Saving Nigeria: Are Nigerians Ready?

 By Written by Taofeek Ramat

 I once wrote on my blog encouraging true patriots of Nigeria, not to weep for Nigeria, their country, and indeed Nigerians at the lower rung of the society, who are bearing the brunt of all the ills that have befallen the potentially great country. That Giant of Africa that has become a symbol of how-not-to-be-a-giant.

That conclusion I reached emanated from my understanding of the difficulty of getting an oppressed people to free themselves from the shackles of those holding them hostage. For as we have come to know – the unearned suffering has now become fashionable to the sufferers! And it is all part of the bargain and plan of the oppressors. Not that I do not believe that Nigeria and indeed Nigerians can be saved, far from it. I do believe that Nigeria and Nigerians can be saved, but this is not going to be a child’s play. It is going to be a journey far longer and frustrating than the biblical wilderness voyage of the Israelites. The adventure of salvaging Nigeria and saving Nigerians is going to be more tortuous than the struggle for economic development, not just growth in GDP as we have seen in much of the Latin America, Southeast Asia or indeed the rest of the world that have raised far more than half of their population from poverty and instituted a more lasting egalitarian economy. And these successful economies, I should remind you, are not based on the template promoted by Bretton Woods’ institutions of World Bank, IMF or WTO.

What for me has been a constant encouragement, particularly of late, is the fact that stories of people and countries attaining true libration abound, from Brazil to Singapore, from Norway to Finland. And when I say economic and political liberation, I am not talking about that overhyped and falling apart glory of greatness of America or Britain, but truly advanced societies that understand the need to pull everyone up and developing their society not by plundering and destabilizing others. But again, more concerns remain based on the peculiarities of Nigeria, just like the rest of Africa or indeed the third world that have perpetually been held down to remain as museums of underdevelopment. And this too is part of the bargain and plan!

Talking of the concerns, let’s dwell a bit on this. You would have realized that in the history of political and economic struggles across the world, there have always been the true champions of the people and the ponies working for their masters, those within and without their borders. Let’s keep a tab on the differences of the two opposing camps. The true champions are mainly to the left of the political spectrum. These are the unapologetic liberals who believe in and work for the good of the majority. And we have the supposed ponies – those to the right. And you know, most of these slaves, the house niggers, the armies of turncoats, nitwit and halfwit foot soldiers and bootlickers never consider it that they are ruining their lives while they mortgaged their people and society. The lessons in collective liberation and development that guarantees the wellbeing of individual never sink into their skulls or minds. These lots who are Judases consider the crumbs reaching them as the sweetest they can get and, the fleeting allure they revel in, the highest it can ever get. Even the man Fridays among them always feel they have some powers – a sheer illusion. And please be wary of the accidental progressives or those unrepentant capitalist adorning the toga of socialist democrats. There are many who are looking for where their bread can be buttered. And of course, the late converts into the progressive gospels, including OBJ – whose endless gallivanting around the world is just a desperate attempt to keep intact until death a stinking integrity threatening to explode.

Let’s take the discussion further. You know the identities of the ponies have been changing over time. In the pre-independence era of Nigeria, they were just some sets of foolish political opportunists, who happen to chance on power or authority as per their time, either as clerks or as would be civil servants or political representatives taking over from the marauding British. For a better understanding of the distinctions between the two camps at the struggle for the soul of Nigeria during the period just before independence, please take time to read the ‘early intimations’ chapter of Wole Soyinka’s memoir – You must set forth at dawn. Page 42 and 43 of the book should be of interest for those hoping to take back their country. And the changing identities get a bit musty under the military regimes; I do not want to get any further there. And you must also know that the ranks of those holding Nigeria by the jugular, those mortgaging their nation and people for a piece of the pie have swelled so much over the years.

Now in this era, with the birthing of a kind of democracy, since 1999, we now have a more elitists, well read, well travelled and eloquent ponies. And the sad part of the story – these lots despite their education, global travels and experience continue to sell to the government and people of Nigeria alchemy in the name of programmes and policies which will never lead to a collective liberation and development – socially, economically or politically. These lots are expert in turning logic on its head. They can rationalize anything. They are adept in making good speeches, mesmerizing their audiences while those who are not so vocal throw around their internationalness from their certificates, to education and those global positions they have held in time past.

And majority of Nigerians continue to believe them. So saddening! I wish Nigerians will not just moan about the many brilliant on paper but failed programmes that they have shoved down our throats, particularly since 1999, but will get to understand these tricks as part of the plan and bargain to perpetually keep them poor while their nation remain museum of underdevelopment. Nigerians should know that the likes of Magnus Kpakol understand full well that poverty can never be alleviated through the NAPEP. Charles Soludo and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi know that millions of banking reforms as they are implementing them will never liberate the economy for the poor. Nigerians should know that Okonjo Iweala knows full well that seeking debt relief for Nigerians by agreeing to pay $12.4bn of debt no one can point to where such monies were spent and was spent for, and dolling out at-a-go in once tranche $4.6bn; an equivalent of N736bn naira cannot improve the Nigerian economy, nor the lots of poor Nigerians. Nigerians should remember that way back in 2006 after our monies were given away, we were promised that our economy will grow, the government can focus more on infrastructure development. Where is the growth and where are the infrastructures? What is obvious six years down the line is that the ranks of the poor have swelled going by the Nigerian government official statistics.