IN our dialectic world, we have two kingdoms: that of light and righteousness; and sinful darkness. Unfortunately, most Nigerians have to chosen to live in the kingdom of darkness. How? Read on.
February 6, 2014
On February 6, 2014 the Daily Sun informed us that Anambra State waged a war to rid its streets of able bodied destitutes and beggars. Already, 150 of them hard been flushed out of the streets. During the operation, one of them stubbornly refused to be taken away from the streets. She is Mrs. Rose Ali, a graduate beggar with a child and a degree in Linguistics who hailed from Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
Don’t ask me whether she was legally justified to forcefully decide to remain on the street.
Na lawyer question be dat. All that I will say here is that some critics in our kingdom of darkness should understand the normative template of her action. Here it is. Her rent free office is on the streets of Anambra State.
Whenever there was a crisis on one street created by Anambra State Government’s social welfare department, she relocated to another street. Atleast, she is imitating our soulless politicians who decamp from one political party to another even without a crisis or division in their mother party. Remember, even Labraran Maku – former information Minister – has changed street/party from PDP to APGA all because of securing the Nasarawa gubernatorial ticket for the 2015 election.
What is more? If you accuse the Njikoka female graduate beggar of stay putism on Anambra State Streets, you have committed foul. Nigeria refused to employ her. Out of frustration, she secured a job on the street without a godfather. No need for prostitution. Yes, no need to take to stealing public funds as our politicians in local councils, states and in Abuja do. Alos, all these thieving politicians never retire from politics. So, why quarrel with our Mrs. Rose Ali for refusing to retire from the street where she works? Abi do we condone AWOL absenteeism from our work places? Tell me, you analogue critics who only see things from a legal layer of analysis in this life of multiple dimensional canvas.
Now, a final pot shot: Note, Mrs. Rose Ali has tourist value. Foreigners will be happy to see honest graduates in Nigeria begging for food on our streets in these wicked days of transformation agenda and anomie when some other graduates have turned to armed robbery, oil theft, kidnapping and Sundry crimes to survive.
Invariably, instead of castigating her and forgetting the story of biblical Mary Magdalene, let’s think of a better thing to do. What is it? Let’s recruit Majek Fashek to give us a new hit tune titled GRADUATE BEGGAR ON THE STREETS OF ANAMBRA STATE. His old song talking about beggars on the streets of New York is now outdated. So, Majek Fashek, abeg, show. Report for record contract.
Still on February 6, 2014. Daily Sun also reported that a whole Professor of Nuclear Physics and head of the physics deparment in the Ibadan University was still missing. He left home on November 17, 2013 for Eket in Cross River States to work for an oil company to which he is a radiation safety adviser. Till date, he is no where to be found. Prof. James Bolarinwa Olomo just disappeared into thin air like ammonium chloride. No body cares….
A word is enough for the wise. No small word dem day tell orphan to wise-am up. So hear. Nigerian leaders don’t care for her citizens. A clear example. Our Chibok girls in Borno State were abducted on April 14, 2014. But it was only on the 15th January, 2015 our president deemed it fit to visit the state. About nine months later. Because election don near. Ha..ha..ha. Man just day laugh, not cry. Big boys don’t cry. There is God-ooo.
February 17, 2014.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Governor Rotimi Amaechi State. In addition, Obasanjo commissioned some projects executed by the governor. No reason was given by Amaechi for bringing Obasanjo from distant Ota in Ogun State to Port Harcourt for the event. Neither did Obasanjo explain why he accepted the offer.
However, I can tell you that some Nigerians with conscience find the tangle between the pair confounding. Remember Obasanjo worked tirelessly to ensure that Amaechi never became the governor of Rivers State. In December 2006, Obasanjo as president imposed Sir Celestine Omehia, a cousin of Amaechi, as PDP gubernatorial candidate for Rivers State. Yet Amaechi had already won the primaries. How you are!!
However, Amaechi went to court to challenge the decision which culminated in Sir Celestine Omahia later becoming the defacto governor of Rivers State. During the court case, Amaechi’s life was threatened. For this reason, he fled to Ghana. Eventually, on October 25, 2007 Amaechi recovered his mandate courtesy of a seminar supreme court verdict.
Given this historical background, one wonders what Obasanjo and Amaechi have in common to warrant Obasanjo being invited to Rivers State to commission projects executed by Amaechi. It is good that Amaechi in domestration of guthentic spirituality, not our false religiosity, has forgiven the political transgressions of Obasanjo. But this conditionality doesn’t qualify Obasanjo for such an assignment as commissioning projects in Rivers State under Amaechi’s administration.
I haven’t seen where a joyous husband invited a “witch” to his child-naming ceremony when the “witch” confessed that she was responsible for the delayed pregnancy of his wife. Wale Adenuga in one of his THIS LIFE family drama on NTA advises: “It is better to have a good enemy than a bad friend.”
All said, what the Rivers State episode showed was that our politicians hardly have equity, conscience, wisdom, panache and principles. Hence, they are bad models contributing to the social annihilation of our society.
February 21, 2014.
Mr. Linus Awute, a former permanent secretary in the ministry of mines and steal – now in the office of secretary to the federal government – revealed that Nigeria lost N8 trillion naira from the illegal mining and exportation of unprocessed gold in the last two years. He disclosed this at Nigeria – Brazil Investment Forum in Abuja. Imagine this wastage of our resource because of this psychiatric dependence on oil. If only we put our acts together therefore we largely bankroll our federal budgets of 2013 and 2014 with earnings from gold. Both budgets add up to 9.56 trillion naira, afterall.
Last Line: From all the fore going, you can see that we are living in a kingdom of darkness. Lit up with candle can see blind men running all over the place in the darkness promising and chanting a choral song of a new order in Nigeria. Well, nothing spoil!! But our prayer is that may God not allow us to get used to living in darkness just like blind people. Please, don’t keep a quiet. Say AMEN.
