MY NIGERIA

I am a supporter of Occupy Nigeria. I do not necessarily support the NLC but I understood the concerns of Occupy Nigeria and those were my concerns as well. In the midst of all the cries that arose from the overwhelmed emotions of Nigerians was that of corruption. The removal of fuel subsidy is not bad in itself as many of my “learned” friends tried o tell me even though I already knew that, but its all about timing and clarity.

Let me start with clarity. First of all there is an outstanding N1.3tr that we have suddenly gone hush on. From the town hall debate, I heard Sanusi Lamido say they are yet to find out the accurate amount of fuel being used by the country as barrels upon barrels are diverted at sea, therefore, we do not use 35million barrels as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala based her mathematics on.  My question as I know is a good one too is, ‘how many do we use then?’ How do you subsidize what you don’t even know you consume? (the second question is a rhetoric).  I respect intelligence when I see it and I must say the 2 aforementioned people are very intelligent but are they now being clouded by politics and government charades? I hope the future will clear this last question for me. We should cower in shame for the issues we have in this country. It’s like learning nothing from those who have gone before. I was surprised by the alternative Ben Bruce came up with and as I expected no body referred to it again because it was a solution. Which I may add is what we need. He put it simply; if you want to remove the fuel subsidy then also subsidize transportation. The money he proposed can be gotten from turning some of those seated right in front of that meeting upside down and letting the cash in their pockets flow out. But as has become our nature, instead of listening to solutions we haggle over who gives a more detailed and compelling presentation however pompous and falsified. I listened to people talk about the pros of the decision by PPPRA but never the cons. I later gathered that inflation was expected to rise by 15%, what?! That’s a laugh. If fuel price doubles everything should in fact triple because now we have to add the cost of using generators and inverters and what ever alternate source of power there is. As I watch the politics of the democratic world, I realize that it is only in Africa and a few other countries that we do not deal with facts and figures. No projections, no forecasts, no situation reports or observations, no models of interests, no expertise, just plain dramatic presentations fit only for the theatre of the dark ages.

Unfortunately, knowledge has greatly increased and even though our education system is in the docks, more Nigerians are learning about what concerns them, hence; Occupy Nigeria. You can no longer tell a grown man or woman that things are going to get harder for him but keeping a positive attitude will get him out of anything.

As for timing, I have received numerous broadcast messages and Facebook posts that accuse El-Rufai and Pst Tunde Bakare and many for keeping quite now that our already dirty faces have been rubbed in the mud. People are angry at all the “freedom fighters” for not standing up to for the Kano bombings and the likes.  It’s amazing to me how we can turn on anyone we think is not living up to our potential. If we can broadcast negativity in such a hurry then we should also share positive things that will keep our hope, “for a man without hope is dead”. The matters of Nigeria’s crisis run more deeply than this government can handle, it’s a matter of ethnicity and religion all mixed in the pot of cultural pluralism. As a friend of mine would say, “oh, Luggard, see what you have done”.  There is humour in that but I see, “a coat of many colours”. Back to our brethren fond of explosives, I don’t think they are too sophisticated for our intelligence but then I would not meddle in matters beyond me. I would only say, please save our national unity for only in it would we find a national identity.

I believe those who stood up for the sake of this country at the protests are still standing but tell me, what do we do now?  For PPPRA, we knew if we stood a while longer they will back down or just kneel as they are doing (for now). But for matters as close to home as the rights of democracy, all we can do is pray and protect ourselves.  

The unity at the protest was as a result of suppressed emotions exploding into beautiful proportions. Having both safety and livelihood dragged out from under you as a new years present was too much for us to bear and so we revolted. This showed us that we are really one and we already lost over 2million people at Biafra to show for that, now we are losing more again just to grease our egos this time. This oneness is what will save us; no matter how we pray and march we must begin to feel as with one heart for a nation that is still standing though battered and bruised. We must hold hands and not flinch as we pledge to live in tolerance of each other within the boundaries of what is acceptable in public. We must stand against ethnic and religious cleansing as no man is more superior to the next. We must prove to ourselves that we are worth it by honoring our heroes even if for the moment they are and supporting them when they are weak for they are but humans.

I have no appeal to the government, as my Bible says, I will pray for them to keep the country going onwards with their decisions and to use expertise instead of assumptions. But I appeal to us, countrymen and citizens; if you know what is right do it! For we hope the ripple effects will eventually turn into mighty waves that will wash away the division and corruption amongst us. Also, as Fela Durotoye would say, let us pray the National Anthem;

Oh God of Creation

Direct Our Noble Cause

Guide Our Leaders Right

Help the Youth the Truth to Know

In Love and Honesty to Grow

And Live In Just and Truth

Great Lofty Heights Attain

To Build a Nation Where Peace and Justice Shall Reign

and of course i am listening to "I Am Nigeria" by Threadstone http://mp3skull.com/mp3/threadstone_i_am_nigeria.html

***I wrote a research report on this issues believing with all those who Occupy that we would one day look back and tell posterity stories they will consider made up for the good life they will have.

***for reference; http://nationalmirroronline.net/business/business-and-finance/28993.html