NIGERIA ( The Sinking Ship)

I have been silent for a very long time and I have observed a lot going on in my country during my years of silence. Ah! Nigeria is on a journey and the paths lead to hell, both the leaders and followers on this journey are guilty and worthy of death by hanging. I have always thought it’s none of my business until situations permit me to understand it is an important business of mine. I saw greediness ruling the heart of many and lack of contentment as the foundation by which a lot of Nigerians build their hope. Yet above all these; I went to the north and I saw the skills of the northerners, how proficient they are and how good they are in constructing coupled with farming. Down the south I observed how self-sufficient they are, these folks are so good with their own copy of products, investment and business is their heart desire. I sail the sea to the west, I found their intellect is profound, Ayurveda medicine is so natural to them. Finally, my visit to the east was just too amazing, the beauty of the people and the hospitality of these folks can make you forget your home. Through these, a question kept hitting me hard; Are we truly lazy in Nigeria?

Nigeria is like a capsized ship, and the captain of this sinking ship went ahead to talk to the rescuing ship’s captain and crew members, he publicly tagged the youths of the nation lazy!????

How will other nation who already looked down on the giant of Africa take this? they will feel so accurate and see the nation and her people as worthless beings. The statement made by the captain of this sinking ship is a very shameful one, no leader has ever brought shame to his nation in such a way. This same captain was the busy-body who couldn’t fix his home and went ahead sleeping in someone else’s home, the nation’s hospitals are never good enough for him, he had to travel abroad for treatment, that alone is a shame to the nation, this same leader during his first half has traveled out to exotic places forgetting his federal roads are in mess — killing a lot of poor people for no reason due to bad maintenance. The youths of this nation have always been the pride of the nation and in fact, their hard work is seen but not commended. They survive in a nation where electric power is never stable, they manage to survive in the giant of Africa where transportation system is never getting better, this is the 21st century but it appears our ship is from the 17th century being repainted just for an outward admire.

Those of us born between the 80's to 90's we’ve been more productive than any generations Nigeria has ever produced. This young men and women are CEO’s, they’re very skillful and talented. I wrote my WAEC between the first Decade of 2000's, I saw my batch mates and I was proud of how much hard work these gents and ladies are doing, even those who made mistakes in terms of unwanted pregnancy, they never gave up, they’re all working hard to have an honest living, majority of my female classmates are successful business women, yet they never did MBA courses, situation made them into this. The gents back then whom I was so sure has no future in the professional world or whatsoever because of their bad grades, they shame my judgement by becoming lawyers and Entrepreneurs/CEO’s, they’re working hard and in fact some are already having family and those who are single or in a relationship haven’t given up on honest living, with sweat they work each day for their daily bread, doing comedy, becoming Youtuber, artist etc.  

Imagine surviving university in Nigeria for about 4–6 years through the thick and thin of strike, lecturer’s molestation, and abuse, paying 100's of thousands of Naira to become a graduate, and the same government send these young vibrant souls to camp and the only job they could offer 90% of them is teaching in public schools which indeed could be fun and understandable (they manage it anyways), but the heart breaking point is; they end up paying as less as 19800 Naira which is not up to 60 US dollars per month, Oh! Nigeria is asleep, is this really the country credited giant of Africa and top 3 richest in Africa?

Enough said about the political leaders. I have had the opportunity to live in other countries outside Africa and the stupidity of many Nigerian youths is so alarming thus allowing many nations to hashtag Nigerians as criminals. How can we be this stupid? Imagine your struggle in this nation and how hard our government has made life already for us, how can such youths from a wrecking ship go outside the nation and become a stock of nuisance — a complete disgrace to the nation? countries that are not even worth up to Nigeria have passed immigration rules against Nigeria, countries that do not require visas have added exceptions against Nigerians, those who are the true hard workers have less chance and opportunity to make it to other countries because majority of those who went out are confirmed bastards, noisemakers, nit-wits and crime masters. How long will this continue? They use the country’s situation as an excuse, oh! foolish souls, can’t you think? Imagine a case where a fellow Nigerian killed his friend because he wouldn’t agree Messi is better than Ronaldo, damn! are we really that stupid? We have become so immoral, in fact, Sodom and Gomorrah are far better than us, we are the ones jumping all about sex toy and posting nuisance on social media. Ah! a country filled with brilliant minds and talents, only a few are bringing pride to this sinking nation.

I wonder how many of us truly understood our national anthem and pledge?

Enough is enough, enough of yahoo(fraudsters), enough of drugs, enough of vagabond attitude, this is really affecting both our present and our future, imagine you who claim to be yahoo, you’re a curse to this nation, you cheat on wealthy people and those who work hard for their money, most of them after giving all their wealth to you and then realized it’s a scam, they end up committing suicide, the blood is not only against you, it’s on the nation, cos they don’t call your name (obviously they don’t know your real name), all they’ll find out is; it’s someone from Nigeria, GOD will not only punish you but the nation included because it’s not only one soul whose blood is crying out to heaven, a lot of souls are crying against Nigeria, only one person can’t bear it all and the consequence is upon the whole nation, that is why nothing seems to make sense again in these nation. This is now far beyond natural issues. It’s time for absolute repentance and prayers by all Nigerians, we must be willing to admit we are guilty ‘cos we’re facing the wrath of GOD. If it wasn’t GOD punishing this country, how would a leader utter shame about his countrymen instead of fighting for the betterment of the youths?

If it isn’t GOD’s judgment Nigeria, how will Biafra agitation even be a blood-shedding case or why would Boko Haram ever think of Nigeria, killing and kidnapping of the Chibok girls and Dapchi girls for no proper or sensible cause (real terrorist?), look deeply into the wars and death, look at the herdsmen issues, they have no reasonable reason, it isn’t natural anymore. The sin of this nation is way tooooooooo much, GOD’s judgment is already active in this nation.

Another set of leaders called themselves religious leaders. In a street you can find at least two small churches and a mosque at the junction, I wonder what these religious leaders really teach, I won’t put all blame on the youths and political leaders because these same religious leaders have painted a dirty image in the minds of their congregations, preaching only prosperity/blessings and magical miracles instead of the truth about the consequences of sin, GOD’s wrath and HIS judgement, they don’t put the fear of GOD in the hearts of the people, instead they paint GOD to be the magical Santa Claus whose job is to distribute gifts and sweets, if HE doesn’t give on time you can find another means just to get wealthy and to reach the top of the economic chain, these leaders are teachers of hell and workers of iniquity, they themselves swim in wealth thereby intimidating the poor souls in their churches (mosque included). Some call themselves prophets, forgetting what Jeremiah 14 said, they predict football matches for young men so they can win bets, every 1st day of the year, they prophesy about the year (all gain-saying fable), they make special revival for those who want blessings and those who want miracles to gain more members to their business (‘cos religious buildings has become a fast growing business centers), they forgot they need to call the nation to repentance, they forgot they have to pray for this sinking ship (that is their true calling).

Lastly, a call to all leaders (political and religious), a call to all others in this nation (young and old), it’s time for repentance from our evil ways and greedy living, we are indeed a sinking ship, if we’re to offload greediness, covetousness, fraud, laziness, killing, immorality etc. and we repent truly from these ways, maybe GOD who is gracious will have mercy and revive this ship from sinking deep. I only wish these words would mean something to every soul in this country, if not everyone, at least majority, I have a feeling these words will only mean something to some people for few weeks and they’ll go back to their sinful ways, some will prove lazy and not read as patiently as possible. I cry and weep hard for the present situation of Nigeria, I cry for the future of Nigeria. May GOD have mercy on us.

COTEK Temitayo ∞∞∞