The Nigerian situation is highly
terrifying. The security personnel
that are supposed to protect
Nigerians are now attacking
Nigerians. These days there seems to be
a suspected alliance between the Army
and Boko Haram through state Pardon
and reintegration. Is there any sector in
Nigeria now without any ill? The judiciary
which is supposed to be the last hope of
the common man seems to have caught
the virus with shocking judgments and
questionable precedents. No political of-
fice holder can be at rest after being voted
by the people. Anomalies are becoming
norms these days.
We are in an age of absurdity. Someone
can come out from nowhere and unseat
a government. There is no more ethics
in what we do. In any sane society, truth
prevails. In Nigeria, it is another thing. All
these do affect our businesses, contacts,
education etc. Our children are in the
dark. We are living in a world where there
are no more merits. Money is the essence
of everything. Once you have money there
is no problem for you. How long can we
live in this bizarre situation and not cor-
rect it? There are educated minds making
statements on the pages of Newspapers
suggesting how Nigeria can be redirected.
They are never given the opportunity to
put them into practice. The young people
have their wonderful ideas of creativity
that could bring huge lumps of money
to Nigeria. They are not given enough
support to harness their ideas. Many
find their ways outside and never plan to
return.
If the government can overcome the
idea of seeing everyone with an opposing
idea as a terrorist it would be better.A
Terrorist is now defined by the author-
ities as any person who comes with a
different view of life or development.
We need to reflect enough to discover
what has happened to Nigeria. Many
of our leaders spend time amassing
wealth instead of solving our problems.
They have discovered that money is not
everything. They are rusticating in their
ill-gotten wealth. They hardly speak out
on issues of concerns. They waste so
much time before coming out to speak.
The military leaders are all from the
North and they ruled for many years
without democratic rules. They created
states without viability. Some yearned for
states but they were not given. People are
now speakingout their minds in anger
with the way things are going. Some are
agitating for restructuring. The govern-
ment at the centre does not want to share
power. The governors’ hands are tied.
They must carry their files to the man at
the centre before anything can work. The
statescannot grow faster than the Federal
government at the center because they
can be consideredas a threat to the centre.
People are now realizing that the centre
cannot hold or solve the problems of
Nigeria. Each region is itching tosolve
their security problems. Our leaders have
been acquiring wealth at the expense of
Nigerians. Now nobody can speak and
we hold him high because we are living
in a normalization of life. Truth is no
longer a vehicle for integrity. Integrity
is considered an old fashioned virtue in
Nigeria. What we see now is what we
follow. If it works for me it would work
for you too. Truth is now relative. That is
why we do not know whom to follow and
this is not good for the ruled.
In Nigeria, money has taken over
everything. Now the young people put
more premiums on money because that
is the Nigerian ethos and way of life.
When the young people see the rich
politicians they aspire to be like them.
Their aspirations are not to serve but to
reach the economic paradise. Their aim
of entering into politics is to be like those
who have made it in politics not leading
the downtrodden, the marginalized,
those who have lost hopes. Reaching
there with their bizarre concepts further
destroys their hopes.
When things are so bad in Nigeria, they
invite western journalists to create cau-
tious optimism in the people as we saw
recently on CNN where Richard Quest
interviewed some Nigerians to ascertain
the country with the largest economy in
Africa. He mentioned Nigeria. Nigeria
defends herself as being a giant of Africa;
a giant that is not moving out to enrich
his people. If Nigeria truly reaches out
to his people and shows concerns, you
would not be seeing many beggars and
girls on the streets. Many young boys
would not be entering into fraud and do-
ing all kinds of things that would tarnish
their images and future.
It is unfortunate that there are many
killings in Nigeria today and many
Christians are targets. Do they want to
suffocate and kill religion in Nigeria?
Kidnappings, Killing of Priests and sem-
inarians are on the rise. Priests are seen
as Avant-gardes of Justice and peace in a
Society. Why this new trend? It is unbe-
coming that we are killing our prophets,
destroying justice. What legacies are we
leaving behind? The fundamental truth
should not be destroyed otherwise we
will have nothing to leave for the future
generation.
The security apparatus in Nigeria is in
disarray with squabbles among security
agencies’ heads. There is no synergy
among the various security outfits to
fight insurgencies. Terrorists are now
baptized as bandits. The captured deadly
Boko Haram members are released in
their thousands every day after a claimed
rehabilitation and are integrated into the
Nigerian Army. How do we expect the
war against insurgency to succeed? The
worst of it all is a proposal from a Nigeri-
an Senator; a former governor of a state
to establish a National agency for educa-
tion and rehabilitation of Boko Haram
insurgents. The bill has already passed the
first reading! Even America cannot em-
bark on this bogus and fictitious project
that might enrich unseen pockets and
further worsen situations because their
integration into the society is dangerous.
This does not share a common view even
in the outside world. It is a 13th century
view! Many would want to compare the
amnesty given to Niger Delta Militants
to the proposed amnesty to Boko Haram
insurgents without understanding the
fact that the Militants never spilled
the blood of innocent Christians and
Muslims but agitated for resource control
while Boko Haram has no specific cause
they are pursuing aside total islamization
through Jihad.
In good governance, one is pleased to
leave legacies that would be remembered
when one leaves office. That is what
every good leader should do when in
office. This is what Nigeria needs, not a
polarized Nigeria that is divisive. Can
the present crop of politicians give us the
leaders we need? We need leaders who
have undergone a rebirth of knowledge
and truth to repair the damages caused
by politics of greed and money. How
this would be formed is not yet known.
Except Nigerians have decided to change,
interested patriotic Nigerians can now
enter into politics to deliver their country
from post-colonial era politics.
Many countries of the world sought
for change and they found it. This would
be a way of leading Nigeria into another
era of good harvest and governance.
Nigeria can’t afford to tow the pathway
of Ghana during the reign of Rawlings to
change their political equation but can go
through the enlightened way to political
success. Nigerians should develop a crit-
ical facility to confront what brings them
down and not allow half-baked leaders to
pollute the nation with bad policies.
VERY REV. MONSIGNOR LIVINUS
UKAH
