Olaifa Tobiloba: What a country!

Do you think I’m talking about any other countries?. No, certainly I’m referring to my country, your country and our country called Nigeria. indeed, a great nation with great people. But sadly at some point, the word great is gradually disappearing with just a nation and people left behind qualifying our dear nation. What a country!


A country whereby according to our national anthem is to serve our father’s land with love, strength, and faith but disappointedly the calls nowadays are to serve our personal self, pocket, and stomach. A country where the difference between the rich and poor is crystal clear. While the rich laughs the poor man cries. What a country!


Searching for a country where justice is brimful of scared, Nigeria would graciously mount the podium to take the lead of such embodiment. A country where the convicted is declared innocent and the innocent are pronounced guilty in our court of law. We seem to be guided by laws but yet we are lawless. What a country!.


Instead of us to celebrate and give awards to the young talented youths that have ideas and innovation to develop a made in Nigeria car and others we rather celebrate the most criminal being and conferring on them the highest award of honour while we humorously laugh with a standing ovation to welcome the thieves that embezzle our national resources. What a country!.


Nigeria is a country where we elected a whole president of our nation and later loopholes surrounding the fake authenticity of his WAEC certificate is another issue and news of the day. We are ruled by the dullards and not the nobles. A country where termites could eat the primary school certificate of our respected Chief justice. One thing or the other would happen to their certificate when asked to present. What a country!


Well, Let me be the first to wish our dear nation happy independence day in advance with no less than 28 days remaining to celebrate our 59th years of a freed nation from the hands of Colonial masters. As usual, the celebration will hold across the country and the president as well would address the nation and gives another hopeful word to the unhappy people of Nigeria.


But the problem is Nigeria keeps celebrating this annual event without any improvement in its economy. Everything about us since last year we celebrated 58th hasn’t changed and again by day one of next month, we shall roll out our drums to celebrate in the same doldrums.


Last week the news story of how FBI in the U.S arrested 77 Nigerians that engaged in cyber fraudulent activity and money laundering portrayed our country in a bad light. This is not the first time such a thing would happen to our youths at diaspora. Some Nigerians have been jailed and killed at Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking, we have cases of Nigerians that have been jailed also in Singapore, United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil e.t.c for engaging in cyber fraudulent activity.


Nigeria is one name I don’t think ethnicity or religion in criminality cases should be a stupid debate to start talking about. Those arrested by the FBI were said to be Igbo’s that’s not the point, Nigerians arrested and killed in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking were Muslim and those jailed for cyber fraudulent activity in Singapore, South Africa, Brazil, and likes were a mixture of Yoruba and other tribes. So This is not time to create differences in us rather the time to talk to ourselves and put end to this global shame.


A happy new month to you all. Cheers!


Olaifa Tobiloba writes in from Abeokuta