Going through Chinua Achebe's archive, I saw this writing in 1983 and thought to share here. 75percent of Nigeria's current population wasn't even born then. Deep but true.

Spot on gbamm!

And you know, this was in 1979 when the country still had pretty realizable hopes. There was the nascent prospects for oil with Norway and Nigeria starting about that time somewhat on equal footing. Nigeria of 1979 was still a working country. Corruption had just been dealt a serious blow by the previous Muritala administration, even though he would later die in a bloody assassination. But Nigeria, being a rather sensible country at that time, would in fact honor that hero by placing his bullet-ridden car in an upscale museum for public viewing and national reflection.

Oh! Nigeria of 1979 was still a country one could deal with. The Naira was very strong and strongly competitive against the dollar at that time. Nigerians still had relative ease with traveling outside of the country. Some never took that option, because they simply had no reason to. After all, Nigeria was still "working"

Contrast with Nigeria of today and you'll almost puke in disgust. Achebe couldn't have said it any better. That feeling of grandiosity brought the nation nowhere. Blinded leaders, even of the Obasanjo variety, never tell themselves the truth about the country, are never modest about the achievement of this insignificant nation. A nation whose GDP per head these days is probably worse than neighboring Ghana. And the followers too are just as guilty.

Everyone is convinced that they deserve a place on the world stage even they've not worked for it. Quite a number of Nigerians do literally believe that that ship full of their desired cargo will dock soon without their having to lift as much as a finger towards realizing that. Isn't that what they preach in these so-called Christian centers these days? That "favor shall find you"?

Dum.b@ss Leute! Black people, black sense.

@mization....

What book is this? Seems interesting!

Achebe was too negative on that piece ...and he didn't proffer solutions

That's is what I've been talking abt...these people has become cult leaders like the religious leaders who talk nonsense and people cling to it like religion.

So, if a man believed in himself and say:

By 2016, I will have a car.

He is simply a fool to a man who said;

By 2016, I dnt wish to have a car, right?

It is not a false image, it is a goal.

The man who simply said he doesn't want a car is either not sure of his success and doesn't want to create unnecessary facade around himself when it didn't materialise, he is like the Chelsea boss- mourinho, who is fond out easing pressure around him with such statements.

What will eventually set them apart is their actions towards it.

As a leader, u dnt tell your followers that something is not going to be achieved even when it looks like that until it is glaring that it is impossible. Even arsen Wenger believes he can still win the premiership. And biliv me, it got them firing real fine and kept the others on their toes.

So, chinua Achebe may want to shut up! I will like to keep my opinion!