Nigeria: A Shame Of A Nation
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Disclaimer. This is not to condemn Nigeria as a country but call our attention to what our actions as Nigerians have turned the nation to.
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According to Oxford Advance Learner Dictionary: A nation is defined as "a country considered as a group of people with the same language, culture and history, who live in a particular area under one government".
Nigeria without her citizens ( Nigerians) will only remain a geographical entity. There is no doubt about the fact that the country Nigeria is blessed with all kind of resources both natural, and human that will make it paradise if properly utilized but the truth of the matter is that ill -management championed by successive government at all levels of administration coupled with the docile and "i dont care" attitude of the populace if the happenings doesnt deny him/ her of the source of food and wealth that will gaurantee him/ her immediate wellness has crippled the nation to a jungle where all sort of ills reign supreme.
Nigerians have turned Nigeria to where only the lucky ones are admitted to study their intended course in higher institution of learning if money or position of authority does not exchange hands.

Nigerians have turned the Blessed nation Nigeria to where:
A school senate award for the best graduating student is just a paltry #10,000 ( less than $100) but the beauty pageant queen is rewarded with a brand new car with some cool cash.
The actions of Nigerians has brought about winners of national educational contest being rewarded with a Laptop that is not up to the reward given to the first evicted contestants in contest like Project Fame, Nigerian Idol, Guilder Ultimate Search et. al. not to talk of the SUV and prize money given to the eventual winners ( the scholarship awards given to students by some multinational oil companies is appreciated )
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Mismanagement of Nigeria by Nigerians has made the only motivation to why people want to work is to get money and be separated from their struggling colleagues and not what to contribute to the "betterment" of the nation as a whole.
Activities of nigerians have turned Nigeria to where those not qualified but with political and other connection lord it over those that are qualified thereby making mess of the reason one gave his/ her best to acquire knowledge and be equipped with the necessary skills.
Nigeria is a country where the majority of the citizens are mostly important as crowd for political rallies ( to showcase their pseudo popularity) and not truly considered in policy making that will gaurantee a prosperous populace by the ruling political elites.
Happenings in the religious cycle in Nigeria is daily supporting rather than counter the proposition of Karl Marx about "religion being the opium of the people" and has turned to a country where most religious leaders use their charismatic authority to preach and convince their followers on blinded patriotism whereas their wives continue to give birth abroad and their grown up children are very well to do western nations.
Nigeria is now a nation where appointment letters have been given to chosen candidates because of their connection and not necessary their qualification before most of the vacant job positions were advertized.
Nigeria is a nation where employers both foreigners and Nigerians maltreat their employees because the labour union leaders are only good at endorsing political parties rather than being the defenders of union members and the labour laws are not in existence to be the hope of a common employee.
Nigeria is a nation where motorcyclers pay their unit Agbero union chairman (whose only qualification is mainly the mayhem he can cause through loyalty of junior garage tax collectors) #5000 feeding allowance totalling #150, 000 monthly and a QUALIFIED ( and not sex/ money for marks) graduates who experienced some unfavourable situation in the hands of those that trained them seeing them as intrument to oppression. While the union chairman drives SUV those that are contributing to feeding him fats are riding hire - purchased motorcycles and they dare not complain because the agbero union are usefully to the Political elites than the majority of the citizens.
Nigeria is a nation where some agencies and parastatals are good at generating revenues to be mismanaged by the "oga at the top" civil servants and by extention political administrators rather than giving values to the exploited citizens.
Nigeria is a nation where governance by billboards and presently ( defeating " authoritative allocation of values" as one of the posited definition of politics), telemedia houses ( jingles), e- media and paid journalists ( articles) sing praises of the politicians to the high heavens for delivered over inflated projects rather than being the whistle blowers by beaming their searchlight on it and bringing to our knowledge what was spent, "who get what, when and how" ?
Nigeria is a nation where you will prefer to rather keep shut for the sake of not being labelled a tribal bigot whose humble and honest criticism wont be seen through ethnic lenses rather than calling people's attention to the misgovernance of the government of the day.
Nigerians have also turned Nigeria to where performance is limited only to the lives of the God fathers and their apostles that you touched with the dividends of democracy building individual rather than infrastructure and institutions that will be a long term gain to all and not some microscopic few.
Nigerians have turned Nigeria to a nation where if care is not taken you will support the saying that if cant beat them you rather join them because you realize that you are standing alone and those you think are on the same path with you are long gone into the wind of keeping the status quo.
Nigeria is a nation where elected representatives only remember their constituencies just few months to election and one is left to wonder those they were claiming to be representing all this while.
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Nigeria has been turned to a nation where corruption is a unifying factor more than language, the blood and the soveriegnty we share as a citizens of the Federal Republic.
As it is presently, Nigeria has been turned to theatre of terror war where lives of the citizens and those soldiers on field have been turned to pawns in the political chess game ( may the souls of the departed citizens and gallant officers who have paid the ultimate prize to defend our territorial integrity continue to rest in peace).
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Nigerians, I think we all as citizens need to acknowledge the fact there is a problem and that total collapse is immiment if drastic actions arent taken and the action is not only by shouting or by engaging in e-conflicts but by approaching the situation in a systemic model where several components are working together to maintain a whole.
The action should start in our home/ family which is the smallest unit of the society, community, religious organisation, place or work as well as using our charismatic authority and influence to educate people on the need to salvage the Federal Republic Of Nigeria remembering that the clarion call in our national anthem isnt only for event or recitation as we did in elementary schools but a call to help our dear nation to attain her glorious height in the among world's nations.
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For a prosperous, united and peaceful Nigeria to be actualized; it begins with you and I.
Thank and God bless.

Comments reserved.

Very well said. Thanks for sharing this. I fear my people have ears and fail to listen, have eyes and fail to see.

Fela sang about this, and to date we still experience and Nigerians almost appear to be happy living with such mediocrity. Nigeria, the giant of Africa, a third world country, yet the 6th largest producer of crude oil. The greatest irony.

I like the part where you said 'For a prosperous, united and peaceful Nigeria to be
actualized; it begins with you and I'.
Lots of Nigerians cast blames on the government when any single thing happen,forgetting that change begins with we the citizens of Nigeria.The training a child receives from home is what he/she takes to the school then to the community.So,u see,it can be traced back to the individual.Every one has a part to play in making Nigeria a better place.

Our collective actions and inactions have brought us this low. The unfortunate thing is that I see more and more young Nigerians scheming to outdo the status quo.

What we need is a change of the our attitude. Go to business section of nairaland it's filled with how to make money by importation of this and that, even what could be produced here they want to import all in the name of making money.


Naija redemption far die!

what a nation. The tragedy of life is in what dies inside
a man while he lives - the death of
genuine feeling, the death of inspired
response, the awareness that makes it
possible to feel the pain or the glory of
other men in yourself.

I would have said Nigeria is a WALKING DEAD NATION but for the sake of HOPE i won't conclude yet. Because i believe At the end of the day, we must go
forward with hope and not backward by fear and division