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Nigeria Asks: What Have You Done For Me Lately By Emmanuel Chukwura Achife
It was a hot, clear and sweaty mid afternoon in midtown Houston, Texas. On the corner of Smith and McGowan street opposite the Spec Wines store is a new pharmacy operated by Walgreen , one of the largest drug chains in the world. This Walgreen store in midtown is symbolic of the rebirth process going on in Houston city. In the large swath rectangular section from Gray and Elgin street in the north -south direction and Montrose to Chenevert street in the east west direction lies the epicenter of the revitalization process going on in the city. Houston is a relatively young city by US standard but it has grown to become the fourth largest city in the United States with over 2.8 million inhabitants in the city alone minus the suburbs. As Mr. Agha a Nigerian pharmacist working for Walgreen put it “midtown Houston was at the core of epic battle between good and evil in the 80s and early 90s. It was a war in which the bad had the upper hand , as gang members killed without compunction, prostitutes ply their trade and activities in broad day light, drugs can be had as easily as soda and people were killed over drugs or robbery in broad daylight with minimal intervention. There were graffiti all over business and garbage collection was a joke. The security situation lead to massive flight to the suburbs with fancy names as, Friendswood, Woodlands, Sugar land, Pearland, Pasadena and Clearlake . Businesses followed the people and moved to the suburbs leaving the city poorer. Sadly enough this period corresponded with the crises in the oil industry once the main stay of Houston”. This phase in the history of midtown Houston could still be gleaned from some few remaining boarded up drug houses, open lots where once stood some questionable tenants and burnt out buildings.
Mr. Aghas before this narration was listening to one of the speakers in a gathering on ways to reposition Nigeria in terms of her image as a very corrupt nation. The speaker a Nigerian in the gathering had posed a question “is Nigeria more corrupt than any other nation” he illustrated his story using Dan Hastert the speaker of house of representative in the congress of USA. He used the congressman as an example because he the speaker Dan Hastert earned about 2 million dollars on the sale of land he bought a year ago. Nothing unusual one might say, but consider the fact that speaker Dan Harstert made appropriations with federal money to construct a road or parkway about 4 miles from the said property. Four miles from a major highway in the US in a place mapped for growth is a lot of equity one might argue. So is that corruption? if so does that mean that as the leader of the US congress all the people there are corrupt based on the action of their speaker. No one in the US dare call their country corrupt but they will call individuals or institutions corrupt. One dare not issue a blank statement like that in the country or the establishment will make sure your voice is marginalized. Contrast it with that of the people who profess to care about this great place Nigeria and wouldn’t give a day without rubbishing all the hardworking men and women in the country.
Mr. Aghas like most Nigerians who seeming have made it abroad swore not to have anything to do with Nigeria again as they have found their footing in their new found UTOPIA. He was angry as he put it for the “lack of opportunity” in Nigeria. But his position would dramatically change over a chance meeting he had with a white lady, in her early forties who came to Houston on a visit and happened into his pharmacy where they had a long conversation beyond the usual drug consultation. Katie as he called her originally from England immigrated with her husband Jain an Indian to Nigeria, because of lack of welcoming attitudes Indians have for Christian converts like Jain. They have been in Nigeria for over 10 years and have made it their home. They left India with nothing and were able to build a successful business in Nigeria. Katie told Agha that they don‘t see themselves living anywhere but Nigeria, because they believe that they cannot get the freedom and success they have in Nigeria anywhere else. Mr. Agha was so overwhelmed by Katie’s story that he made it a point now to defend Nigeria anywhere no matter what.
Back to Houston, the citizens by the mid to late 90s have decided that they have had enough of degradation of their city and decided to take her back. First homeowners banded together to form associations with the backing of some smart lawyers. In a series of moves, they obtained court orders to seal off places used by drug dealers and their killers. They formed neighborhood associations, housing associations that have stringent rules for renting houses. Through political contributions and campaigns, they forced changes in the municipal laws and elected officials who really cared for the values and needs of the community. For the incumbents that still didn’t get it they set out to thoroughly investigate them and occupied them in the courts. The mayor was compelled to appoint police officers that backed the aspirations of the people not that of the drug lords, pimps and murderers. Not done, they the citizens of midtown went at length through campaigns to identify judges that let out killers back in their street - made sure the judges were not reappointed or win elections. In some cases they go through tortuous and elaborate appeal process that leave the criminals a bit longer in jail. Mr. Agha said that the increased security and clean environment was the only reason Walgreen came back to Houston midtown. H- town as they call it is happening , houses in the midtown one of the indices of economic activity has shot up to nearly 30%.
It took individuals to initiate the revival of midtown without the government. It was through private discussions, initiatives, people sacrificing the little time they have to work together to get back their freedom and neighborhood which they lost to evil. This brings us to the question Nigeria asks of you, what have you done today to make me livable for you children and grandchildren, for your uncle and cousins, nephews and their children?. It is useless sitting or standing on the sideline thinking and complaining about a problem or problems, do something no matter how little. Nigeria is the only free place for us on this planet earth, if you think otherwise, why are people who look like you and have lived in those place you so admire for over 400 years still feel left out - Katrina. Is that how you want your kids or grand kids to feel after you are gone.
Don’t stand there do something anything
May your deity bless you and find you happiness and love for life.
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