Similoluwa Daramola
I am on the verge of doing away with anything called news relating to Nigeria because each time I pick up newspapers or receive news notifications on my phone, it is usually disheartening. I have come to realise through the recent occurrences in Nigeria that there is a part of man that feels compassion towards his neighbour even without being related by blood. It is simply one of the complexities of humanity which was aptly reflected in the thought-provoking dictum of Obaseki JSC of the blessed memory in Fawehinmi v Akilu (1987) 4 NWLR (Pt. 67) 797 where he stated that “…it is a universal concept that all human beings are brothers and assets to one another. All human beings living in the same country and being citizens of the same country are more closely related to one another and are in truth and in fact each other’s keeper than those living in countries separated by great distances.”
Government under the social contract theory exists to safeguard the commonwealth of the people who willingly submitted their sovereignty in exchange for a meaningful life worthy of living which is inclusive of education, deserving job opportunities, security, equal opportunities, and qualitative healthcare system but to mention a few . I see Nigerians struggling every day just to eke out a living. The struggle for some began early while hawking on the streets as a child and for some it began at a later period. Yet, during election period, they forget their sufferings in exchange for a gallon of oil and cash which does not impede their survival before the electioneering. Each time my dad narrates the history of Nigeria and the prospects the country had for them in terms of job employment after their graduation at the university, one cannot but perceive the dysfunctional state of the nation and the quagmire the nation is into now. The political elite in Nigeria have yet complicated matters.
The political elite are people of like minds who come together for the purpose of facilitating their interests due to the ties of wealth, influence, and power binding them together at the detriment of their subjects. It is often said that a river never forgets its source but the Nigerian political elite have unrepentantly forgotten where they came from. They are rarely exposed to the lifestyle and harsh conditions of the average Nigerian. They frustrate the system that once produced them and provided ample opportunities for them to reach the top after which they break the ladders that got them there. They make use of the defective system for their personal interests. Many of them except the ones who emerged from superrich homes were products of the conventional primary and secondary schools as well as higher institutions of learning. While seeking the votes of the common man (with their selfish intentions in mind), they make promises, creating an el dorado in the mind of the voters and on getting to office, it is a different story entirely. No clear-cut policy on sectors capable of driving positive change in the life of the masses. Nigeria is now like a jungle where everyone struggles for survival.
After the completion of my undergraduate programme, I have heard people tell me not to go into certain areas of law if I want to be wealthy. Impliedly, they advise me not to delve into human rights and criminal cases which are majorly pro bono. I began to ask myself what the hope of the oppressed Nigerian is if everyone ventures into the goldmines of law practice. I was taught by my three jurisprudence lecturers that law is a means to an end which is justice, then, surely I must always seek to do justice. But realistically, no government will pay one’s bills. Nigerians have to pay for security, education, electricity, taxes, healthcare et al. Citizens are however left to design their road map as they journey in Nigeria or do that outside the shores of the country. For those outside the country, it is another heart-wrenching story of xenophobic attacks even in South Africa where Nigeria stood vigorously against apartheid.
Nigeria is gradually beginning to look like a nightmare to me because you sleep and wake up with the same challenges unsolved and unaddressed. The knowledge you acquire while in school appears like a square peg in a round hole in terms of practicability. The political elite reside in highbrow areas with effective security while the masses are left to face the spooking realities of banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and all other forms of crime. The political elite maximise profits based on their capitalist ideology. This they do with the faulty vehicles allowed to ply Nigerian roads at the detriment of the masses who just have to travel along bad and insecure roads, hustle to board buses to work, and have to be caught up in the crazy gridlock of Nigerian roads.
For the Christian masses, Psalm 91 is a must quote considering the daily death traps they are confronted with. The political elite pave the way for their own at the employment level while the masses have to scavenge for the leftovers. Meritocracy is gradually eroding and connection is the order of the day else one will be disconnected in all aspects. Critical symbols of vital institutions in Nigeria are becoming shadows of themselves. For instance, the blindfold of the Effigy of Justice is gradually slipping down; educational tower is tilting, and the Pole of the Caduceus can no longer sustain the snake in terms of health. This is a wrong signal!
The masses on the other hand have yet to realise that for exploitation to come to an end, certain fundamental issues must be addressed in order to provide the elixir to their present state. The issue of birth control is key. It is often said by the masses that children are the heritage of God and hence they possess every right to procreate. While the political elite bear few children with qualitative education, the masses bear as many as possible with little or no means to cater to the children in a suboptimal accommodation. The society at the end becomes the haven for children from such homes except those who resolved to struggle to lead a decent life.
The Nigerian masses must begin to think outside the box and this they can do by not being bamboozled with the freebies of the political elite in the guise of philanthropy. Their dividends accruing to them under an ideal democratic clime outweigh every Greek gift that can ever proceed from the hands of the political elite. Their only potent weapon in their arsenal is the franchise conferred on them as a right not as a privilege by the law. They must ensure that they vote their conscience. But realistically, Nigerian elections have yet to be in accordance with the tenets of the rule of law in terms of credibility and fairness. Nigerians have not been offered the platform to choose freely in terms of the candidates presented to them. They are either left in a tight corner to choose among lesser evils or denied the opportunity to freely choose at all. The political elite determine the outcome of what happens in Nigeria. For as long as their interests are not affected, they are satisfied with the status quo.
I have thought about this and I still do not know what lies ahead of Nigeria if things continue like this. Perhaps, it is a revolution? No! The masses particularly, the women and children will suffer and the elite will be safe outside the country with their children. This question is a Gordian knot to me as only Nigerians can answer this through a consensus of what they want particularly when we begin to rethink all aspects of our national life particularly our federalism.
Ms Daramola is a law graduate of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State
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[Punch]
