HOW WE GOT HERE
I read Reuben Abati’s piece—In This Same Country—with mixed feelings. First was a deep sense of nostalgia of what used to be; then anger, and lastly depression. I will explain.
As someone who grew up In Ikorodu in the mid-1970s, I could connect with Abati’s narrative of a country that held so much promise at independence. Though we were very poor, the government of the day provided a platform that ensured we were not robbed of our dignity. There was access to quality education at all levels. In Methodist Primary school, as in other public schools at the time, there was no school fee and there were free note books. There was opportunity to nurture talents in different spheres of life: sports, the arts, sciences amongst others as the schools had facilities for all.
The only difference between us and children of the rich such as those that attended Benson Nursery and Primary School at Haruna – Ikorodu, was that their uniforms were newer, neater and they were generally more robust. I should also quickly add that they had more toys to amuse them, like the swings (jangrova) which were proudly displayed in the open. But that didn’t really matter, for as the Yoruba say, Emi je eko, iwo mu tea, omi naa ni (I take cold pap, you drink tea—they are both liquid).
Public hospitals and transport were also accessible and affordable. Life was secure and fun. In the evenings, after school, we took turns to play the part of driver and passengers in our landlord’s abandoned Datsun car. The interior as I remember was more comfortable than most of today’s tokunbo cars.
When, How and Why Did the Slide Begin?
As to the when, I would say it began in the early 1980’s, in the days of President Shehu Shagari when we first heard the expression, “austerity measure”. Then it continued under General Muhammadu Buhari in 1984, when austerity measure was replaced with “essential commodities” and further under General Ibrahim Babangida in 1985; “structural adjustment programme” was the new lexicon. Since then, it has been downhill.
For the how, I would say it began like a cancerous cyst. It started slowly, localised, but because it remained unchecked, unattended to, often receiving lip service or wrong prescription, it reached maturity stage in the early 1990s, releasing its deadly poison into the body polity, leaving people and country reeling and pale. The only group immune to the deadly effect thus far are the uncaring, and fake doctors—the elite, masquerading as leaders.
The why is a combination and culmination of factors. Many selfish, self-inflicted. Systematic greed, avarice. Hear the first coup plotters and their reason for dismantling the First Republic on 15th January, 1966: “Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10%....” Today, occupants of government offices administer state resources like their personal estate with little or no place for checks and balances as obtained in the past and in progressive societies.
Squandermania and Poor Vision. Our former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon was once touted as saying that “the problem with Nigeria is not money but how to spend it”. This was in the middle of the oil boom. Truth is, a visionary government with laudable multiple projects across the country would have been fully stretched, leaving very little to spare for the big parties for which Nigeria was world famous.
It would be interesting to find out how much accrued to government in the 9 years of General Yakubu Gowon’s reign and how much was deployed for infrastructural growth; how much was spent on/lost on/to entertainment, cement armanda.
It is pertinent to note that when our revered General made those comments, the only route to the Mid-Western and Eastern parts of Nigeria was through the snaky contraception that included the deadly mountain at Oke-Eriya [modern day Agric Bus Stop] that claimed many lorries and lives. (Yes, vehicles were few at the time. I remember how we would sit by the roadside and write down plate numbers that were similar!) A visionary leader would have envisaged the soon to come increase in the number of cars and constructed roads to accommodate them. The odd/even number regime that happened later in Lagos would have thus been avoided. The poor vision of those days is the forerunner of today’s chaotic society.
Insensitivity of the Elite to the Plight of their Followers. There was a joke in the public domain in the days of austerity measures when a minister, in response to a reporter’s account of suffering and hunger experienced by the people, asked if the reporter had seen anyone looking in the dustbin for food. A song by Tunji Oyelana & His Benders with the support of Prof. Wole Soyinka, titled I Love My Country aptly captured the realities of the time.
