To those in inhabit
of defending the managers of nation’s resources, regardless of the situation;
may you be blessed with people who will manage your personal businesses in
similar manner. And to those who have been critical of the managers of the
nation’ resources, may you get the leaders you deserve. And to those who have
been sitting on the fence while the nation drift perilously, may you wake up
earlier before the storm blow you away while you are asleep.
Ever since
the 2011 election, I have tactically avoided dabbling into certain segment of
Nigerian politics. I have watched the events and contributed to some of them
both in public and private, but I have often dilly dally around issues that
require me to take a firm stand. During the Occupy movement, I had declined to
participate fully in the protest even though I was present on the scene in
Lagos. My minimal appearance was to look around and survey the situation; to
learn and to observe.
Events after
events in my country sadden me and sane ones in my generation. Yet, we have
those who think the country is on the right course.
The “enemies
of state” are those who have been marked as the diehard critics of the government.
They spew venom and will not spare anyone who dare cross their paths. They scoop
up every single flaw of the government and raise the decibel each time the
opportunity arises. And they found more than enough opportunities. They were
trouble makers, noise-makers and saboteurs who, according to the authority, will
do anything to destroy their own country in the eyes of international
community. These are intelligent folks whose pens continue to disturb the
authority. It doesn’t matter whether they are sane or not, the authority placed
them on watch list. Nevertheless, this group is motivated by the love for their
country and desire to see things done properly. They are determined to employ
any means to take their country out of the jungle.
Then there are those considered less
threatening, yet lethal: the “enemies of state” who are listed in the
following categories; a team of
certified losers hitherto re-branded as “oppositions”, critics, paid
journalists, disgruntled party-men, opportunists who wanted to be noticed.
And in there are the "enemies of state" who in the the words of Rueben Abati, are; “all the cynics, the pestle-wielding critics, the unrelenting, self-appointed activists, the idle and idling, twittering, collective children of anger, the distracted crowd of Facebook addicts, the BBM-pinging soap opera gossips of Nigeria, who seem to be in competition among themselves to pull down President Goodluck Jonathan. This army of sponsored and self-appointed anarchists is so diverse; many of them don’t even know why or how they should attack the President. “
And in there are the "enemies of state" who in the the words of Rueben Abati, are; “all the cynics, the pestle-wielding critics, the unrelenting, self-appointed activists, the idle and idling, twittering, collective children of anger, the distracted crowd of Facebook addicts, the BBM-pinging soap opera gossips of Nigeria, who seem to be in competition among themselves to pull down President Goodluck Jonathan. This army of sponsored and self-appointed anarchists is so diverse; many of them don’t even know why or how they should attack the President. “
On the
other hand; the “state of the nation,” our fatherland, the only place we can
call home, wherever we are and whatever we do, beg earnestly for attention.
Everywhere you go, you see people suffering in the midst of plenty. You see privileged
few amassing wealth and stock piling the commonwealth of the nation as if it
were exclusively theirs. You read things in the daily which are as shocking as
the defenses and excuses advanced to justify or cover them up.
In the
north, there is insecurity. People die regularly and human lives had been
devalued. The States governors are all busy protecting their power instead of
looking for a way to tackle the problems. The leaders of the region are busy
trying to score cheap publicity and competing for attention. But none of them
has taken concrete step toward arresting the drift to anarchy.
In the
south, “adult-napping” has taken over the once upon a thriving militant enterprise.
Famous and infamous people are being kidnapped for ransom while those hapless ones
are kidnap for rituals. Their local leaders (usually the opportunistic
politicians) are all competing with one another to tap into the moment and
shoot themselves to political relevance.
Everywhere
you go, you find people in different states with peculiar problems. You see
poverty all around you, while criminals operate in broad daylight and you begin
to wonder how on earth we get to this stage. Yet, the “enemies of state” will
not stop talking and drawing attention to all these just as the “state of the
nation” gets worse.
Those
managing the nation think they are doing their best and things are much better,
while the people they are managing think the nation is becoming failed state.
The battle of propaganda takes a new dimension. Friends clash with friends and
enemies realign with enemies for strategic selfish reasons.
As I look
at the two, I asked myself a simple question: What will Nigeria have been
without the “Enemies of states”? What
will Nigeria have become without these young men and women who despite the danger
have turned criticism into a craft? What will have happened if those men and
women have not been consistently exposing the inept leaders coordinating the
state of nation? What will have happened if they have not protested the fuel
subsidy removal over a year ago? What will have happened if there were no Faruq
Lawan Report or if Ribadu Report had not been leaked? What will have happened
if these people have simply decided to face their businesses and wait till 2015
before talking? What will have become the state of the nation in the face of
wanton looting of the state and profligate and rudderless leadership?
I shiver at
the thought of what Nigeria would have become if these “enemies of state” have
not been keeping watch on the “state of nation.” Then I asked, have I been
right to keep off these “enemies of state” simply because I didn’t want to
spread negativity? The answer that confronted me was one I can’t write here. I
concluded that despite all the negativity, the heroes of 2012 are those,
twittering, collective children of anger,
the distracted crowd of Facebook addicts, the BBM-pinging soap opera, who consistently keep the leadership
on it toes without gun and cudgels. The villains are those fools who stand at
the corridor of power who misguided, collaborated with, and encouraged the
manager of the state of nation to continue to govern as if all is well. Not
that they are not aware there are problems, but that they continue to feed
their boss, lies and untruth contrary to the reality on ground. To them, this
is an opportunity of a lifetime to be close to people in power and the make as
much money, fame and fortune they can. If the current regime is returned back
in 2015, it will be an added bonus to them.
And
finally, the biggest fools among us are those who have minds of their own but
have gambled away their conscience in the name of tribalism, religion and party
loyalism. They are real “enemies of the nation” and the rope pulling the country backward.
They are always agreeable as long as the actor is from their tribes or
religion, as long as they have psychological feeling that they are in power or
should be in power. These men and women deserve the knock for bringing the
nation, albeit indirectly, to where we are today. If there is going to be a
change in the polity, it will come when people are not afraid to tell the
managers of the nation that the ship of the nation is floating dangerously on a
tempestuous sea and it is time they either wake up and act or quit the post to
allow capable hands bring it back to safety.
To those
who are in inhabit of defending the managers of nation’s resources, regardless
of the situation; may you be blessed with people who will manage your personal businesses
in similar manner. And to those who have been critical of the managers of the
nation’ resources, may you get the leaders you deserve. And to those who have
been sitting on the fence while the nation drift perilously, may you wake up
earlier before the storm blow you away while you are asleep.
To everyone,
do unto others what you won’t mind done unto you!