Is Obasanjo Looking Out for Nigerians

Who is Looking Out for Nigerians?

Ikenna O. Ezenekwe

Of late, Nigeria has shown no problems outing herself as the queen of selfish mediocrity without regards to shame or embarrasment. Recently a A330-300 (D-AIKH) flight arriving from Frankfurt skidded off the Murtala Muhammad Airport runway, after its front tyres burst due to some pot-holes on the only functional runway in Lagos airport (aka Ikeja). The News reported that the incident happened around the area rainwater normally gather, which caused a big pothole in the middle of the runway. The A330 was removed from the incident spot and smoke was noticed emanating from the plane. Also, a French plane arriving to Port Harcourt few weeks ago, ran into cows on the runway. Yes, cows on the runway of one of Nigeria's major airport and yes, a pot-hole in the middle of the only functional runway in the major airport of Nigeria. Imagine that for a quick minute - and then contrast it against the current worldwar insurgency that is growing bolder and bolder around the world. To that, the question becomes who is looking out for Nigeria?

These embarrassment allows one's imagination to run wild in the most horrible way considering how the Nigerian President outfitted in his "African outfit" positioned next to President Bush in a posture tantamount to a drifter, could parade alongside the G8 while aware the situation his administration helped put Nigeria in today. The manner Nigeria currently finds herself toiling in the belly of chaos and muted existence does not warrant for such invites to the President of Nigeria by these folk unless there are ulterior motives that are not intended to benefit Nigerians. History has proved beyond doubt the reality of this fact. The question is then, what did the President go to do at the G8 meeting? What clandestine promises and guarantees did he make to the G8 in return for the purported loan relief? Could it be possible that the list of Nigerian embezzlers in official positions – that he claims was given to him by some of these foreign folks – be part of the promises and guarantees that he made with the G8 folks? If it is so – then Nigeria and Nigerians are in for an escapade with a hellish trail. The implications conjure up a President without the power to administrate without being administrated to by the G8 folks. This fits well with the definition of a puppet - belonging to the G8 block. This is not to be disrespectful to the President but the sticks have to be laid straight.

The case of the environmental neglect in Nigeria grievously adds more gravitas to this notion of puppetry. It highlights the perils of Nigerian administrative faults strongest in the most public manner. The Garbage Mountains that have become a landmark in every Nigerian State implies publicly that nobody is looking out for Nigeria – that nobody is administrating Nigeria. It displays Nigeria’s ineptitude to administer in an indisputable way. In Kano, one the largest city of Nigeria, it citizens are stealing human excrements from the State Government disposal site for use as manure for growing assorted vegetables that most definitely makes its way to the public marketplace on a daily basis. The folks involved in the human excrement business say they make a good living transporting and selling it to the farmers, and the farmers themselves claim that it is more cost effective using it than the conventional fertilizer or cow manure. Imagine! Who is looking out for these folks? Are they not Nigerians?

Who is looking out for the over 10 millions Nigerians living in dilapidated environmental conditions in Lagos where the solid waste problem has basically taken over the City? Each person in Lagos is estimated to produce about 0.12kg of garbage per day – multiplying the figure by the population of Lagos gives a staggering number for the amount of garbage produced in Lagos per day. Without an efficient way to collect, transport and dispose of these wastes, it results to what we have in Lagos today. The threat of cholera epidemic outbreak as a result of the garbage condition has been of high concern to experts for years now. In the Igbo States, the matter is worse. The Garbage Mountains is seen in almost every part of her urban centers – in the same manner the embarrassment emits off the demeanor of President Obasanjo at the G8 conference. The sanitary systems are totally non existent and this injects unsanitary biochemical constituent into the air and water. There are already reported increase in cholera cases in the Igbo States. Who is looking out for these people?

It is worthy to note however that not all is lost. Some parts of our collective destiny with Nigeria, I believe is still salvageable though the terrain maybe too rugged. Nigeria can still have a future. The future can still be a bright one if we confess and faced up to our collective realities and see Nigeria for trully what it has become - a failed experiment but not a terminal failure - yet. The Hands that will salvage Nigeria out of the present condition of total neglect for her citizenry has to be what every Nigerian must pray for because the President and the current administrative machinery are not doing it and show no readily visible intentions to begin to do so.

Perhaps as each citizen continues their routine crabs in a bucket affair and matters continues to soil, Nigeria will reach the necessary combustion limit required to trigger a forced “natural” solution. Just perhaps.

Long Live Nigeria

Ikenna O. Ezenekwe