Emergence of Sophisticated Models by which Political Office Holders Acquire State Assets and Resources. This began subtly in the 1970’s, when the incoming civilian regime was too grateful to the departing military regime to ask questions about missing assets and funds. It continued unabated and with increasing tempo under subsequent military regimes. It has reached an all-time high under the present civilian dispensation, with the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan regime topping the list. This method has accounted largely for the sudden emergence of some billionaire business moguls in our society.
Emergence of Prosperity Religious Preachers. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the church was an austere environment where sinners came to be purged of their sins and renewed by the Word of God. The congregation mirrored the early Christians in Antioch, sharing with and supporting one another. Many of our elite today were mentored by reverend fathers and missionaries who sacrificed better climes in Europe to serve humanity. My sister and I were beneficiaries of such care and love by a lowly woman, shunned for her faith by her family but valued by the congregation.
All that changed with the proliferation of Pentecostal churches which began in the 1980s. The emphasis was on the number of followership and not quality. Splinter groups from existing denominations were rife. The leading light of this brand mirrored the American prosperity churches. They offered quick fix solutions to every problem under the sun. Magic was clothed in the garb of miracle. Poverty of the pocket as portrayed by Lazarus was considered a reproach and members did everything to meet the expectations of the General Overseer (GO) who in turn rewarded the “dutiful, successful” servants with seats on the front row.
Destruction of State Institutions and Enthronement of Individuals. The different models of transfer of state assets by the men in power ensure uncommon wealth for their close allies and associates. This select group, in a bid to advance their cause, and with the support of their backers in power, proceeded to weaken state institutions: police, railway, education, health etc.
Lack of Government Will to Check Galloping Corruption. Safe for the present government, previous government paid lip service to the fight against corruption. This was largely so because at all levels, government was compromised and complicit; and as it is written in the Holy Book, ‘when a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong’. Little wonder then that large scale looting of state resources has become the norm rather than the exception.
Rat Race: The worship of material wealth irrespective of source by both the secular and religious societies has instilled in our elite a culture of primitive, primordial and pervasive pursuit of wealth. Religious rulers consciously attempt to outpace one another in the race to claim the title of ‘the richest pastor in Nigeria’ even in the midst of perniciously poor members. The visible symptoms of this sickness are the compulsive urge for land grabbing, property acquisition (luxury objects) and overpriced educational institutions.
The politicians and military officers are way ahead in the race. In their nocturnal gathering they boast of their prized assets scattered around the globe and poke fun at Forbes’ list of the world’s richest persons.
The Emergence of State Sponsored Criminal Gangs. These groups range from militants (South South), almajaris (North), jihadists (North), secessionists (South East), ethnic militias (South West), Yahoo boys etc .
It is important to note that 419 as a slang for the crime of Obtaining by Trick (OBT) crept into our national lexicon in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The leading lights of this gang were men who walked the corridors of state power. Today, this gang has grown into an industry of its own – the cybercrime industry. Our law enforcement agents, rather than deal decisively with the group, are happy to fleece and support the group.
The other group was propped up by desperate politicians to rig elections, crush oppositions, protect their principals and generally do the bidding of their paymaster. Like bush torched in the harmattan, such groups have since gone out of the control of their initiators, branching into deadly and dastardly ventures such as terrorism and kidnapping.
Celebration of Mediocrity: Many years ago, I wrote a test at the Goethe Institut and scored 87%. Imbued with my Nigerian mentality, I was over – joyed until an Italian lady sitting beside me asked: ‘What happened to the 13%?” Today, from schools to work place and different spheres of life we celebrate 40%.
Scrapyard Syndrome. For many years, our elite, leading lights, high chiefs, elder statesmen, national icons etc., for lack of faith in the country and an inverted sense of patriotism, strip the country of its resources to build their empires abroad.
Which Way Nigeria?
Many like this writer have gone past anger into depression about our dear fatherland. There is a palpable feeling of resignation among the followership. Is there hope of rescuing the country from the hordes of scavengers that have sunk their teeth into her vital organs? The answer is ‘Yes’.
