Going through the streets of Lagos yesterday (01/10/14), I could see unprecedented patriotism all over..., individuals, streets, buildings, vehicles (of different kinds, including the popular tricycles aka, Keke and Okadas), animals, etc., adored in green-white-green outfits, celebrating Nigerias 54th Independence anniversary. Personally, the most interesting thing about this patriotism was the fact that the ceremonial activities were everything but political. Believe me! The activities had social, cultural, religious and even secular flavors. Just some days before…! The federal government of Nigeria gathered individuals deemed fit for National awards (though with no clear criteria, other than the fact that many of the beneficiaries are governments’ cohorts in the nation’s retrogressive movement since independence (01/10/60). Further abuse of the collective resources … better used for things that beg for attentions daily, which the authorities have learnt special skills of avoiding or over-looking (ESCAPISM). 54th Independence Day Anniversary (01/10/14). I made conscious attempts to miss the President’s Independence speech to the nation (certainly not to Nigerians). However, like an average “eyesore”, the more you avoid it the more your uncontrollable (reflexive) eyes will focus on it. As expected, I was not surprised by any of the lines of his third-party-authored speech; all words, lines, etc., (and their corresponding levels of meaninglessness) were expected, since it has gone beyond behavior to assume a “trait” status. But worthy of note was the part that suggested that they (the government) have successfully reduced “extreme poverty” (remember MDGs?) to less than 50% long before the expected dateline, 2020 (applauses). Meditations? Meditating…. Back to the streets of Lagos. I could see faces without food (not ‘cos they are not hungry), who spend 6 hours daily on the roads to and fro their “workshops” due to bad roads, who cannot boast of 1 hour of power supply weekly, who are out of schools for years without jobs, whose children are out of schools ‘cos they cannot afford the escalated school fees, who have had their love ones and relatives killed suddenly for different reasons (core of which is governments’ ineptitude and recklessness), who are molested, abused and intimidated by the same governments and their machineries (meant to shield them). PATRIOTISM! These Nigerians ceded all these “qualitative” quality of life and trooped out in their numbers to celebrate the so much cherished History. Questions! Don’t Nigerians deserve a better treatment form these rude elites(?) in government? Who is indeed patriotic, the injured populace or the “innocent” cancerous leaders and their cohorts (not just the national honour awardees)? SINCERITY! I perceive change, either by negotiation (formal, conventional or informal) or by force (natural) (remember Malcolm X’s By Any Means Necessary?). FUTURE! Nigeria must be rescued from senselessness and recklessness (summed in CORRUPTION AND INEPTITUDE). It’s indeed Badluck!
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 03:29:31 +0000
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