NIGERIA-THE GIANT OF AFRICA

The melodrama in Nigeria is increasing each passing day. The conflicts varies, from abduction to political clashes, the list seem inexorable. Nigeria’s crises have reached an invincible state as there has been no conciliatory approach to curb the situation. Millions of innocent people are dying for sins they do not commit. The rulers are busy preparing mendacious propaganda neglecting the focal issue. Instead of resolving the conflicts, they are busy pointing fingers at each other over banal issues. Recently, the northern crisis in the country had done nothing more than to increase the rate of such disputes.
Nigeria is ripping apart gradually; there is no unity among its people. Formerly, clashes were limited to inter-tribal clashes but now it is being extended to clans. All these are ominous signs that the great giant of Africa is splitting into fragments. The current situation in Nigeria is devastating, ASUU is on strike, the education sector is crumbling, the power situation in the country is nothing to write home about, unemployment is eating deep into the society, resulting to brain drain as our graduates seeks greener pastures in foreign lands. The banking sector is dissolving with the recent dismissal of five major banks CEOs. It also revealed many backstage acts by the famous glitterati in our society who clam our media and make the poor envious.
With this entire catastrophe, one may begin to wonder where the good people and the good nation are. What is the evident that Nigeria is still a nation when everyday there is one snag or the other? Who are the good people in Nigeria when all we do is to fight each other and disintegrate? The president sits on his throne with his allies doing nothing but making trivia statements where the most salient issues are still unresolved. It’s as if Nigeria is walking in shadows, nothing is progressing, coupled with the economic meltdown, the country might crumble before 2020.
It is quite inconceivable that in a civilized era like this that the Northern part of the country would fight against western education. The worst is that they have political support which simplifies that some people in the inner caucus are behind this. Also, the council of states advised the federal government to carry out the deregulation of the downstream sector without any cushioning effect on the masses. In a normal mixed economy, if the sole right of petroleum resources is given to the government, it tends to reduce the price of petroleum products, but in Nigeria the reverse may be the case, as the facilities may not be adequately maintained or managed and there might still be inflation in prices due to our fraudulent leaders and bureaucracy in the system. The House of Assembly should not pass the bill and the Labour should fight this evil that is being meted out on the masses.
In Lagos state, the government in their bid to make Lagos a mega city has left many citizens devastated as their source of living are being destroyed. Demolition of buildings has become a daily activity, people are forced to stay at home or go back to their own states. The governor did not consider the burden inflicted on the victims in the implementation of this exercise and failed to provide an alternative for its victims, coupled with the high rate of unemployment in the state, the result will definitely increase crime rate, as an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
What do all these signify? It simply means that the country‘s problems are too small for its size. How long are we going to fold our hands and watch the giant of Africa reduced to ant? Do we continue to reproach our leaders and still do nothing or we take the bold step and work towards the resolution?

One thing is certain; the leaders are not to be blamed totally, because each and every one of us is a leader one way or the other. We all have been infected with corruption; it is now deep-rooted in our system that we might need thorough cleansing to erase the birthmark of corruption from our blood. The funniest aspect is that the rate of crime in the country is not as high as that of America but yet we are rated as the third most corrupted country. We lack good judicial system, we are simply a lawless nation, and everyone is a law on its own.
Part of the blame should also go to the colonial masters. They were inconsiderate in the creation of the country, if they had divided Nigeria into three or four countries, it would have been able to manage its problems. Take Ghana for example, it is a small country but it is still well organized. South Africa is another country that has placed Nigeria in a ridicule state, merely two decades they gained independence; they are far developed than our country. We have most of our companies relocating to South Africa, most of our musicians and movie producers go there for their video shooting, some families spend their holidays there. What then can we say about our country? We have been ruled by bad leaders and it is detrimental to its citizens. Nigeria may claim to be a free country but it is still enslaved by depravity. It is not time for seeking who to bear the onus but time to start making amendment to restore our value. It is quite devastating that our youths are joining the militant group as a way of venting out their anger towards the leaders; abduction has become a daily threat to politicians and the elites in the country.
The Niger delta might be justified in their fights to improve their welfare but the measures taken are not apt. Who will be left to kill when everybody is killed? Niger delta is becoming a tinderbox that might thrust Nigeria into another civil war. The Biafrans are also at the other side; they might also seek retribution soon.
Nigerians need to out face their problem and work towards pacifism. A lot needs to be done; we must first of all accept one another, which is one way of getting the job done. How can one say we are one when the house is divided? It cannot stand. The leaders should stop accusing militants of murder, because there is no difference between killing someone and sending out order to kill someone. We all are guilty of murder. The next step is to erase all the bad eggs in the society and a good arbitrary, void of corruption should be established, a good leader should not necessarily assume office by cronyism, rather by virtue. All important issues should be explored. There should be a reconstitution of our laws. Nigeria may claim to be an independent country but it is still enslaved by its laws. Most of the laws in the constitution are outdated thus making it difficult for our leaders to adapt to new changes in relation to the revolution of time. If we remove the veil in our eyes, we will be able to see clearly and work towards a good means of restoring the value of our country.
What belongs to Caesar must be return to Caesar and what belongs to God must be return to God. The amnesty given to the Niger delta should not be used as a ploy to avoid their responsibility to improve the welfare of the area. The amnesty is good but the question is, will it completely obliterate another reoccurrence or is it just a short term solution? The three billion naira given to the militants is it to develop the area or to stop the harm that they are instigating on the economy? If the latter is the case, the government should be assured that the peace will not last long because these militants are also corrupt. They are also reaping from the fight, they engage in vices like oil bunkering and abduction. In essence, what the government is doing is giving the custody of a chunk of meat to a dog, the same meat that good for a man when they are fully aware that the dog will also eat the meat, as well as promising to do the maximum of their minimum best to curb the situation. The best resolution to the Niger delta problem is to develop the area by themselves and not bestowing the responsibility to anybody. Good roads, standard education, and other basic amenities should be provided. If they do all these, peace will definitely be restored.
It is high time Nigeria regained its strength as giant of Africa