by Willow Danan

Nigeria has come to a major crossroad in our trek along time, where the events, no matter how subtle will definitely have destiny altering consequences for all in the country. We are at a point where we are in a battle for our Nation’s Survival, where only grim possibilities are the foreseeable outcomes of the path we are presently treading.

We are at this point fighting for the basest of needs, which are our rights to live freely on earth in a sovereign nation that gives us a basic identity, in the complex international community our world today has evolved.

The greatest threat at this point is to the unity of the country, and the selfish purposelessness of the loudest /noisiest of the polity, have relegated this danger to the background as they pursue power at the risk of destroying a nation. They have done so by shrouding our regional, ethnic and religious variety our greatest strength and beauty in the darkness of distrust and separatism, and turning them into points of difference and alienation.

In a nation where an separatism has divided even tribes along dialectal differences, discouraging marriages across communities/states that speak one Language, or where interdenominational marriages are an issue in christiandom or worse of one Pentecostal church refusing to endorse a marriage between one of theirs and another from a different Pentecostal flock, then what chance is there of a man from Delta state free to live and work in Katsina without fear of prejudice and risk to his life?

The orchestrators of this divisiveness have done so to divert the attention of the easily distracted majority of our populace, who seem to easily forget history, or lack the patience to critically analyze the evidence in plain sight. They have engineered and continued to perfect ways of under-developing the country while they suck the life blood from the nation. Their actions pre-date the struggling democracy we are currently developing and the destructive machinery in place pre-dates Nigeria itself.

The origin and motives of these forces as well as the successes they have enjoyed till date however need a lifeline for sustenance and that is the selfishness of the average Nigerian, which interprets leadership as opportunity for selfish gains rather than responsibility to our country to inspire, promote and drive positive national growth and development.

Since one cannot sit in more than one car at a time or sleep in more than one room of a mansion except he sleeps at an adjoining doorway, my first question is this insatiable desire for wealth worth the sacrifices of peaceful life for all in NIGERIA? Are the government sustained Police convoys and personal security of the high and mighty, especially our politicians (APC and PDP alike) a show of ill acquired status and stolen royalty or fear of the insecurity created by your greed? (when you impoverish the people of this Nation including the very poorly paid police and military officers who constitute such security details)

I wonder, the police are now protecting the robbers from the robbed…the so called Yahoo Boys who are constantly harassed by the police and EFCC alike are desperate and hungry young men who are following the examples of our politicians and government officials, in illegally acquiring the wealth of others in order to enjoy the fast life of grandeur and show what they think is wealth and prosperity.

For the information of the Law Enforcement and Anti-Corruption Agencies, the real criminals robbing this country the very government officials and politicians you are busy protecting, who have sent you on the errands that distract you from the more destructive crimes against Nigeria and have deprived the Nigerian police/military of funding for stationery and other basic office equipment, much less arms in the battle against insurgency.

To suddenly blame one sitting embattled president for the problems of this country which pre-date his political career while, while the strength your political party’s financial success, based largely on illegally imposed taxes and the use of the proceeds to fund over priced roads among other government projects just to siphon the proceeds to build high cost hotels the very masses you impoverish cannot afford? He who seeks justice/equity must come with clean hands.

This is not to absolve the man of his failure so far to utilize his leadership opportunity and unprecedented political advantage to initiate and sustain the positive development of this Nation he is so uniquely suited to drive.

Some may argue in favor of his being unprepared or even oblivious of the enormity of the task of being president of Nigeria at this time. However there are no acceptable excuses for perceived apparent failures, and possibly no opportunity residual for image redemption or Nigerian emancipation in his time.

However as we decide the political future of this country, let us not lose sight of the original problems of this country, the many lies and deceptions which claim to be versions of the truth, because if we do, the darkness on the path we will choose, will plunge us into abysmal destruction so grave our nation may not survive it.

The center and growth of corruption in this country lie in the sick state of the security, law enforcement and Judiciary systems in Nigeria.

The poverty forced upon these sectors in the dark military age, made it impossible for the workers in these sectors of the nation to demand better work and life conditions from the government and thus took to road blocks and check-points to tax and extort the people for their emancipation from the economic handicap they find themselves, armed with the ignorance of the populace of the true laws of the land, and armed with the ability to intimidate and bully the average citizen with their guns and uniforms.

This corruptibility is carried over into indiscretions in the management of cases reported at police stations as investigations and resolutions of conflicts are directed by influence, financial power or a combination of both.

As for seeking redress in courts, The Naija way of doing things, burdened with failing economy constantly haunted by instability caused by poorly regulated currency trade largely owned and manned by financially illiterate religious clerics, worsened by the stifling of industrial growth, including the deliberate run down of the refineries, causing a largely consumer based, production bereft economy, only further fuels corrupt practices in the rank and file of bailiffs and other workers in the judiciary. Thus tips and other forms of lobbying, perpetuate cases in endless adjournments and dying of the matter.

Truth be told, if any case brought before law enforcement can be truthfully handled, you will be surprised at the reduction in corruption, because allegations will be truthfully and thoroughly investigated and decided, with foul play out of the way. False allegations will be appropriately determined to be so and the truly guilty party will meet with justice.