My Condolences to Us All

A friend of mine asked me a few days ago what my take on the Dana plane crash and its resultant reactions from people was and I answered that I didn't have one. He was shocked because I'm opinionated and I often have something to say. At his expression, I said, "its a sad situation" and gingerly left the conversation. I have read posts and comments from blogs and twitter and Facebook and listened in on conversations and its sad that we don't seem to be improving in our appreciation of the situation of our country, Nigeria.
What we face from corruption, to irresponsibility and arrogance is BAD (read my post "My Nigeria"). And even though we are all educated to an extent about how our leaders decisions and inaction is depreciating to us all by ripple effect, we still blame it on others. Most of what I read was that the fault of the crash was from Indians, Indians??? How dumb are we? Can't we see that because we can not service our own industries we have to bring in expatriates and then turn around and blame them for their failures? which really is ours because we manage to go to their schools, learn to be 'world best' and then remain in their countries to work for them as we can't cope the 'backwardness' of our own. Yes we pay them the big bucks, but if we are patriotic in any sense we will double check on what they are doing and not leave our lives in their hands.

Recently, I heard the airport was shut down so the distress call from the pilot of the Dana plane could not be responded to. I have not corroborated this story but if its made up then shame on us for being so self absorbed that we can not see that this country is for all of us. And if its not then shame on us for casting blame so easily and flippantly.  What is it going to take for us to see that Nigeria is for us and not for some of us. How much more pain will we bear before we do what is right? I am still mad at the crash, at the comments, at the authorities, at the violence, at the pain, at myself for being only able to write. I'm tired of the situations we find ourselves in; from religious to social, from economical to educational, from health to leadership and yet I somehow like "we" all find the resilience to wake up everyday, put a smile on our faces and go about our businesses. This resilience is our gift, the ability to move from one day to the next is a precious gift from God and it has made us quite lazy. We know we will survive 'anyhow' so we mouth off on twitter and forget our manners as we insult our elders on social media. Some how thinking that our arrogant defiance of authority and bad leadership will turn it good or cause some change. I follow some people who mouth off on twitter and many times I want to ask them what they are doing to cause change but I know their answer already, it'll be something about, the power of words or a rant about being the voice of the people. I say, if we all sit back and be the voice of the people, who will be the head, the hands, the legs, the eyes, the ears, the others parts that are as relevant to this large body. Who will be the next president of our Grand nation? Who's godfather will be patriotic and resourceful? who will be the minister of education that will save us from illiteracy? who will ensure great service? who will make sure our natural resources become our sustenance? who will build the nation?
If you think you know so much, then prove it, lead by actions, after all "actions speak louder than words". Indians, Mexicans, Germans or whoever, can not be held responsible for our failings. We should mourn our dead but afterwards take responsibility. Politics is bad you say, performance is good I say, and since politics is the only way to public office by all means "be the difference"
                                                          God save us all!

 

I still see a light at the end of the tunnel and I am reaching for it, one day this period of uncertainty will be a thing of the past.

My condolences to Ndakwo and Pst Akins wife for their loss and to everyone grieving, "this too shall pass"