"Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day: I shall not fear anyone on Earth. I shall fear only God. I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering - Mahatma Gandhi
I woke up this morning to find lots of wishes on my phone from fans, friends and family. In as much as I wish to respond, the present situation of Nigeria will not make my pen divorce my paper at this yuletide period.
In 2010, a Gallup poll found that Nigeria had the world's highest rates of optimism despite the fact that we live in an oil-rich, natural-disaster-starved, fertile-land-suffused country where 70% of the population survives on less than $2 per day. While many homes should sit back and count their blessings in the year, majority lament over several challenges and majorly the stress of fuel scarcity.
In the 1980s, a prophet named as Fela Anikulapo Kuti released a track/record "Suffering and Smiling". The late Baba 70 accused religion of brainwashing Nigerians into a delusions filled contentment with a dysfunctional status quo "Suffer for world, enjoy for heaven". Twenty years after the death of Fela Kuti, things still remain the same. In Osun State, despite the receipt of over six billion naira as the third tranche of Paris club refund, the government is yet to meet the demands of workers and workers now expect miracle from God to celebrate the Christmas and New year festival. Travelers in several states cannot return to their homes to wine and dine with their families as there is no hope of withdrawal even from their accounts. If Abia state workers have been paid their salary for December, not at the time of writing this piece likewise the pensioners.
Delta LG workers have also accused the government of owing them 10 months unpaid salary as 21 out of the 25 local government are indebted to their workers. 'Constituted Authority' in Oyo State paid October salary to staff on Friday. November and December still hanging. This is how it cuts across the country.
In Lagos, you have to be 'mad' to live in an insane environment. Though, many will argue that your journey is predicted by the amount in your account. However, the fuel crisis has made the danfo bus seen as life saver as life taker. Most of the drivers are trouble makers as they mostly convert two lane roads to four lane express. A private car driver receives curse and if care is not taken, they hit themselves, argue for hours as they delay other motorists to advertise their madness.
Baba 70 lives on as I remember his track where he spoke about how we laugh at ourselves even when things are not fine and we indeed bear the stupidity.
Many will go to church and mosques to celebrate and also listen to the prophecy of their pastors and imams instructing them on the amount of tithes they should pay. No wonder the songs I drew my inspiration this morning from said the masses suffer in cramped spaces.
"Everyday my people dey inside bus. Them go pack themselves in like sardine. Everyday na the same thing. Archbishop dey for London. Pope dey for Rome. Imam dey for Mecca. My brother wetin you say/my sister wetin you g hear? " Fela Kuti buttressed in his song Zombie that: "Zombie no go think unless you tell am to think. No break, no job no sense"
No country makes jest of themselves better than my country as many Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Journalists and other Professionals turn comedians and now use the Ills and odds of the country to make masses laugh and forget about what we should fight. They make comedy out of our every day chant: "Up Nepa" when power holding restore the electricity. Shame!!!
The Christmas is not merry to average Nigerians, I hope the new year will be if truly, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Adejumo Kabir is a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, a Campus Journalist and a Public Affairs Analyst
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