A NATION WITH A THOUSAND ENEMIES
It was on the 5th of May 2010 that we (Nigerians)
were slapped with the harsh reality of the sudden death of President Umaru Musa
Yar Adua. Constitutionally, the then vice president, Goodluck Jonathan was
sworn in as the president of the Federal republic of Nigeria
some Northern political elites who saw
this development as a political/constitutional diversion of their turn to rule
the country after president Obasanjo (a southerner) had just completed a
constitutional eight year tenure. The
reasons for all the dust being raised were not far fetched as the 2011 general
elections were fast approaching. To cut the story short, the 2011 elections
came and Goodluck Jonathan was reelected as the president. In reaction to his
victory were unfortunate comments by some aggrieved political elites sparking
violent protests in some parts of the country; and this was the beginning of
the unknown.
Ushering out the elections was the
metamorphosing of the Boko Haram insurgents into a terrorist group. The group
announced its presence on the Nigerian territory with series of attacks on
security agents, civilian populations and educational institutions. As usual,
serious attention was diverted away from the real issue through the propaganda
of ethnic, religious, and political conspiracy theories. The result of it was
the continued show of strength by Boko Haram through bombing, maiming, and
killing of Nigerians from; Maiduguri to Kano, to Damaturu, to Bama, to Baga, to
Madala all the way to Abuja. As the Federal Government continued to fight Boko
Haram on television, radio and the pages of newspapers, the terrorists
continued to rain down havoc, anguish and sorrow on many families all over the
country.
2015 elections came, and Nigerians
clearly demonstrated their anger by voting out the then ruling Peoples
Democratic Party and voting in the All Progressives Congress who paraded an
anti corruption Czar, president Muhamadu Buhari as their presidential candidate.
Again, eyebrows were raised by a political cabal in the Southern part of Nigeria . They
claimed that their son, Goodluck Jonathan was muscled out of Aso Rock by a
Northern political force. The swearing in of the new government was accompanied
by renewed militant attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta, coupled with
persistent fall in the global price of crude oil, the revenue of the country
was brought to its knees.
Today, the economy of Nigeria is in
recession with all economic indices rising against the masses. The good
economic policies are not forth coming from the government causing investors to
shy away from investing in the country. Increased IPOB and MASSOB violent
agitations in the South East causing tension and fear. Fulani herdsmen attacks
in the middle belt killing and sacking farmers from their homeland has brought
about sorrow hatred acrimony and less food production. Cattle rustlers in the
North West, and continued Boko Haram attacks in the North East; with the Shite
Islamic sect now including itself as the latest enemy of Nigeria.
Now the big question is, where did we get all these enemies from? My humble opinion is that, these are all self
created enemies that we have managed to acquire through the actions and
inactions of our political leaders. It is the bad and anti people policies of
government over the years that have planted anger and hatred in the hearts of
Nigerians. Neglect of the masses, nepotism, the master and servant style of
leadership, ethnic religious, and political bias are just some of the actions
of the political elites that have planted divisive and unpatriotic spirits in
the souls of Nigerians; you cant beat a
child and expect him not to cry.
The thousand enemies haunting Nigeria today
were not created with the barrel of the gun; they were created through
injustice, inequality and inequitable distribution of our commonwealth. And as
such, government can’t defeat these enemies with the use of military force or
the barrel of the gun. Lets stop chasing shadows while leaving the substance
behind. A man who is hungary
will need food first before any other thing. If you give him a mansion, he will
go straight into the kitchen to search for food. If you give him Gold, he will
first look for where to sell the gold and buy food. If you give him money, he
will first use the money to buy food before thinking of other luxuries of life.
So until Nigeria
gives her citizens what they deserve, the list of her enemies will continue to
multiply because everyone is now seeing the Nigerian state as an enemy;
especially the political class who have continued to grow pot bellies while the
poor masses die of mal nutrition.
For this reason, I say that the
enemies of Nigeria
are not those who are blowing up pipe lines but those who have given them the
reasons to do so. The enemies of Nigeria are not those who are
fighting to leave the Nigerian federation but those who have failed to
accommodate the interest of every Nigerian. The enemies of Nigeria are not
those who refuse to pay tax but those who have the mania for keeping tax payers
money in private pockets. Until Nigeria
stops flogging her citizens with injustice, the masses will continue to cry by
shouting, yelling, and screaming. The nation will not experience peace until
her citizens are happy. And remember, Pikin
wey say em mama no go sleep, how em go take sleep?
God bless Nigeria
Written
by: JUSTICE AGAN
Email:
justiceagan4@gmail.com
Phone:
08064645620
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