Translucent rays of satanic darkness dull the nation. Previously reverent institutions now speak contradictions from cracked crevices of their compromised tongue. Within this deep-seated courage of corruption lies a decadent Nigeria. As one after another, established and new factories draw down their curtains. Yet the ruling classes are still blinded by their own self-interest. Meanwhile, our literally gods and spiritual lords take refuge in dumbness.
A Nigeria of socio-economic brutality, moral sadism and financial exploitation. The exploitation of the multi-dimensionally poor masses. A Nigerian verse, read from a deceptive “light”, confused within darkness, taken from the book of “abracadabra”. A story of contemporary Nigeria, an improbable fiction of Nollywood proportions. A new dark age of gangsterism; of which the next chapter is the elimination of opponent’s intellectual and physical assets, disappearance of political opponents, the liquidation of the remaining institutions of accountability and emergence of a supreme leadership deity.
Seeds of this fiction was sown with the democratisation of fraud in governance (corruption) since 1984. Successful entrenchment and the democratisation of bloodshed, insecurity and poverty since 2015. Acceptance and celebration of corrupt practices in open places. A few citizens willing to sell the nation in broad day light to the highest bidder (PID case study).
All lead to the most lasting legacy by key players of the late eighties in degrading a key fabric of society: the police. Thereafter, post 2000, ushered the decimation of judiciary. Upon these types of edifice of fraud, nothing will ever stand in Nigeria. To cap it off, the players handed over a fraudulent constitution with a primary objective to loot and pilfer all available natural resource they can lay their hands on. Today, in the abundance of poverty, the imposed leadership of the country thirsts for excessive frivolity: unsustainable borrowing, unproductive consumption, irresponsible gallivanting and naked display of economic ignorance.
Hence, we evolved into a nation with preference of jamboree instead of knowledge, skills acquisition and job creation. The psychological aura of consumption had since overpowered our inertia for production.
A leadership generation with wastefully misdirected investments that competes with negatively structured bad debt. With self-imposed political leaders from various states sponsoring politically connected persons along with their family members to pilgrimages. In a Nigeria where, small scale entrepreneurs are starved of start-up loans; a governor used borrowed public funds to sponsor over 1000 people to pilgrimage. In other states money meant for investments in job creating infrastructure are used to build five-star hotels as pilgrimage holding centres in lieu of development of income generating tourism. We borrow money from China and immediately export same borrowed funds out to personal accounts in other countries.
The money used in state sponsored pilgrimages for the past 30 years in Nigeria is enough to provide solar powered energy to over 30 million small scale businesses with its attendant multiplier effect on job creation, poverty and crime reduction. Money used to satisfy the luxury lifestyle of local, states and central government official is enough to rebuild all our knowledge institutions and road networks across the country. Indeed, the profligacy of our political looters is unsustainable.
Should we now not accept that we are caught up in a giant fraudulently acted Nollywood movie called Nigeria with a mind boggling but creative fiction that sounds improbable? Of course, we shout: we did not break the law; but what of ethics? Ethics is the light of jurisprudence. Law is founded upon the spirit of ethics, without ethics, jurisprudence will be lost in darkness. We are building a society devoid of ethics with political partners that destroy the rule of law.
Today, Asia and the East are already rebuilding based on a 100-year vision. A fusion of vision, Knowledge, technology but above all LOVE for their own kind. With their futuristic mega projects, no individual billionaires are created. A society founded on love for each other are those who accept ethical values and the rule of law. The tripod of love, ethics and rule of law were the ingredients upon which all progressive cultures made rapid and sustained progress.
Where do we go from here? In a nation where, strong men set up degraded institutions starved of transparency. A Nigeria where all institutions are deprived of public scrutiny. In an age of internet culture, we need to subject all our national institutions to direct public oversight.
But people are afraid of the strong men, least their day to living are destroyed. Lest we forget, Abacha also captured the entire structure of governance. His killing squad was deadlier. Today, the structure through which the people choose freely had been emasculated and taken over. Thereafter, the structure through which the people ventilate their anger is being decimated.
Nigeria: An improbable Nollywood write up that Shakespeare would have described with a double superlative: “improbable fiction”. A translucent Nigeria; the story of improbable proportions. A fraud of governance where satanic institutions of darkness is entrenched. A double whammy of coursed corruption ravaging with courage. Unrepentant acquisition and naked display of public wealth devoid of enterprise. The culture where the most ethically unsound are lords, Professors beg to be PAs. The wisdom of the wise blighted by severe depravation. The spilling of blood becomes national past time. That courage founded in corruption now proves irreversible. That civilisation dies.
Chidi Okemadu M.Sc. (Arch); M.Sc. (Mangt. & Fin.); M.A. (Ed) CeFA, MCIM, MCIOB
bscl2001@gmail.com
