#Nigeria

Dear Diary,

        It is no news that Nigeria is in a state of disrepair. Utter lawlessness abounds within the ranks of those who are to enforce the law; this morning, soldiers set 4 BRT buses ablaze because one of their comrades on his bike was knocked down by a BRT bus.

Please help me ask them what the man was doing on the BRT lane.

Confab had a protracted meeting and all they could come up with was to add 18 new states to the 36 on ground that the Federation is bursting at the seams trying to keep from breaking into pieces from the whole nation. And one of the delegates said the name ‘Nigeria’ should be changed to ‘Airegin’.

What is this? Game of Thrones?

Why on earth do we need new States? New parastatals? Why does everyone want to be Oga? Why do we abuse power, right from the lowest security guard to the Presidency? Isn’t that the reason why I work in the Aviation Industry where all the Government agencies are separated for no concrete sensible reason; NAMA, FAAN, NCAA, AIB? Why can’t they all just be one controlling-regulating body like it’s done in other countries of the world?

Twitter is abuzz with criticisms, the Government remains forever an information hoarder. Nigerians want to know really what the deal is with the kidnapped girls, the terrorist attacks, because now we know it isn’t a religious crisis. Muslims suffer as well in the onslaught.

Many people I know are ‘checking out’. Nigerians are cutting off limbs, heads and genitals to secure UK, Canadian and American visas.  There is no real sense of safety here. You may wake one morning with hopes and plans and just get blown up to eternity while running an errand before the day runs out.
Is that a way to live?

They say we should be the change we want to see. How in practical terms do we do that? Is it hard? We know it’s hard, but how hard is it really, cause I don’t wanna have to die for Nigeria my country?! Nigerians are nothing like ants. We aren’t bound together by a common aim. We are more like cockroaches; everyone seeking their own personal better. If one dies, we climb over the unfortunate fallen one and continue trying to get our own better.

Is this really a way to live?

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#BringBackOurGirls

Dear Diary,

        Over 200 girls were kidnapped from a school in Borno. Till now we don’t know what has become of them really.
We have heard stories, rumours, possibilities. But we really don’t know.

I can imagine there must be an Amina among them. Or 4. Or 10. Amina isn’t a very rare name. But there is the one. The pretty one with big brown eyes and a dimpled smile. She must have dark velvet skin unmarred by the arid desert winds. She must have been spotted by one of the masked men and taken for his own whilst most others would be, as has been reported, sold cheaply into marriage in Chad. She must be afraid, but refusing to let him sense her fear.

She is only 11 years old.

She is wise beyond her years. Life in a war-torn zone like hers can make one wiser, harder, stronger.

And Amina is strong. She is strong, she doesn’t cower as the masked man hoists her over his shoulder and dumps her alongside the other girls she knows in the back of a rusty van. She is strong as she sees the terror in their eyes as the doors shut out the light to their freedom. She hears their tears; Fatima’s, Rekiya’s, the other Amina’s, Aisha’s and Memuna’s. Her friends.

She is strong as the masked man separates her from the group and takes her away from her friends and blindfolds her. She is strong as her eyes open to the dark of a rustic, bare room with a mat and a window higher than her reach. She is strong as he locks her in and goes away. She is strong as she waits.
She is strong as he returns at nightfall. She is strong as he unlocks the door and walks towards her. His mask is gone but she can’t see his face She is strong as she puts up a last fight for her dignity although she knows what is to become of her.

She is strong as she bleeds her first. She is strong as she bears his weight. She is strong as she becomes a woman long before she is done being a girl.
She is strong as night turns into day, and day into night on end. She hopes her friends are as strong.

She is strong because she has hope. It may seem pointless in the face of hopelessness. But she still has hope.
She is strong.

#BringBackOurGirls

Sad day for Nigeria

Dear Diary,
          A bomb went off in Nyanya park, Abuja and killed a lot of people. A lot of bombs have been exploding in the North and killing a lot more people.
Nigerians are outraged. As they should well be. It is a sad, sad situation. We’ve taken to our knees in prayer way too many times that we have forgotten that power rests in our own bosoms to effect the change we want to see. Egypt had had it with its dictator leader and it took to the streets to fight for its own liberation from oppression. Early in 2013, the Federal Government removed fuel subsidy thereby making the price of fuel skyrocket, then Nigerians seemed to have had it and protested. After little effort, the Government brought down the price just a little bit and all the brouhaha disappeared. Everyone went back to work with their tails behind their legs. 
Later last year, the Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities embarked on a strike because of the dilapidated state of affairs of the Nigerian tertiary education system and demanded for a fair amount of money from the Government to set certain things right. The Federal Government stalled and both parties went back and forth for over 6 months while students sat at home, pining away in desperation and depression. In the end, only a paltry amount was paid in by the Government and ‘GBAM’, everything died down. I visited a hostel in the University of Calabar campus last month. What I saw in all the toilets made me vomit, literally.

With all the corruption and insecurity looming above our heads and coming down fast on us, we are doing nothing but praying and criticising the Government and we ourselves are doing absolutely nothing to remedy the situation.

In the end, all we will say is “God help Nigeria”