BURNING POT BY PRINCE CHARLES DICKSON
The
Trust Deficit And The Nigerian Question
pcdbooks@gmail.com
Okah: Jonathan's man told me to blame Northerners. It's all lies, says
Presidency. Dokpesi
quizzed again. Ciroma, 14 others ask President to resign over blast.
Ex-militants condemn bombings at parley with Jonathan. IBB, Atiku, Gusau,
Saraki demand probe of allegation. Jonathan’s camp: blackmail won’t stand.
Ex-militants dissociate MEND from
Abuja bombings. NNPC
beefs up security-Denies bomb rumour. Bomb scare in N/Assembly. Insecurity
threatens polls--Buhari.
Tight security at Lagos airport. Teachers ask Alao Akala for July salary.
Escaped female corp members kidnapped again in Abia.
Three dead in Ondo road accident, Southsouth elders denounce Okah-Call for
his extradition, suspected cult members kill three students-Auchi. Jang
withdraws deputy governor's workers. 13 persons die of gastro enteritis in
Ebonyi.
All these are in one day's
Nigeria, however it all points to the fact that we are still far
away from the realities on ground. The bomb blasts of October 1st has
brought to the forefront, the issues of the known unknown, the unknown
known, unknown unknown and known, known...the allegations and counter
allegations.
The indices are there, a president making an ‘unpresidential statement’, a
president defending a
militant group. Just musing, the worrisome fact is that if MEND is
not responsible for these bombs, it means there is a new group that has
used this bloodletting to launch itself. Reason enough why the president
should have been cautious.
The Ciroma Northern group has refused to look at the loss of lives in
these events but to score political points out of it. The
state security services
publicly blamed the rain for one of the many reasons they could not be
totally on top of the entire matter.
A host of Nigerians are sad as our kids are privileged to watch as
government fraternize with names such as Chief government tompolo,
busta rhymes,
egberipapa, boyloaf and co...People bragging on national television, in
the abode of national power say "I own MEND, I formed it" bla bla bla. A
well rehearsed choreography done to make us laugh at ourselves.
What really are the issues with Nigeria, why are we shying away from them?
Do we need to wait until we get to the point of the former USSR where even
villages have become countries?
It is sad that the so-called leadership have seemingly sent us to farm,
while they sit atop the palm wine tree drinking palm wine. So strange a
people we have become that we are daggers drawn at each other’s throats
yet in love with every other persons' loot.
The East is in mutual suspicion of the West with the North, the West
derisive of the North; the Southsouth says all the money is their oil
money. We forget the pockets of minorities in the whole equation, fifty
years after every conversation ends with where do you come from, which
zone, which state, and which local government?
So you are a Muslim, una be the problem, no jare na those foolish
Christians; The Yorubas have colonized ICAN so we set up ANAN, Ibo man
finally becomes COAS after 44 years. Jonathan and his Southsouth people,
IBB, Atiku, Gusau meet to get consensus candidate for the North. Yoruba
elders support XYZ, Igbos will not present a candidate...There is very
little that is wrong in all these, after all ethnic nationalities should
be allowed to thrive around its own communal interest and pace but there
is everything wrong.
We are self-saddled with an indescribable specimen of anthropogenic
potency in terms of politicians. These days, they are all carrying gold
headed cane and bowler hats with more in the hat than their heads. They
wear eye glasses that they cannot see through, Brazilian leather shoes
that slow their movement and the other part gleefully wear agbadas that
make them look like dressed grasshoppers and all making noise like
crickets.
Fundamentally, while we make noise, the fact is that Nigeria is not yet a
structure upon which a system can function. Until we understand that we
are largely plagued with the current situation which is as old as the
nation where we continually face agitations that give birth to ethnic
plagiarism that has not be harnessed for growth we still will suffer the
trust deficit.
Yesterday and today's Nigeria hardly recognizes the differences in the
character and functions behind the concept of a system. We have alternated
so much so that we have confused the structure, while the framework of our
system lies void. One day its 6-3-3-4, next it becomes 9-3-4; we do not
know what next. The states keep increasing, yet few states are
self-sufficient.
We can hardly agree what really we practice, except as shown by PDP, a
despotic unidentifiable structure with complex systems.
As a people we have continued to rotate, trying hard to modify aspects of
us, reshaping it and what not, from regions to states, new electoral act,
review of constitution at the rate of one each 7 years or less, the result
more imbalances.
We are subjected to ridiculous and considerable experimentation at the
whims and caprices of individuals called leaders. In civilized societies,
when events like the October 1st incidents happen, people go ahead with
their lives as the security operatives work but here our leaders and those
aspiring are all covering their ineptitude with "blow me, I kick you"
stunts. Any which way let it be the right way.
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