In regular Nigerian style of reaping where they do not sow, Aso Rock in a brief moment showed exactly how this administration and the entirety of our independence and sovereignty as a nation is – expecting to reap where we exactly have not sown.

Nigeria is like that Isale Eko family that does not rally around a child when he needs school fees, does not pay for books, does not show up when the child needs any form of help but throws a huge party when the child gets the job in Shell or Chevron.

The Aso Rock letter to the British Parliamentarians born to Nigerian parents comes the same way the Ogun State government announced that they were going to send emissaries to England to meet with Anthony Joshua after he won the fight with Klitschko.

The moment he won the fight, he gained the names Oluwafemi & Olaseni and became an Ogun state boy. The same Yoruba boy that came to the Nigerian camp in 2012 to join up with the Nigerian team and was rejected. In the place for serious planning and dedication to a cause, Nigeria is seriously lacking and loves to celebrate with the final product – fair weather behaviour.

British Fiona Onasanya, Kate Osamor, Chuka Umunna, Bim Afolami, Helen Grant, Chi Onwurah, Kemi Badenoch all got elected into the British Parliament and while the British people have voted for their representation, a Nigerian minister and possibly government is excited at the chance to claim this as a win for Nigeria – A Nigeria they probably have never been to.

From this scummy behaviour almost always displayed by the government and Nigerians, here are the takeaways:

1. We will not get better until we work to become better as a nation: The parents of the new British Parliamentarians moved out of Nigeria because they were searching for opportunities for personal and professional development. Also, they were looking out for their children because let’s face it, Nigeria is messed up. The education, the value of the currency, the work conditions and opportunities available are in a state of perpetual decline. Nigeria can not provide people with the necessary opportunities.
2. Nigerians will be incredible wherever they are: While there are arguments that Nigerians are in the news for being incredible by virtue of the fact that we have sheer volume, Nigerians are excelling everywhere and anywhere in the world. These people do not quite qualify as Nigerians as they were born and most likely feel like they are Nigerians or have any connections to Nigeria.
3. Nigeria needs to set new rules of engagement: Younger people might not be the change. Young people do not have the experience of the older politicians, but at this point, CHANGE is what we need. There must be something that works with the British government and system that they stick with young people in their parliament.
4. Where is the Nigerian Head of State? At this point, he is that child that has left home and the parents are very tired of asking where he is or bothering to know where he is. The only thing more shocking than the Aso Rock congratulatory and masturbatory claim of the British Parliamentarians as Nigerians is the audio nature of our President Buhari. We are congratulating a system that works especially as they are getting inducted as leaders of another country while our leader is missing.

It is time to put Nigeria in RICE!

Oluwatosin Adeshokan

Oluwatosin Adeshokan is a freelance journalist and writer reporting stories about West Africa. He was previously the Culture Editor for YNaija. He tweets at @TheOluwatosin