All the vices plaguing Nigeria today are the creations of Nigerians. Hunger, disease, Japa Syndrome, unprecedented security challenges, economic woes and other social vices. These are not foreign made at all. They are simply self inflicted injuries. It is therefore suffice to say that the architect of Nigeria misfortunes are Nigerians themselves.
A good number of our political leaders, clerics, business gurus and other privileged individuals are the ones putting spanners in the wheel of Nigeria progress. They have institutionalized corruption, promoted ethnicity, politicized religion and encouraged social decadence. At the end of the day, the generality of the people suffer the consequences of the greed of the few.
For example, the insurgency in the Northeast was not an external aggression against our territorial integrity. It was an home-made thing caused by Boko Haram Terrorist group. The menace started like a minor issue many years ago. It eventually degenerated into full blown war over time causing monumental destructions and deaths.
The insurrection in the Southeastern part of Nigeria is another serious security threat to the nation. It is a region where armed gangs have carried out a series of killings of police officers and assassination of individuals by the notorious unknown gunmen. Nigerian authorities have blamed those attacks on a banned separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and what the police called its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network. But the IPOB has repeatedly denied involvement.
The people that perpetrate banditry and kidnapping for ransom across Nigeria are full blooded Nigerians. It has only been a mere speculation that the Chadians, Nigeriens and Malians have infiltrated Nigeria doing evils.
But as at today, people are insinuating that the insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and cultism may not end anytime soon because the beneficiaries are mostly the fifth columnist.
Another major challenge is bad governance. This actually constitutes roadblocks to a strong democracy thereby promoting bad electoral system and poor output in term of those that are elected to take up the mantle of leadership in governance.
A lot of people in the position of authorities are square pegs in round holes. They lack the ability, capacity and moral conscience to lead. Hence, the effects of poor governance are discernible in the affairs of the state vis-a-vis the poor economic growth as well as the increased corruption rate.
And to say the obvious, the poor economic growth, or better put, the economic crises at the moment is currently tearing Nigeria apart. It is piling tremendous pressure on the government of the day. There has never been a bit of respite for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since he took over the presidency about ten months ago.
The economic reforms of PBAT meant to address the economic challenges is no doubt causing excruciating hardship to Nigerians. The rouges in the banking sector and the Mafia in the oil sector have been exploiting the vulnerability and incapacitation of the people to continue to impoverish them. This has led to the prices of commodities being fixed arbitrarily and without any justification whatsoever.
Corruption as the giant of them all has become something endemic. It has been said times without number that if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. Corruption and Nigeria are like siamese twins. You can hardly talk about one without mentioning the other.
A lot of factors have been attributed to be the causes of corruption in Nigeria. But majorly, ostentatious lifestyle, greed and avarice are very prominent. The fact that culprits are not being adequately punished for the offence of corruption is simply promoting the act.
The menace has been institutionalized as it has permeated all segments of the society. Even in the church, one may have to tip the Personal Assistant to the Spiritual Father in order to see him for ordinary counseling. It is that bad!
In the recent past, people have been pointing accusing fingers to those that dipped their hands in the purse of the government. A lot of them are members of the political class, public officers, the civil servants and the revered players in the private sector. They are the ones criminally milking our cow and draining our common wealth so that the majority can continue to wallop in abject poverty.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission recently announced the recovery of over N70 Billion within a space of three months, that is, October 2023 and January, 2024. That was just a tip of the iceberg compared to what had been achieved in the past by the outfit. The monies were stolen by Nigerians and not outsiders. People will not forget in a hurry the kleptomaniac Sani Abacha loot, the Deziani Madueke gate and most recently the unprecedented infractions committed by Emiefele at the CBN.
Corruption is rapidly under developing Nigeria. The funds that could have been channeled towards improving education, health, infrastructure and other social amenities find their way into private pockets.
In summary, the real enemies of Nigeria are you and I. We are lazy and complacent. We are tribalistic and egocentric. We are bribe giver and bribe taker. The majority of us are unpatriotic in conduct and in countenance. We are saboteurs of government policies. We are always willing to reap where we did not sow. We cut corners at the slightest given opportunity. In fact, we are all guilty in one way or the other of what we hate about Nigeria.
The remedy is nothing short of attitudinal change of the individuals. This is because the only thing you can truly change in this world is yourself. Therefore, as that popular slogan goes, “Change begins with me”
B. Aderemi Ogundele
(Jagunmolu)
