I will not narrate my personal nasty experiences. But the general trend of things in Nigeria is enough to make one fall sick. Let me be precise, the sickness I am talking about is not the normal one which remedy is sought in hospitals. It is the sickness caused by hopelessness. The rate at which Nigerians are making their exit out of this Country is alarming. Do not think that I am referring to Nigerians who do not have the potentials to grow. I am not just talking about the dropouts, the vagabonds, the lazy ones, or the wretched. I am talking about those who should be optimistic that things shall be well: the eggheads, the workaholics, and the well to do. But to these categories of Nigerians too, all hopes are lost. Sad. Nigeria makes me sick.
Many are jostling to run out of the Country as if there is an imminent calamity about to consume all of us. Let’s not talk about the general hardship—I mean the untold hardship. Let’s not mention the frightening poverty—I mean the poverty that is chasing people out of the Country. Let’s not talk about our health system—I mean our hospitals which could not handle many ailments being the giant of Africa. We may also ignore our educational system which is absolutely nothing to write home about. We may not need to bother about all the aforementioned because governance is at its lowest web in Nigeria; if it exists at all. Please let’s talk about our safety. Let’s talk about insecurity.
Nowhere and nobody is safe in Nigeria. Those who keep saying all is well know it better than those who cry. Sokoto State—the Seat of the Caliphate— known for its peacefulness has become what we all know. Report has it that no fewer than 150 people were killed in bandit attack on a town called Goronyo in the State. This is just last Sunday. I can give a chronicle of other killings in Sokoto before this. Zamfara State which was carved out of Sokoto can be said to be the epicentre of banditry in Nigeria. Katsina may want to lay claim to this. What is indisputable is that none of these states has peace written in its dictionaries anymore. May Allah restore peace to these states and to Nigeria at large. Nigeria makes me sick
But when has it become a misfortune to have an elected president from one’s region or from one’s state? What is happening in the North-West and particularly Katsina State—hometown of the President—should be one of the mysteries of this government. I cannot understand. I wish I could. Insecurity has become the other of the day. People are ready to believe any terrible thing that is said about Nigerian insecurity. I discarded the news instantaneously but many accepted it in similar manner. What news? That the Air Force bribed bandits N20 million not to shoot down the President’s plane when he visited Daura. Though the Air Force denied the report; you cannot force some Nigerians to disbelieve what they are determined to believe. Nigeria makes me sick.
Not too long ago in Nigeria, villages, military barracks, palaces of emirs/kings/obas are where people run to for asylum in times of crises. Can people dare it anymore? No where is safe! Villages are flashpoints of operations for bandits and kidnappers especially in Zamfara and Katsina. Our gallant soldiers have paid priceless souls in this fight against banditry. The news of the arrival of the much awaited A-29 Super Tucano filled us with hope. But here we are; nothing has changed. If something has changed, it is still for the worse. Nigeria makes me sick.
What about our traditional leaders? What happened to their palaces which used to be sanctuaries? They are no more. It has become history. This is the crude truth. The undiluted truth. The truth of the truth. This is sad. Our traditional leaders are not exempted from kidnapping by kidnappers. Traditional leaders? Kidnapped? And heaven did not fall? Really Nigeria is sick. No wander I am sick. The Country makes me sick.
The Emir of Bungudu in Zamfara State arrived home (I think on Monday). Not from a national assignment, not from Saudi Arabia, but from Kidnappers’ den. The Emir reportedly spent 32 days after paying a ransom of N20 million and even more. I wish the Emir quick recovery. And he is not alone. Other emirs were abducted before him. We pray it doesn’t happen again. Nigeria makes me sick.
We should not think it is only happening in the North. It happens elsewhere. Though that of the North calls for greater concern. Three traditional rulers were allegedly killed on Tuesday in Imo State by Unknown Gunmen (UGM). In African culture, the souls of traditional rulers are generally regarded as the most sacred souls. It is quite unfortunate, the souls of traditional rulers in Nigeria are now the most…(I think the opposite word I intend to use is unprintable). But we all get the point. Nigeria makes me sick.
Now that bandits are done with our Kaduna-Abuja and other highways, they are trying to diversify— to extend their operations to our waterways and railways. The Kaduna-Abuja Train which many consider to be a safe corridor was BOMBED. I learnt the train service has been suspended. I wonder why our highways have not been suspended despite the incessant attacks. Nigeria makes me sick.
Those who are paid to do PR jobs on behalf of this government want us to believe insecurity is not peculiar to Nigeria. Insecurity, they aver, is a major global challenge. The questions we need to ask them to shut them up is: why are Nigerians, despite the global insecurity challenges, running to Europe, to the USA and to the Middle East? Why is the reverse not the case? Nigeria makes me sick.
Some have concluded that what our leaders need is prayer. Others counter the conclusion and concluded that acceptance of prayers has stopped. They argue that prayers cannot change the mentality of our political leaders in Nigeria. After all, Ibadan-Shagamu-Lagos expressway has been turned to prayer grounds by virtually all Christian and Muslim sects you can think of; yet nothing has changed. In fact, the expressway itself reflects the sorry state of our nation. People in their thousands pray there everyday but surprisingly only for our critical conditions to be more critical. Nigeria makes me sick.
For those of us who could not make it out of Nigeria, should we pray for our leaders or not? Some are adamant. They insist that any prayer for leaders in Nigeria is an exercise in futility—it is a waste. I cannot blame them. I understand their feelings. But if not for our prayers, don’t you think our conditions would have been more terrible than this? Could any country survive this kind of bad governance—anywhere else—on earth if not Nigeria? Nigeria makes me sick.
O Allah! This Country is tiresomely irksome. The leaders are rudderless and seem to be vindictive, please guide them. The followers are lethargic due to hopelessness, haplessness and helplessness, please strengthen us and give us hope. We are all sinners, please forgive us and have mercy on us. The Country makes us sick.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
