The Superciliousness and Peevishness of Nigerians is the Undisputed reasons for our Woes

Emakoji Ayikoye

New York, USA

September 21, 2005

For so long a time, everyone including myself blames the leadership of Nigeria as the center for our national calamities. As much as the leadership of the nation should be cited for their role in the obvious collapse of our systems, no one seem to blame the masses for our collective irresponsibility and inaction. While the government is doing everything they can, some rightly and others wrongly, the masses in some quarters are just sitting out there and spewing venomous superciliousness and peevishness to destabilize and disintegrate the corporate existence of the our beloved nation.

To those agitating for the destabilization and disintegration of Nigeria, I think the government has been too lenient to them; such detractors need to be arrested and charged with treasonable offenses against the government and the people of Nigeria. How can we blame the government of the day when some unscrupulous citizens are making the country ungovernable? How can we sit out there and allow people who want to destroy the essence of our existence as a nation carry guns and mobilize others to disintegrate the nation and no body seem to want to seriously address these perpetrators? How can we let these traitors who may be sponsored by some foreign sources destroy our democracy? The filth in our society and the persisting turmoil in our land should not be blamed on government alone; all Nigerians should also bear responsibility.

Again, I suggest that the superciliousness and peevishness of Nigerians is in fact the pivotal platform upon which our national calamities are thriving. If the government invented and practices corruption in the land, the citizens are indeed responsible for allowing a fertile breeding ground for this corruption to thrive. Take for example, some federal officials and state officials have recently been exposed to have terrifying assets abroad but, Nigerians are still sitting out there and not out on the streets to demand explanation for how these officials acquired these massive assets. These officials need not to continue in the helms of the leadership of our land in any sense of the word. Rather than for Nigerians to seek for immediate action against such officials, we are just sitting out there and brawling fruitlessly. Rather than for us to demand an end to all these numerous organization that are demanding for the disintegration of our nation, we are allowing our leaders to build for themselves mansions and robust bank accounts overseas. When these embryonic agitations in our land grows into civil wars, these leaders will easily escape to these nations where they are building mansions and bank accounts and leave us behind in anarchy. Thus, now is the time for us to arise as a nation and demand for the end of all these unscrupulously Nigerians who have no vision for themselves not to talk of having vision for the country they want caved out of Nigeria for them.

To tame the unbecoming failures and doom that awaits our democracy and, to stabilize our nation and make it flourish, I hereby offer some suggestion:

Let the national, state and local governments begin immediate purging of the system. Let every corrupt looter and corrupt official be arrested and treated as the law constitutionally prescribe. After the government at every level, cleanses itself, then they would automatically empower themselves to boldly fight against the unscrupulous few that are bend on making the nation ungovernable. I believe the commission fighting against corruption in the land is doing a good job and should be empowered to do more.
Let the government look into ways to better our economy and educational system.
Let every organization or individuals who are seeking for the disintegration of Nigeria be arrested with immediate effect and charged with treason. These individuals, I believe, have no clear vision for themselves. Imagine what will happen to any group that should arise today in America or Great Britain to demand for the disintegration of these countries for whatever reasons. Better still imagine what will happen to the groups who will arise in China or in India and demand for the disintegration of these countries. Only people who are myopic in their vision sit out there and reason that America and countries like Great Britain are faultless and perfect. America and Great Britain for example, have their own problems, which in many ways surpasses ours. Despite, the numerous problems that exist in powerful and civilized countries, we don’t hear of their citizens brawling for the disintegration of their countries. Despite China’s over one billion population, and which also consist of many ethnic groups, and despite their records of human rights violation, which is perhaps worst than that of Nigeria, no body in Mainland China is asking for the disintegration of China. India is another good example. Why then, should Nigerians and her leaders tolerate these dangerous groups who are blinded to the progress being made in our land desperately divide the country?

To rest my case, I am inciting Nigerians to look not only at the government as the only problem of our nation; we must also see ourselves and these dangerous groups that are fighting to divide Nigeria as part of the problem of Nigeria. As we demand for drastic change in our national, state and local governments, we as Nigerians must also change!

Our peace, unity, progress and prosperity depend not only in the hands of our government officials but also in the important roles we play as citizens! The first change we need as Nigerians is in our attitude toward the nation. The Government and the citizens alike must change the Superciliousness and Peevishness attitude we display toward each other and toward how things are done here at home; then, Nigeria will be set to accomplish wonders among the commonwealth of the nations of the earth!

Here, I steadfastly stand!