer” and pray while political and religious leaders are preying on us. They brainwash us by telling us that our rewards are in heaven, while theirs are not only in heaven, but also on earth.
There are some kinds of prayers one would make that would get God angry. That’s the type Nigerians are making everyday. Instead of standing up against these men who see political offices as means of enriching themselves and their unborn generation, Nigerians would be seen fasting, dying, and praying. They would be seen getting angry with God. Fools! God owes us nothing. Did we vote for God? Did you see God come to ask for your votes during campaign? Who did you see? Then hold those ones responsible.
In every little issue that could have been tackled by applying due diligence, you would see Nigerians praying and praying to God to send his angels to solve it. When a president farts, Nigerians would pray. When the President refuses to yield to advice, Nigerians would pray, making mockery of God. When a governor weeps because his aides are disobeying him, Nigerians would embark on prayers. When a Governor wails because he has failed the people, Nigerians would blame God, and pray.
We pray while they prey on us. The religious leaders are now feeding and feasting on us instead of feeding us. “Peter, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord. Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” “Then, feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.” We are now the ones feeding and tending them while they continue to feast on us. The worst? They prey in God’s name.
When it’s dawn to even an imbecile that the present security chiefs have all miserably failed, and that all the President needs is to reshuffle or inject fresh blood, innovation and robust policies, Nigerians would go and pray. Pray to God to come and reshuffle the security architecture? Imams would junket to the Aso Rock and organize prayer for the president, praying seven days non-stop. Where is Fela Anikulapo?
Indeed, I’m yet to understand the prayer points of these Nigerians. Though, I’m a liberal Christian, I don’t pray for what we can do ourselves. Must we involve God in everything when in Psalm 115:16, the Bible confirms that Heaven belongs to God, but he gave the earth to human race to run their affairs! Karl Marx could have had Nigeria in mind when he submitted that religion is the opium of the masses.
What do we do in Nigeria without prayer? No power supply, prayers. No good roads, prayers. Nigerians are preparing for elections; we will substitute voting for prayers. A Governor deceptively cries; we would pray. Petrol price hikes, prayers. We have lost our independence to religious slavery.
I was recently forced to weep for Nigeria, a country I love so much, when I saw some governors negotiating with criminals, bandits, kidnappers and terrorists who have snuffed lives out of innocent Nigerians just because government couldn’t protect them. The country is doomed and darkness is hovering across our threshold. If this rain is allowed to fall, I’m afraid if any of us would survive it. Not even those at the echelon of power.
I still could not come to term with the motivation behind our government dialoguing with our killers. Where is justice for the families that have been violently wiped out? Where is justice for the orphans whose parents were cut off by these criminally minded bandits? Where is justice for the thousands of suffering and abandoned widows made possible by the rampages of these killer terrorists? Will there ever be justice in Nigeria?
Government of the federation has a way of dribbling Nigerians. We were told of repentant Boko Haram terrorists captured at the front. Repentant indeed. Funny but appalling, they were treated like kings. They were let free. My heart aches. I’m thinking of something.
I was shocked when a governor once noted that he paid some killer herdsmen millions of naira to reduce their rate killings. I became even more apprehensive when I saw a certain governor from the President’s state, Kastina, and some soldiers taking pictures with some AK 47 wielding criminals and bandits sending a signal that government had successfully dialogued with the bandits. I wonder what would be running through the minds of those security men: “We have failed our call to defend our country, and betray the sworn oath we took to protect Nigerians,” or do you think otherwise? Will negotiating and paying criminally insane bandits not an impetus for them to become more ruthless since incentives are involved.
At the risk of repeating myself; negotiating with criminals by whatever name or nomenclature is encouraging them to kill, destroy and leave more innocent citizens in ruins. This is what happens when failed political leaders are elected through prayers. Dear Nigerians, close your eyes, and let us pray!
