A Nest of Killers

A Nest of Killers?

Attorney Mike Ozulumba

Boston/Abuja

The recent death of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo has cast our nation again into a mournful mood. With the preliminary reports indicating that he may have died from noxious tear gas fumes poisoning, one would immediately point to the Federal Government and its Police agents as the culprit in this dastardly act. It is very sad and unfortunate that we continue to lose our leaders in a democratic dispensation that seems more to look like e demonic dispensation. How long shall they continue to kill our leaders while we stand aside and watch? The deaths of prominent Nigeria leaders in the likes of Chief Bola Ige, Harry Marshall and now Dr. Okadigbo sends a chilling signal to the world that we are not ready to salvage our nation. It further sends a dangerous signal to the Military whom we have all prayed so hard to keep out of politics and governance that it would make better sense to intervene as usual to save our ship from drifting into a massive wreck.

Since the inception of this Fourth Republic in 1999, Nigerians have had little to smile about in their harsh and brutal life. One cannot point to an improved economy, nor infrastructure, nor education, nor job creation, nor social amenities as a reward or dividend for our massive expense and investment in Democracy. Are we eternally cursed or what? In our Regional West Africa, Ghana, a nation that Nigeria once welcomed her economic refugees and later humiliated them through mass deportation, just recently celebrated 30 years of uninterrupted power supply. They have since returned home, organized their society and is now a true champion of a regional economic power. Today, Nigeria can hardly celebrate 24 hours of uninterrupted electricity. If Ghana were blessed with one fourth of Nigeria’s Natural and material resources, Africa would truly be different. Today, Nigerians are heading en masse to Ghana to become economic refugees! Yet, our leaders prance the globe and region espousing dominance and big brother posture in settling internal problems in other countries, while our own nation is faced squarely with tremendous problems that require total attention and hands on solution.

Today’s Nigeria is a walking skeleton on a massive frame. Recently the International Monetary Fund released a statement in which it decried the worsening Economic Plight of Nigerians. The report showed that 1970 and 2000, the number of Nigerians living in poverty-less than $1 a day- has risen to 70% from 36% as per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has fallen to $1,084 from $1,113 in purchasing power parity terms. At the same time in focus, Oil Revenues since 1965 has generated about $350 billion! A direct examination of today’s Nigeria does not offer any substantial evidence of a nation that has earned $350 billion. Our Highways are hellways. Our Airports hellports. Communications, until the advent of the most expensive GSM operations/ operators have laughable. Nitel is still is operation mired in mismanagement while gulping millions in resucitation efforts. Electric Power supply has been ridiculed and noted as national disaster! Our seaports have become soreports! Our educational institutions have been overrun by cults as Godfathers and soon Godmothers have hijacked our political leaders!

Where shall our salvation come from? To our new born again brothers and sisters, they believe that our salvation shall come from heaven. In preparation for the big event in heaven, our pastors have ensured that they live well on earth. As a result, they embark on an orgy of grand deception, preaching what many of them could not practice while fattening their bank accounts and cheeks from the financial windfall of unsuspecting converts. While growing economies of other countries attract foreign investors and break new grounds for construction of factories, Nigeria’s factories close down on a weekly basis and are immediately purchased by new Pentecostal churches who seem to be the fastest growing sector in our economy, Chei! Even God may not like this at all! I live in Abuja, close to one of these new churches who seem to be fragmenting and multiplying exponentially. At 3 a.m in the morning, a bunch of about 30 individuals will huddle into a shed by a hillside and torment the residents with loud incantations on a nightly basis. I wonder whether God also told these people that they should not be sleeping at 3 a.m! I feel extremely sorry for their plight. During the daylight hours, I strolled over to the “church” to take a close look. Four men were sleeping on a bench and when I questioned them, they responded that their church utilize the tranquil hours of the night to speak to God, because it is the best time the message could be conveyed. Interesting!. I thought God is awake 24 hours! Very soon, we shall produce more pastors than scientists! With all these Pastors, how come our troubles seem to have worsened?

There exists in Nigeria today, a total feeling of hopelessness. While leaders aspire to positions to effect positive changes in a society, Nigeria leaders aim for the offices as Government has become the fasted channel to wealth. In the frenzy to elbow out opposition, our leaders have become deeply enmeshed in undemocratic means of power protection. Why should Muhammed Buhari and his supporters not be allowed to hold rallies? Is it not guaranteed in the Chapter 4 of our Constitution for the freedom of assembly and expression? By suffocating opposition activities, what will be the difference between a Nigeria where everyone is a member of the PDP and a Nigeria led by Military Junta intolerant of opposition? Poor Dr. Okadigbo. At 61 years old, and with the contribution he had made to our country, his death by alleged inhalation of noxious tear gas in political rally, is pure murder! Professor Wole Syinka once called the PDP a nest of Killers! President Olusegun Obasanjo should take serious steps to reign in the lose cannons in his Party and Nigeria Police.

This level of persecution of political opponents should not be condoned. We need a healthy opposition Party in the country. Our leaders should look ahead and do the right things, and Nigerians are not stupid, not to recognize good job. Recently the Nigeria Police are lauded for disrupting the criminal gangs in Benin Republic that had terrorized Nigeria. We note that it took the harrowing experience of the President’s daughter at the hands of these senseless killers for the President to finally react to the level that has for now brought sanity to the cross border crime explosion. President Obasanjo should think hard and fast and use his immense capabilities to guide our nation. He seems on the surface to be attempting by words to achieve great success, but in deed, the co pilots in his Aso Rock cockpit may have actually mastered the instrumentation faster and seem therefore to have positioned our national jet on doomed democratic mission. Let us pray and call on our pastors at this moment to pray for true pilots that should take the control of our National cockpit and deliver us from our evil spell, Amen!