Any meaningful rescue mission will best be spearheaded by the elite; political/national/religious leaders, and not occupants or holders of offices, for as Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili rightly pointed out, “leaders are those who offer sacrifice that others may thrive.” Political / national/ religious office occupants or holders however do not care if they lord it over dead communities/congregation.
The present federal government headed by President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) is reason for cautious optimism. Though far from perfect, no one can deny that there is a departure from the impunities of the immediate past. It should be conceded that there is public outcry from the excruciating hardship occasioned by the wantonness of the past, and the hit and miss economic policies of the present administration, but the more stringent voices are those whose juicy pie have been snatched by PMB in his bid to save the country.
The PMB government would do well to purge and reform the law enforcement organs and the judiciary. The war against corruption should be deepened to make the citizenry buy into and own it.
The persistent cry for diversification of the economy by the federal and state governments should be pursued and implemented with the same zeal and vigour that our elite deployed in looting our resources. The multiplier effect of this endeavour would in time trickle down to create succour for all. Agriculture and solid mineral resources have potential to propel Nigeria out of her current woes.
Information Technology and Nigerian Youths. Our youths are generally IT savvy and can spend long hours every day surfing the internet. However, the energy and intellect is mostly channelled towards criminal activities. It is plausible that given an enabling environment, and proper reorientation, Nigerian youths can achieve great feats and improve our trade balance.
National Orientation and Citizenship Education. An aggressive national orientation programme aimed at inculcating values such as astuteness, honesty and patriotism should be vigorously pursued. Rights and obligations of citizens should be well enunciated in all our different languages. Reading culture should also be revived and encouraged in all our schools.
Sport as a Veritable Tool for Development of the Mind and Body. It is also a means of alleviating poverty. Government would do well to revive and encourage our youths to take to sport. Presently, Nigeria is going to the Rio Olympics as a participant not a contestant. In the 1980s and 1990s this was not the case, as we had contestants competing for medals on all fronts. An articulate and workable policy should be formulated and implemented to ensure talents are scouted, nurtured and monitored through the ranks – grass roots to international scene. Many lives which may have been sold to terrorism, kidnapping and cybercrimes can be gained.
The Demise of the Failed Elite. The class of elite that enjoyed the best this country had to offer, but who, out of greed, poverty of thought and insipid callousness bequeathed to their followership a failed state, is on the wane – thanks to death. Away with the usual cry of ‘Nigeria has lost a national leader’ that trails such passage. The truth is Nigeria is better off with the demise of each one of such elite. Their children, weaned and shepherded through the best institutions abroad, are not as entrenched as their fathers in the sadistic trade of pillage.
Bright Sparks in the Midst of Gloom. Through our over fifty decades of failure as a country, there has been some bright sparks in government, unfortunately many were short lived. Under the present civilian dispensation, states like Lagos, Ogun (strictly under the present governor) and a few others have had leaders as governors – ready to lead from the front to improve their state. We as followers would do well to use the bright sparks to challenge the indolent ones to wake up to their responsibilities. Also, we should be more committed as followers to probe, interact and evaluate elective office seekers to ascertain the veracity, plausibility and relevance of their programmes and promises.
Critical Thinking. Our religions groups have fed off brainwashing the masses. Religion, as they say, is the opium of the masses but a religion that extols material wealth above righteous living should be questioned. The new age pastors that enjoy all the dainty luxuries of Arabia and ask their impoverished followers to shout ‘heaven on earth’ must be questioned by the same followers; for as Benjamin Franklin said ‘if everyone is thinking alike then no one is thinking’. We must continue to ask questions that will help provide answers to free us from slavery and servitude.
Nigerians are known to be resilient and hardworking. If we have survived all the hardship heaped on us, imagine what we would do with quality leadership. That leadership may just be around the corner to get us out of here.
source:http://www.hoch-zeitgericht.com/2016/07/24/how-we-got-here/

The problems of this country is too much