NIGERIA CELEBRATES HER 53rd INDEPENDENCE DAY, I WONDER WHY?

Today, October 1st, Nigeria celebrates her 53rd independence. On the other hand, I sit down and ponder over the problem that is Nigeria. While the president and his governors and ministers plan an elaborate celebration with its budget running into millions of naira, the rest of the nation stare in abject poverty, some of the populace wondering, others plotting means to steal more money if and when they ever have the opportunity to sit on power.

If you ask me, personally, my response will be to spend all that money on more important problem solving agenda than celebrate a non-progressing country. Just last week, a patient of mine (a core Nigerian) who flew in from the United states to visit his family sustained an injury and presented at the hospital. The wound needed suturing and as I went about the job of closing the wound, he just cursed the country to the ends of the earth and back, swearing that when he went back, he wasn't ever going to see his country again. During this process, I couldn't help but think that maybe this is exactly the way most of our leaders and even regular citizens think. Everyone seems to want to abandon ship and run and I ask, to what essence?

What are you celebrating Nigeria? When you haven't succeeded in providing the basic amenities for your people? No electricity, no good roads, no water, no jobs, no good health care facilities, NOTHING!! People are dying everyday, Yet the wife of the president can't be treatment for simple gastroenteritis at the National hospital. She had to be flown abroad.

Your children the leaders of today because tomorrow is here right now are at home wiling away their time because of the on-going ASUU strike. Many of them indulging in every kind of evil act. A very good example also presented at the hospital and what was the case? A university male student jobless at home because of the strike raped his neighbour's teenage daughter. Perhaps if he was in school with tests to write, the thought wouldn't have occurred to him and he might even have lots of consenting female of age.

Pills for Nigeria

We are crying everyday because of the lack of security in the country. The boko haram sect bombing away and killing innocent citizens at will in a struggle for something I am yet to fully understand and have been at it since 2009. Obviously, the government can't be bothered by such! Did I forget to mention the kidnappers, who have decided that the only way to make a decent living is to rob other people who have worked very hard for many years to make ends meet and when things finally begin to look up for them, they are snatched up and an unimaginable ransom demanded for their family and friends. I understand that prior to now there was no punishment for the crime of kidnap, what I can't get is why one hasn't been made since its onset. I'm beginning to think that our wonderfully corrupt politicians may have a hand in it.


Now to our Legislators, please when did you hear a Nigerian cry to you that their most pressing problem is the legalization of abortion, prostitution or even that we must now marry same sex? While you are busy copying hook, line ans sinker the laws of the western world did it occur to you that you should probably be copying the ones the benefit your people? Why are you paid much more than them? make a law to reduce your salaries and allowances. Do you think passing a pro-abortion law would reduce the rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria or population growth? No, I don't think so. Not with the bad health centre and possible quacks opening shop all around town.

With these many problems to tackle, the government decided that the best way to help Nigerians was to come up with the idea of changing the plate number of our vehicles to the same thing but in reverse other. Why? because some relative of a minister came up with a stupid idea of how to make money off unsuspecting citizens. Can someone please tell me what happened with the car reflectors that was forced down everyone's throat just a few years back? It disappeared from the market after the money had been made.

Another thing Oh praying Nigerians! the fault is also ours, do your part and stop waiting for the government to do everything for you. Don't go to the university with the sole purpose of getting a job when you graduate. Go to school and think of ways to impact the society and how to create jobs when you graduate. Learn to fight for your rights and not allow some thugs who know nothing at all push you around. Also learn to act in disciplined manners - stop beating the traffic lights because the law enforcement agents aren't watching. Stop throwing dirt out of your cars on the road because a law hasn't been passed to punish such a behaviour.

Remember the fuel subsidy plan, what happened? It was otedolad and farooked away. What about the guy that stole N2.3 billion of pension money? He was asked to pay a fine of N750000 and allowed to go scotfree. I wonder why these people feel the need to en masse these huge amounts of money for their generation unborn. If the generation show up only to squander it in no time. During my last visit to Abuja, a fellow passenger said something that struck me as very true, here it goes "where are the children and descendants of all our rich politicians gone?" Nobody hears of anything they achieved for themselves or even where they are.

So you see I'm not so kin on the celebration not because I don't love my country, but I'm simply tired of watching my country been run into the ground by a very few people while the majority suffer. Do something useful today! Don't get it twisted I love my country still and since I am fashion conscious, I'll be making it a green and white week for my outfits. God bless my country, Nigeria. Cheers....