Opinion: We Just Cannot Continue Like This

By Awemi Dio Maisamari

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: At village, ethnic, local government, state, regional or national levels our litany of woes is the same. But the intensity is in varying degrees. We have scourges of poverty, hunger, unemployment, social dislocation, addiction/mental and other health epidemics. There is palpable economic, educational and cultural decay. Bad leadership and corruption in spiritual, temporal and public organizations are being condoned and institutionalized. The climax is widespread treasonable sectarianism, terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, savagery, electoral and political rascality. The end result is endemic and deep rooted national dysfunction. A sense of foreboding and uncertainty now pervades the air at all levels. In this national nightmare, the middle belt, it’s states, ethnic groups, LGAs and communities are particularly hard hit and at mercy of Nigerian geo-politics.

2.Periods of such of extreme and difficult problems, dangers, destruction, suffering, pain, anguish, sorrow, fear and even despair demand equally extreme responses and counter measures. In other climes, this often brings out the very best of people and their leadership. This usually leads to daring as well as inspiring acts of determination, courage, sacrifice, love, compassion, solidarity and mutual assistance, patriotism, heroism, resilience, ingenuity and creativity in human relations and the pursuit of public causes. That is the heroic historical legacy of well cultured, proud and patriotic but conquered, colonized, oppressed, persecuted or endangered peoples all over the world. Therefore, we must not be an exception.

3.Unfortunately in our climes, such feats are now considered as expensive inconveniences that do not merit the forfeiture of our cousy comfort zones. Rather, we have taken refuge in hibernation, wailing, lamentations, endurance, self preservation, tribalism, sectionalism and sectarianism. Other preoccupations include elitist conflicts and ego wars, public service and politics of unscrupulous grabbing of positions and power for the sake of primitive accumulation of unquantifiable public resources. We have also become famous for our scamming prowess (both public and private). Deluded by a generous dose of wishful thinking, we crave for miraculous solutions to our problems courtesy of our ritualized religiosity and prayers without commensurate righteous deeds. Occasional attempts by some heroic fellows at challengeing the system are usually sabotaged by an array of Nigerian reactionary sentiments, agents and forces. It has become so bad that our supposed leaders now hate to even be constantly reminded by a national anthem that the labours of our heroes past must never be in vain. What a people and what a nation!!!

4.Shall we continue like this?
Shall we survive like this?
Shall we emancipate ourselves like this?
Shall we progress and develop like this?
Shall we secure our identities, land and our future like this?
Shall we earn respect and dignity like this?
Shall we achieve our highest goals and aspirations like this? We know that the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘’NO’’

5.We know that we are yet to agree on the common strategies and solutions to our complex problems and yet pretend that all will be well eventually. We know that people cannot live and work together unless they willingly agree but still avoid pursuing that consensus. We know that proactive actions guided by strong leadership with vision and integrity are the only antidotes to social problems but still allow those bereft of such qualities to mislead and misrule us. We know that we are yet to make effective use of what we know and have (our abundant resources, assets, strengths and advantages), to do and get what we really need (equity, self determination and sustainable development). And yet we go on borrowing sprees to squander the resources and enslave future generations. We flaunt our individual educational, scientific and other accomplishments locally and globally. But we do so little to systematically harness, galvanize, coordinate and synergize to help ourselves and salvage our battered land, nation and reputation from reuination . What is happening is beyond the much talked about bourgeoisie class suicide. It is mass, societal, national or state suicide. Or how else does one describe this bizarre phenomenon unfolding in the Nigerian nation-state?

6.The result of our collective folly is that we make so little corporate progress and suffer so much sectional, regional and national misery while blaming each other. Our shamefu and unpatriotic actions and inactions speak much louder than our vibrant press and social media agitations. Sadly, most of us are now resigned to perpetually endure whatever fate we have unwittingly brought upon ourselves. Just when and how shall these puzzles and contradictions be addressed? Are we forever condemned to continue like this, even now that we are leading contenders for the unenviable title of the most wretched of the earth? God forbid.

7.It is certain that our increasingly chronic malaise is cascading from national to village and even individual levels. It also seems that waiting for solutions to also cascade likewise is proving to be tragic for most citizens. The ongoing moves by some farsighted and patriotic statesmen to address the constitutional and structural roots of our problems is far better than populist protests targeting symptoms and effects. How I wish that such mass uprisings were directed at supporting movements for such fundamental changes. Meanwhile, considering the likely lengthy gestation period of such fundamental changes, the citizenry urgently needs first aid to survive their unending ordeals. And this is better done from bottom up because, up there in the Nigerian establishment, there is no institutionalized social welfare safety net. And because there is no sincerity of purpose compounded by a lost of touch with our hellish reality, the adhoc reliefs promised are always turned into bottomless conduit pipes as usual. See what they are doing with their subsidy removal financial windfalls and so called palliatives. Beneficiaries of the criminal system up there have no qualms enjoying their enclave prosperity. But their victims will continue to perish on a daily basis until hopefully, it is finally ‘’uhuru’’.

8.So, how long shall we continue like this? As long as our proactive remedial actions do not supercede our naive lamentations and docile or complicit inactions. So, let every patriotic citizen do something positive and practical no matter how small. Preferably let us use the cooperative approach to leverage on our huge numbers and together keep hope alive. It does not matter the kind of problems: security, economic or business, political, etc, the cooperative spirit is the way forward as we can learn from world history. So far, we have not been able to invent our own wheel of social progress. But why we have also refused to simply imitate or copyright from more successful societies and communities to help ourselves beats my imagination. Better late than never they say. Just as in other climes, let our best shine out during our worst times. That is the challenge and moral obligation of this generation of Nigerians.

@awemidiomaisamari
14/08/2024