Talk about families, schools, faith, health care centres… There is a presence of a government. In a family, the breadwinner often times wields authority over other members. This also applies to schools where leaders are usually the principals, teachers and prefects. So, just like a nation is governed by a government. It is important to bring into aware that we too play the role of government in our own little way. It is a tapestry of nature.
Unfortunately, most Nigerians are quick to blame everyone except themselves.
This blame game is why we keep comparing ourselves to developed nations forgetting immediately that irrespective, we have come a long way. In Guinea Bissau for instance, there are no real restaurant where one can buy food simply because the locals are too poor to afford such. In fact, the slim bird called guinea fowl was named so as a reflection of the state of things in Guinea.
What about Somalia, that beautiful country exist no more. It is a place of darkness. A land struck by natural disaster and political catastrophe. Chad is another country of immense penury. Over there, the big men come down to Nigeria to get items from our market which is in turn sold to the locals at higher profit. Water is also a scarce commodity. Basically, we are a blessed nation but we fail to realize this.
I am not saying that it wrong to compare ourselves with developed nations but sometimes we loose track of how far we’ve come if we continue the blame game. You know, Baba Nkechi always run around looking for where the next transfer earning will fall from. Whenever luck smiles on him and he gets some real cash, he quickly spends it on new shoes and clothes so as to impress his village meeting folks. Yesterday, I heard him say to a man at the motor park
“This Buharinawa oh, na so so borrow borrow, small time now dem go say naira no get purchasing power value”.
I love that he understands that borrowing to cater for recurrent expenditure is a foolish thing to do. However, I do not think he is any different. Just like the President he blames, he too is doing same in his own little way.
What then is the basis of my discuss, sixty one years is no joke. Even though it seems as though Nigeria has sunk to a low ebb, we ought to realize that until we play our role as leaders, we do not posses the moral right to… Therefore, shall we not deal with our own issue before trying to pick out the speck in the eye of our political leaders?
– Olayinka Kayode Kingsley
olayinkakayodekingsley@gmail.com
