In the days of aeon, a terrible famine left all animals thin and starving. However, the Dog did not feel the impact of the famine. He actually remained healthy, plump, and agile
One day, the ubiquitous Tortoise visited the Dog. The first mistake the Dog made was to entertain the Tortoise.
And he did so lavishly!
Instead of being appreciative of the Dog’s kind gesture, the Tortoise smelted a rat. He then asked the dog not just to give him fish but to teach him how to fish.
But the Dog’s response was that there was no secret.
So the Tortoise became a detective and started to spy on the Dog. He followed the Dog across the river to a neighbouring village.
There, he knew the Dog’s secret!
It was a farm full of ripe edible products. The Tortoise then made his presence known to the Dog.
Knowing his supposedly hidden cat had been let out of the bag, the Dog agreed to bring the Tortoise on his raids. But there was a condition.
They were to take what they needed and leave quickly. That would have prevented them from being caught.
The Tortoise agreed!
However, on the very first night, while the Dog brought a small basket, the greedy Tortoise brought a large one. He then harvested so many things. He worked so slowly that the morning was approaching.
Sensing that they might be caught, the Dog tried to make good his escape.
When the farmer came, he caught the Tortoise in the act. The Tortoise then implicated the Dog.
Both of them were arrested and taken to the King’s court.
Now, this is the Nigerian story!
The famine represents the cost-of-living crisis in the country. The so-called market reforms have triggered inflation and pushed poverty rates through the sky.
While the masses are wallowing in hunger and lack the most basic resources, the political class and their enablers in the civil service and private sector are enjoying the nation’s massive wealth – crude oil revenue, other mineral resources, national treasury, and public infrastructure.
They are harvesting the collective commonwealth of the nation. The caretakers have turned into raiders.
While the institutional Dogs warn that the resources are finite, the political Tortoises continue to pack the dollars like James Hadley Chase’s “A Paw in the Bottle”.
A Paw in the Bottle tells the story of how a monkey is caught by hunters. They place a nut inside a bottle tied to a tree. The neck of the bottle is wide enough for an empty paw, but too narrow for a fist holding the nut.
Since the monkey is too greedy to let go of the nut, it remains trapped until it is captured.
It shows that when a person is greedy, common sense becomes uncommon to them.
The tragedy of the Nigerian story is that until governance shifts from harvesting a farm we didn’t plant to active cultivation, the cycle of famine and systemic blame will continue.
It’s not rocket science for anyone to know that instead of the coastal highway project, the funds would have been better used in the establishment of agricultural estates in various locations in Nigeria. Electricity and education could also benefit.
All I’m hoping is that we act before something drastic happens
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