Buying A False Sense of Security: The Abuja Carnival

By

Prince Charles Dickson

pcdbooks@yahoo.com

Jos, Plateau Nigeria

I decided to have my take on the Abuja carnival for obvious reasons; some which I would write about, others I would leave out as writing about them would make one naive. The President had said in defence of the carnival that the carnival was to shore up Nigerian’s international image, effect and concretize efforts at national cultural renaissance. And the spending of millions and billions when the nation’s citizenry can be barely feed is to shore up our international image. Our leaders are indeed funny sets of people who like to amuse themselves at the entire nation’s expense…with the President sitting and watching with the Tourism and Culture Minister, people dance in their native attire due to peanuts they have received and bang our international reputation will improve.   Before I go far and some Obasanjo loyalists start misrepresenting or grunting, can somebody answer the following questions, how much was spent on the so-called Abuja carnival, and what was it worth to Nigerians, in terms of intangible good, has the suffering masses be uplifted by the craze called carnival. Like in 1977, when the money was too much we organised FESTAC 77,brought nakedness from all corners of the continent, till date no one has been able to state categorically to whose benefit that jamboree was. In the light of stark poverty, this administration has organised CHOGM, COJA, and all sorts of sweet sounding named events that have no direct bearing to the masses.   Ordinarily if these events are well piloted and principles are laid to achieving something for the people, one need not complain. Like I have said time s without count if the average Nigerian earns N15,000.00 a month from either his paid job or handwork and expends N12,000.00 at the month’s end, while saving N500.00, for all he cares the government can host the Pharaoh of Egypt or Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in a carnival. However we live in a society that our people live on subsistent level, earning barely a 100.00 per day.   I have tried hard to rationalise the essence of the Abuja misbehaviour called carnival, the timing, the funding and the n eed, and it all just don’t make sense in Nigeria today. This carnival came at a time when Nigeria’s image is at its lowest, with our leaders disgracing us everywhere they go or are. Today if it is not Alam, it would be Brother Joshua Dariye or Uncle Tafa Balogun, even Obj himself is s disgrace to us with his crudity. I am almost beginning to think that and rightly too that Nigerians were better off during goggled face Abacha, our image was not this bad.  

Then the funding, we hear the government cry about paucity of funds but the ordinary Nigerian see the flamboyant lifestyles of the same leaders who wail at unavailability of funds for developmental projects. Then they organise all manner of foras and millions go down the drain, after the last week aviation forum, another was held almost immediately on agriculture in Kaduna, there have been such fora on Tourism, education, health and what else. However there is no tangible or concrete thing on ground to show for all the jaw-jaw, our leaders wake up and boast their deflated tires, they resort to buying a false sense of security, by telling us we do not know the benefit of the present reforms, we should be patient…   Does Nigeria need a carnival at this point of her life, certainly no, the nation needs a rebirth, a national renaissances and re-orientation, not for some contractors to get their share of the national cake for doing nothing, not a carnival of tribes dancing in false contentment. The nation is on a slow snail journey with no visible sign of change. Yet our leaders “carnivalise”.  

The nation with its diverse ethnic groups has several world class cultural festivals that could be well packaged to earn the nation money. Provide jobs for her citizens, so also cultural strength like the Olumu Rock, Assop falls, the Argungu Festival, the new yam festival and many more. When I call this government foolish people say I am being too blunt, rude and uncultured, thank God, I am not alone, only “yesterday” Prof. Wole Soyinka accused the President of driving the country to anarchy through executive “carelessness” and dictatorship”.

In an administration of such carelessness and dictatorial rule the leaders do any and everything possible to give a false sense of security and that is the reason for all the nonsense we call carnival, when the monies for this show was approved, what were the National Assembly doing ….obviously looking the other way. Sometimes it is difficult to blame these leaders, they do not feel you or me or the masses, I had the priviledge of talking to a thief on top and he “proudly” told me he had not bought fuel at a fuel station for eighteen years. And you expect this same man to understand the idea of a fuel queue, Allah be praised for him, how this man feels the pulse of a nation would definitely be different. We have leaders who have lost touch with the people they are supposedly governing; they have run out of ideas, so to feed their fantasies, what do we have, a carnival, a “celebration of thieving”. Slowly, steadily the nation is being ground to a halt by a corrupt few, who look for all means to enrich themselves.  

I know of an AD agency that made N17 million profit like they say after tax and ‘egunje’ (bribe) for erecting billboards and posters for the so-called carnival. Today like everyday, our leaders owe us no explanation, how much profit did COJA bring, did CHOGM bring, will the Commonwealth Games 20 whatever bring a corrupt free leadership to Nigeria? Why did the government support this carnival when the 19^th National Festival of Arts and Culture NAFEST was barely a month away, why was the money not pumped into the National Festival or the National Festival cancelled for the Abuja carnival, what is the difference between the two?  

There must be something sweet about carnivals, yes and if one needs further explanation I would volunteer. There are types of carnival, the real cultural carnival that you and I know too well, for the purpose of enhancing a people’s heritage and identity, and re-establish the positive values of such people. Mind you this type does not need millions to stage and this type is never profit oriented for our leaders so they go for the other type...which, you ask…The type that takes billions of Naira to stage, this type brings our daughters together half naked and the old crooks make their choices for the night, this type is done to relief boredom, it is done at the Eagle Square that has nothing to do with culture, this type, the so-called tourists watch and simply cannot reconcile it with the poverty they see few miles away.  

Our nation’s leaders have lost focus, they have no idea of which direction to go…they have stolen themselves blind…be it MDD, MRD, or even the D in my surname Dickson, it is the same old song…Nigeria needs a new re-awakening, the blood of those that have brought this nation to her knees need to be sacrificed if not…I laugh at us as we are barely postponing the evil day, the day Almighty Allah calls the day of reckoning. We pray that His grace and mercy does not take leave of us.