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I wonder what else can shock Nigerians. When, in the second republic, Mr Umaru Dikko said Nigerians were yet to start picking food from the dustbin, most of us thought he was taking things too far.
We never knew he was a prophet, not of doom, but of our impending reality.
Another person who spoke the bitter truth to us was Mr David Mark, a soldier. When he was the minister for communications, he told us point blank that telephones were not for poor people. His own prophecy was a reality for just sometime.
With the second coming of Mr Olusegun Obasanjo as head of government. The curse that only the rich could afford telephones became a non issue. Obasanjo liberalised the communication industry. He brought in private sector participants.
And we became happy ever after!
The legendary Afro beat king, Fela Kuti sang himself hoarse about Nigeria’s and Africa’s problems. The interesting thing is that most of the things he sang about, are still with us, decades after his death.
Water, light, food, house, etc still remain problems in our society.
We generally don’t have health care facilities. It’s so bad that government officials and those who can afford it go for medical tourism abroad.
What about those that do not have the means? They may die. Does anybody care?
The world being a global village does not favour us. You know the rest of the world is laughing at how we are wobbling and fumbling. The result is that we don’t have any result because we hardly achieve anything.
Take the case of Mr Sadiq Daba, a man who made all of us happy. He is now ill.
He is unfortunately reduced to asking for donations from Nigerians to treat himself abroad.
I believe there’s some element of shame therein. I mean shame on the part of the system which prevents us from getting the best out of our country.
If the Citizen Mudas of this country should fall sick, what are their lots? They have no choice but to start having a feel of hell from the consulting places which we call hospitals. That’s if they can afford the bills.
Health personnel are rushing outside the country in search of the proverbial golden fleece. For those who decide to brave the situation by staying, they hardly get the materials to use.
One can go on and on.
Unless we decide to have a rethink, the situation will go on deteriorating. We should not keep assuming that Nigerians do not ask questions. That, definitely, will be trying our luck too far.
If the elders fail to ask questions, what is the certainty that our children wouldn’t?
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