Why I weep over Nigeria

It was Ngugi Wa Thiong’o that cautioned us in his famous novel ‘ Weep Not child’ that we should refrain from weeping despite the level of injustice and all forms of oppressions. But I guess Alan Paton understood the vulnerability in human and gave a little permission for human to cry when he wrote ‘ Cry For the Beloved Country’. In the setting of these great two books were high level of injustice, inequality amongst others.

Let me begin by saying I am not a wailing wailer. This will be my first article with such a headline. I have refrained from such headline because I do not like to weep emotions of others. Just telling what is: enumerating the problems without offering solution. The essence of this piece is an indication of my value for the Nigeria project.

As we know, what you value you stay committed to. I constantly think about this project called Nigeria. I see we have lost the sense of worth for human life in all ramifications. Two days ago, the uncle of a colleague died in Lagos University Teaching Hospital and his conclusion was that his uncle died a cheap death. It means under different condition, environment his uncle will still be alive and kicking.

I can relate with him and that is the fear I have about Nigeria hospitals till date. I have lost my facial nerves to a seemingly knowledgeable doctor negligience and he neither told me why he needed to do that, nor asked for my permission before he went ahead. He did not even see reason to inform me of what he had done until I sought treated elsewhere where patients’ rights is a big issue. They carried patients along in every issues that concern their health. Patient health and well being is a joint process, efforts between doctors and patients. But here, doctors are Lords of the rings.

We keep saying we have the best of the doctors. I really do not doubt this, but there is always a need to proof that. Lives are lost everyday in droves in our hospitals due to negligence, lack of equipment and relevant manpower. The deaths in hospitals are the ones we see or know of.

Many died in varied needless road accidents and in their homes for seemingly insignificant diseases. Over the world, it is now an aberration for a woman to die while giving birth but what do we see here? Hundreds of women died and life continues. If in doubt, check your popular ‘elewe omo clinic’. I have seen where some women who were pregnant went to normal hospital for just minor ailment and nurses had given them injections that had led to their death just because necessary checks were not done.

I read in the paper in the course of the week that an ex -Custom boss returned One Billion Naira cash to the Federal Government. For hours, my body developed goose pimples. My thinking was if one person can return One Billion Naira cash, does that mean he still has more that is kept somewhere? Are there indication that you may have some more in various bank accounts? In a country where people live under one dollar a day? Interestingly we have lost the power to appreciate value in money. It was Reno Omokri that said “Abati is imprisoned for fifty Million while Rotimi Ameachi spent about N223Million’ on a state function”. What a word. To Reno, fifty Million is just.

I have nothing personal against Dr Abati. My reference to him was just what Reno said. In the environment where Mr. Reno Omokri lives, has anyone ‘eaten’ fifty Million Dollars and he is allowed to go Scot free? Is Reno also making Fifty Million Dollars in a year as personal income in the US where he lives?

Let us not talk about Naira value here but match the amount with the currency of the Country he lives? No one will blame him and others who see fifty Million as just. But I must let him know we have about five public secondary schools in my home town and with that amount, the schools will become international schools overnight if I have that kind of money to repatriate to my home town.

Our schools have become dilapidated and their ailing overstretched facilities are put into ‘abusive’ use by packing hundreds of pupils in make shift classes. Many factories are packing up and no one is talking or taking notice as it were.

While I do not support stealing in any form, but peradventure those who had stolen Nigerian money thought of reinvesting these into the economy thereby reducing the level of unemployment, may be some will be praying for them today. After all we have seen cases where huge crowds had been rented to protest ‘illegal humiliation of their “daughters and sons” in courts where government had taken them to to return unlawful wealth found in their possession. Our sense of thinking right had been dealt with badly by poverty so anything goes with a stipend of five thousand Naira.

Has someone also noticed young people being used as product canvassers in Lagos? While it is good to engage in profitable and legal business for sustenance, my heart bleeds each day I see this happens? Those young girls and boys stay in the sun and rain throughout the day because of five thousand and in most cases I understand they are even owed after all the gymnastic they are subjected to.

Theirs is even better, have we noticed the level of sexual harassment under age girls selling stuff on Lagos roads suffered in the hands of bus conductors? These are voiceless people who may not have anyone to fight for them. Yes, in my part, I do have a non profit crusading for child education and girl child rights but how many of these girls can we rescue?

Anyway, enough of the problems, what do I think we can do to correct the anomalies above? I think behind the camouflage of Public servants who steal so much while in office is fear of tomorrow. We stand to be corrected though. They have seen few of their colleagues who were upright and had served faithfully while in office turned to become beggars for what they hope to be their life sustenance (pension). Many of them had denied their payments long after retirement. So can we appeal to Government to recognize those who serve faithfully by building them a house? Is it also possible to make house ownership become common place through varied options available in advanced world?

For instance, can we build affordable houses with rent-to-own? Can anyone with little but stable income buy a house as well as own a car with a long term payment plan? Oh, someone says they are already here, but how affordable are they for people living under one Dollar a day? These things not luxury in most advanced countries? They are necessities? Is it also possible to make food so cheap everyone can access them? Our people say ‘if hunger is removed from poverty, what remains is bearable’.

Can we put in place affordable health care with capable, competent and customer-centred staff who will not abuse anyone or patient as it were? Can we place value on every human life whether s/he has money or not? Can we teach values and right orientation of success in our schools again? That no one should be intimidated by others because of their success or wealth?

Can our justice system be reprogrammed to punish any one in error irrespective of status or class? That we no longer delay justice when it is due? For if I know I can manipulate the system and delay judgement till eternity, why should I not do things and get away with it?

Can we encourage our youth to say no to injustice and our traditional leaders to stop awarding traditional titles to those who they knew their sources of wealth are questionable?

Can everyone of us learn not to take nothing less than what is ideal in service to us? In South Africa, there has been protest aimed at forcing President Zuma to resign because of high level of alleged corruption.
In South Korea, there had been protest to force the President to resign for alleged abuse of office. Will Nigerians ever gotten to this level? Our government knows how to create the fear by sending hungry Soldiers and Policemen into the street to deal with the crowd ‘appropriately’. When the pupils are ready, the teacher will surface.