Nigeria: An Artificial Hell Whose Building Blocks is 'Crime'

Adekunle A. Akinlosoye, social commentator writes on the presence of a higher power that has stared the affairs of Nigeria... 

Ordinarily, Nigeria as a country, and its citizens, is a country loved by GOD. You want to ask me why and how? Hold on, I am also willing to tell you; 

First of all, HE built Nigerians with a kind of stress-resistant material I cannot begin to conduct a research about. We are so strong and painstaking that hardly do we bend to hardship that would shatter anyone from any other country. An average Nigerian has the ability to manufacture hope even when there is nothing left on earth resembling that "same" hope. I will buttress my point by these common sayings among Nigerians; "hope still dey", "bros, we no go fit die", "man no go kill himself na", "if we never die, we fit still chop something as berekete as elephant", the list is endless. Rather than for Nigerians to break down catastrophically, they will rather learn from the hard situation, make fun of it and the possible author(s) of such (in anyway they can) and move on with their normal day-to-day activities. Really, it is in Nigeria you will find a man as old as seventy years still moving round the street dressed like a "binto nigga" in a polo shirt with sagged jean trouser. His face cap and trainer shoe is also not missing...hehehe funny right?

Another reason why I said GOD loves us in Nigeria is because HE blessed us with resources which, if we had utilised properly, we should be highly ranked among the developed countries in the world. Talk about mineral resources, we have it. Mention agricultural resources, we are not behind. We also have human resources which is the most important in all. However, we decided to lack that ability to put it into full utilization because it is a known fact that Nigeria is in this present condition because of the under-utilization, or, let me say hidden agenda of the one latter, which should have harnessed the two former, for the betterment of the entire nationals. But in-spite of this, GOD still loves us.

Yea, now I remember (though we may not see it as love but let me mention) our weather conditions; we have a weather system that was strategically designed by GOD HIMSELF. We have rainfall as at when due, we have sunshine when due, we experience harmattan the exact time I think is best to experience it. All these are love and blessing from GOD because if we try to visit some countries (I will not mention them here), then we will see that rainfall is not a globally common experience. There are some countries that don't have rainfall more than thrice in a year...is it surprising? Then don't grudge but rather bless GOD for Nigeria.

Another reason to establish it as a fact that GOD loves Nigeria is that, by whatever criteria known to only HIM, HE preserved us from witnessing natural disasters. Just think of what havoc will be wreaked if the kind of earthquake that hit Japan should hit Nigeria. I think it is better in imagination than in reality. Have you heard of Tsunami before? Have you heard of those hurricanes that often hit US and those typhoons that hit the Philippines before? What about the consistent heavy flooding in India and Pakistan? My dear, it is a good thing to pray none of these should remember us in Nigeria, because not only its consequences are devastating but also the attendant epidemic.

...Let me stop there...

Now, in-spite of all these analyses given above, we keep wondering if GOD actually loves and cares about Nigeria and we, the citizens. But the real truth is that HE really loves and cares for us. It is only that Nigeria has been made to possess the characteristics of, and carry the aura of a GOD-forsaken nation because of the "artificial redesign" works taking place inside of it. These works are done by both those in government and those who are not BECAUSE of the "love of money". No one is left out. 

Calm down and follow me as we journey further to check out these works I am talking about.

It is a known saying that "the love of money is the root of every evil" There is nothing, I mean there is no evil that cannot be done by Nigerians provided it will dole out money. In fact, majority of all evil acts are committed based on this singular factor. As a result of this identified factor, many of the artificial redesign works being done inside of Nigeria include (may not be limited to) the following:

Deceitfulness: This is everywhere, not only limited to those in the government. This exists even in the grassroots (families). Make one person a local representative of his small territorial division and see if he will not exhibit this act once a big money is involved. Husbands deceive their wives, and vice versa. Children deceive their parents and vice versa. This is rampant everywhere. This has gone far and wide in Nigeria to a point no one can be trusted. The few truthful ones are also suffering from the damages this has inflicted. Another problem is that deceitfulness is something we celebrate in Nigeria. In Nigeria, if you don't know how to paint something that is not the truth, as the truth, then, for sure, you are definitely on your own, OYO lo wa, as my people will say.
  
Lack of the fear of GOD: The fear of GOD, The Holy Bible says, is the beginning of wisdom. The lack of the fear of GOD is also another of the artificial redesign works that make Nigeria hellish. Many evil acts would not have been carried out had it been there is "this fear". Kidnappers (who seize people and demand for huge ransom before releasing their victims or even kill the victim after receiving the ransom), armed robbers that rob (and atimes kill people), embezzlers at all levels (that siphon the money meant for the betterment of masses), rapists, ritualists (those who are hungry for quick wealth, thereby taking shortcuts of crime),  419ers, etc would not have been comfortable doing all those evil if they have the fear of GOD. No level of poverty can make you commit a crime, if you actually have the fear of GOD. Pastors, Bishops Evangelists, Imams, Alfas, etc would not have descended so low to partake in some ridiculous and evil acts if this fear exists in their hearts. So also are the men of the forces. But shamefully, Nigeria has become a country where the fear of GOD is the beginning of abject poverty and backwardness. It is a pity!

