World's Wealthiest Losers - no doubt that is what we are.
Margaret Nicholas did a marvelous job writing that awesome and well versed book - The World Wealthiest Losers. The book detailed the life of rich, famous, well loved but greedy, immature Politicians, Celebrities, Businessmen and women, who had it all but also never lived a fulfilled life. Hence, I think I can be excused when the above mentioned book comes to mind when I think about the peculiar case of Nigeria. Nigeria to many Nigerians is a Wealthy loser.
For a nation so blessed and abundantly enriched with such enormous natural and human resources, that if well managed will make so many other world powers quake in their boots. We are the most populous black nation in the world with a population of over 150 million citizens.
In the Last 50 years, the world economy has been essentially driven by Petroleum products. Nigeria been the 6th largest producer of Petroleum products in the world, should be up there with the rest of them on the chart of most developed nations in the world. Where are we?
Before our domestic economy became completely crippled, Nigeria was the biggest exporter of so many goods, thus, making us an important contributor to the world economy. After independence we were filled with so much hope. We dreamed of living in a society where all men will be treated equal and where we could live a life of fulfillment.
What went wrong? How did it get this bad? Where went all our hope and awesome dreams? When did we loose sight of our desired destination? Who led us down this gloomy road of destruction? Obviously, we as Nigerians have so many unanswered questions.
In science, evolution is usually associated with the metaphorical change of something (or someone) from one stage to another higher stage, usually a better stage. Nigeria in its unique stage evolved from the Nigeria of 1960s to the Nigeria of 1970s, then to Nigeria of !980s and !990s and now we are stuck with the Nigeria of the 2000s: where mass corruption at all levels of government and public parastatals is now the order of the day. An evolution of Nigeria from a well organized society to a state of near anarchy.
Every thing went wrong. Our belief in social justice got shattered like shards of broken glasses. We are continuously receding into an abysmal, disgraceful and anti-social society. We have not only fallen into the bottomless pit of social corruption, but also religious corruption, the corruption of thoughts, corruption of the soul, as well as the corruption of mental capacities and capabilities, amogst several others.
Our system has deteriorate to the point that we make heroes out of unlikely individuals. The youths have lost their bearing and are now struggling in a survival economy. (expect an article on SURVIVAL ECONOMY). Every generation after another are less hardworking than the last because of our depressing economy, but are now in search of "get-rich-quick"means, which are usually illegal.
For a long stretch of time, we have been ruled by men who hardly can define NATIONALISM, talk more of understanding what leadership entails. They have refused to understand that leadership isn't about individual interests or benefits, but about collective interests of the over 150 million Nigerians. The plot has been lost.
Our ever so present curse is to be governed by men who does not have the slightest idea of governance. However, these men are well versed in exploiting our porous system and carting away with billions of Naira every year. They are very able at looting our treasury and misappropriating public funds. What is been practiced in Nigeria is the modern model of COLONIALISM. Much more worse than the infamous colonialism of the past century and even neocolonialism.
Things are so bad now that the suggested solution by our present day leaders to our many problems is to set up committees to look into those problems and eventually sweep them under the carpet. Our leaders think the grip of corruption on our life is exaggerated. What a Farce.
Where next do we go from here? Do we continue our downward spiral in the bottomless pit of corruption and destruction?
Oh! My Nigeria, The Wealthiest Loser.
