pervasive state of anomie doesn’t give room for any form of joy or smile
as melancholy has gained a strong foothold nationwide. Nigeria
perpetually maintains perennial rankings in the bottom quartile of
global socio-economic and political developmental indices. Coming on the
heels of two key reports that labeled Nigeria as the poverty capital of
the world and one of the most miserable places on earth, it would not be
out of place to say the country is on a tailspin. The twinge of
hopelessness is so palpable and conspicuous that it’s legible to the
blind, audible to the deaf and its strong whiff is everywhere. The most
inexplicable thing that beats logic hollow is the open acknowledgment of
helplessness, a preponderance of fatalism, seemingly overt resignation
to fate, and a tacit admission of defeat by both government and
citizenry alike in the face of the myriad of quagmires of variegated
shades and sizes assailing the nation.The despair of our time includes the actual threat of war, the
increasing polarization of wealth, rising incidence of kidnapping,
banditry and armed robbery, ineffective electoral system, mounting youth
restiveness and restlessness, the resurgence of Boko haram terrorists,
marauding gangs of bandits and killer herdsmen, systemic failure of
government at all tiers, emerging virulent strain of democracy,
worsening human development indices, failing educational systems and
standards, growing lack of confidence in the judiciary, restructuring
and the escalating pace of insecurity nationwide. Others include
inadequate electricity supply, pipe-borne water, social /health
services, employment opportunities, road network, etc. Despite the
flaunting of socio-economic successes on all fronts by the present
administration, a professor said the purported landmark achievements are
invisible to the majority of Nigerians. Another discernible observer
lamented that poverty and despondency bestrides Nigeria’s terrain like a
foreign invading and conquering army
.
Quite auspicious is the complete evisceration of the last vestiges of
social solidarity, expanded concept of kinship and brotherhood that once
embodied Nigeria’s humaneness. The torrents of mindboggling and
grotesquely depressing news and incidents all over the country give
impetus to the growing perception that the nation has totally lost its
soul. I may be challenged, but the truth is that a critical mass of
Nigerians mostly youths have already written off Nigeria. Look at the
high proportion of people who are hell-bent on fleeing the country by
either road or ship. Also, check out the large number of people applying
for visas at various embassies and departing MMIA on a daily basis. I
recently came across an International Organization for Migration report
in 2017 which said that majority of the potential sex trafficking
victims arriving in Italy by sea are Nigerian women.But is humane recovery ever possible on our benighted shores? are we
desirous of change or even ready to change? What can be done to halt
Nigeria’s present descent to averni? What will pull Nigeria out of this
disheartening nadir we have found ourselves?. Is there anything
meaningful that the average Nigerian can do? Like in the game of
thrones, the odds are clearly stacked against us as a people and as a
nation. The proclivity to rescue Nigeria from the jaws of the
mythological Kraken is dampened by our collective docility in the face
of overwhelming difficulties at all phases, frightening psychological,
physiological, and rights abuses and atrocious existence in very onerous
and heart-wrenching circumstances. What is happening is that Nigerians
are clearly detached from reality by living a lie, exuding a false
feeling of sanity, and pretending that all is well in the face of overt
dysfunction and chaos. The truth is that Nigeria is suffering from a
terminal ailment and is on the verge of slipping into life support mode.
The year 2020 represents an amazing opportunity and propitious time for
all of us to act fast to save Nigeria. Nigerians who love peace,
equality, and justice should comprehend the inevitability of embarking
on a serious and comprehensive overhauling of our individual mindsets
and all our systems and to organize against pernicious politicians,
civil/public servants, corporate hawks, contractors and other people who
have virtually held Nigeria by its jugular for decades. We should
realize that only a united and organized mass of Nigerians across
ethnic, religious, cultural and political divides can propel Nigeria to
its desired and deserved heights. Nigerians must come together and start
thinking of rising above primordial, ethnic, religious, mercantile, and
other sentiments in order to generate the required constructive social
change that can turn this country around and create a fairer, more just,
law-abiding, open and more caring society.
Mr Adekunle is a labor educator, facilitator, and humanist with passions
for human dignity, global cooperation, common good and social justice