Rotten judiciary: Our judiciary system had long broken down because there is no true justice in them. Why? Love of money. In Nigeria, the judiciary system has greatly crumbled to a shameful extent that a man who stole "an elephant" is made to preside over the case of a man that stole "a chicken". Ridiculous right? Corruption effortlessly thrives like mushroom in Nigeria because there is no life left in our judiciary. Only those that have strong fear of GOD in them reject bribe. Even at that, they are not absolutely safe as there is great tendency they begin to get threatened. So, instead of losing both the money and life at the long run, they quickly do the calculation in their heads and opt for the money. While vast majority will simply take the bribe and sabotage justice thereby making these thieves to come out guiltless from the courts. 

Fruitless Loud Assurance/declarations: In Nigeria, there is nothing strange anymore about seeing people aspiring to be in power (or those already in it) giving loud assurances, I call it "politrick-al" assurances. We keep hearing there will be improvement in the power sector, in the education sector, in health sector, etc. Some of them would even want to go as far as promising to give children to the barren...Hehehe. Now, what happened to all these sectors in Nigeria? In-spite of all the assurances, what the poor masses get is increased tariff for un-used electricity or better put, Nigerians pay for staying in the gross darkness-they pay for the electricity that was never available for use. Chei! Pump price is another topic to be discussed another day. Roads nko? a no-go area. Water? Abeg forget am. Thank GOD for the private sachet water companies, even though they too also inflict masses with their own kind of pain BUT is it their fault?.

In our schools, teachers/lecturers embark on indefinite strikes turning students into street roamers. A course that should, under normal condition, be studied for five years is extended to eight years (for the most fortunate ones) because it doesn't bug our assurers. Apart from this, tuition fee nko? That one is already inflated beyond what mouth can describe, making life more difficult for those poor parents.

Our hospitals are mortuaries in disguise. The people working there are EITHER qualified but working with no resources OR grade A tailors in white coveralls. Shame!

Poor-vs-poor battle: Like I said earlier, these redesign works are a collaborated efforts of all and sundry; both people in power and those not in power. You won't find it funny to see poor masses waging wars against themselves in the society. I will make my example from our market men and women; You see people forming all sorts of "trade associations". In a market place or in a township, it is not uncommon to see, apart from the overall/general association, various associations comprising of segments of various trades. For example, we have Tea Makers Association, Porters Association, Pepper Sellers Association, Frozen-fish Sellers Association, Fruits Seller Association, Smoked-fish Sellers Association, Vegetables Sellers Association, Blender Machine Owners Association, Orange Sellers Association, and so on.  

To be frankly honest, there is not a singular thing wrong with this, but the first cruel act associated with it is the compulsion placed on people before they can get registered. Think about a man that was "forced" to become a porter in one of the markets (because of the sack letter he got at work primarily because the company could no longer survive with many staffs) being confronted with having to pay the registration fee of the Porters Association before he can be allowed to become a legal porter (a job he found handy to take so as to be able to cater for his wife and children, as the bread winner of the family). Haba! Have you ever seen a man who lives comfortably, take a decision to become a porter? The second act of wickedness is the unnecessary inflation of the price of goods in the market (by these same associations). Everything serves as an excuse for them to increase the price of goods, even rainfall on a normal market day will make them increase goods price just to have unrighteous gain. Kilode?! Now see this one, if there is a member of the association who has the fear of GOD and/or conversant with what is contained in 1 Timothy 6:6, willing to sell at a moderate price, they will get him/her arrested by their so-called "task force", alleging they have betrayed the association. Where shall we get to, with all these?

....AND LOTS MORE....

Without any doubt, I am very sure we have all seen how we "all" contribute in this artificial redesigning of Nigeria, one way or the other. No country will build itself if the citizens are not ready to build. Nigeria will not lose this hellish nature if we are not ready to get it away from her. All we need in order to begin to live in our GOD-intended-Paradise-natured-Nigeria are all deposited in Nigeria and we, Nigerians. GOD will not come down to do for us, that portion of the work we are meant to do. 

We continue to make it hellish, we continue to live in hell. We decide to turn it into paradise, we begin to live in Paradise. The decision is ABSOLUTELY ours (Nigerians).

JEHOVAH bless you all.

-Akinlosoye, A. Adekunle