OPEN LETTER TO MR. NIGERIA ON HIS 54TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY BY EWEBIYI KEYE JAMES Dear Mr. Nigeria, It is with mixed feelings that I write you this letter. First and foremost permit me to congratulate you on your 54th birthday anniversary. This is indeed a rare feat and you deserve to be celebrated because marking a golden jubilee plus four years is no mean feat considering the declining life expectancy rate in your community. Many of your peers have gone into extinction, some have had their lives cut short by superior powers. Mr. USSR died in 1991 at the age of 69. I would not like to go into the details of his death here, that would be a topic for another day. Mr. Hawaii born in 1840 met his unfortunate death in the hands of the Mr. USA in 1898. That you are alive today despite several attempts to dismember you is indeed a great feat. So, once again I say congratulations! However, sir, Im displeased about your present state and concerned about the worsening conditions of your children and grandchildren. Events in the past few years has continuously ridiculed you among your siblings. I could recall there was a time when you were referred to as the Giant because of the great role you played in promoting the welfare and security of your children and siblings. You were much admired by your siblings and your mother Mrs. Africa was very proud of you. But sir, all these accolades and admirations are fast fading away. It gives me great worry that your image among your peers in the society has been severely battered that you have now become a laughing stock. Sir, are you aware that you are sick? I doubt if you do. You have become so frail these days that one would easily take you for an Ebola patient. I understand that youre already getting old but sir, your oldest friend and richest ally, Mr. USA is over 200 years old and still looks very hale and hearty. Though I am quite worried but not surprised. The actions and inactions of your eldest children in recent times is enough to get you worried to the extent of damaging your health. Sir, are you aware that most of your most cherished properties have been sold off by some of your children to their friends and cronies? For instance, your power plant that used to serve all your children and grandchildren though epileptic-ally has been sold off to some businessmen who are all out to make huge profits by forcing high tariffs down the throat of your children! This is indeed absurd. I for one do not think this is good enough. I understand that the power plant has been in an abysmally poor state which has led many of your tenants to leave for better accommodation in neighbouring houses where their breads would be better buttered. But sir, I strongly believe that if the power plant had been placed under the democratic control and management of elected representatives of your children and not in the hand of that your unscrupulous child, it would have been better managed. Its quite unfortunate that despite spending billions of Naira in revamping this power plant, it was eventually sold off at a stipend. I hope events in the coming days would, however, prove me wrong. Sir, I also wish to draw your attention to your ratings among your friends. While at community meetings and beer parlours, they make jest of you as one rich man with the poorest children. This is undoubtedly true considering the fact that God has been so generous to you that you own the sixth largest oil well in your community. You have large number of children and grandchildren who constitute ready labour for your agricultural and manufacturing activities yet your farmlands and factories remain highly underdeveloped and unproductive. However, it is not that your children and grandchildren are unwilling to work, rather there are few jobs on offer owing to the fact that the power plant that used to power these factories and farmland has remained comatose and this has led to low productivity which in turn prompted a decline in the demand for labour. Isnt it appalling that about fifty percent (50%) of your children are unemployed? Sir, you were recently applauded as the richest son of Mrs. Africa but sir, this hasnt rubbed off on your children as many of them still go to bed on empty stomach. Report has it that seventy percent (70%) of your children are poor and your household is the third poorest in your community. What a huge contradiction! Sir, one other disturbing fact is that thirty eight percent (38%) of your children and grandchildren can neither read nor write. This is more disturbing because just last year it was reported that almost all your grandchildren of school-going age are out of school which implies that they are either on the street hawking or running petty errands for their parents. This is a big eye sore! Your friend and age mate, Mr. Gabon with less oil wealth and human resources has been able to send ninety percent (90%) of his children to school, how much more you? Your children that are due to commence tertiary education have been denied admission space in the schools you constructed. The schools are even in a worse situation than you as they lack basic infrastructural facilities. The schools are frequently shut down following industrial actions by teachers who often protest poor salary structure and inadequate funding of the schools. Your eldest children, in whose hands you entrusted your wealth and assets have turned blind eyes to this unfortunate development. Rather than address these problems, they have built their own private schools with loots from your treasury while they avail their offsprings expensive but qualitative education in neighbouring houses. Sir, I must affirm strongly here that your household cannot develop beyond the level of education of your children. You remember the great son of your friend, Mr. South Africa, Nelson Mandela who passed away last year? It was he who said Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. If indeed, you want to change the present state of your family and household, you must be willing to invest massively in education and ensure that all your children and grandchildren enjoy free and qualitative education. Your western friends, Mr. Germany, Mr. USA, Mr. Italy and Mr. UK are where they are today largely because they prioritized education as they were all able to give over ninety percent of their children quality education. You must follow suit if really you want to be where they are by the year 2020. Sir, the issue of security is one key issue that you must address urgently. Your house is no longer safe. The doors and gates to all the rooms in your building have been left wide open for every Tom, Dick and Harry to pass through. In recent times, cases of burglary, robbery, assault, murder and wanton destruction of properties in your compound have been reported in the local media. Your security operatives have become so helpless and overpowered by men of the underworld. Sir, are you aware that more than 200 of your female grandchildren were recently kidnapped by touts who invaded your school in broad daylight? Its over five months now since they were kidnapped and efforts to secure their release have remained futile. Sir, as you approach another family meeting next year where the leaders and managers of your family and assets for another four years will be decided, I urge you to wake up from your slumber and address the myriad of problems confronting your family as I also wish you quick recovery from your perennial ailments. Happy birthday once again! Yours sincerely, Ewebiyi Keye James Follow me on Twitter: @Keyestine
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 10:28:43 +0000
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