| Fear grips my heart when I see a crowd of | | | | killing themselves. Hatred for other |
| people trekking home from a corner of a | | | | religious groups has been our practice. Why? |
| street. They are all moving towards my | | | | |
| direction. I think they look very much like | | | | We are not free anymore. Our lives are |
| people migrating into our country. Maybe I | | | | threatened for the sake of truth. Our heads |
| should call them refugees. But, were they | | | | are not seen as leaders, but as rulers. They |
| really what I took them to be? For I know my | | | | dictate and give orders. They hate counsels. |
| country is not a place where people would | | | | They detest the truth and hide it in their |
| willingly come to reside. | | | | undies so it decays and stinks like dead rat. |
| | | | Corruption has become their hobbies. |
| Out of the large crowd, I see a lady with a | | | | |
| baby on her back smiling at me. As she comes | | | | They help to revive peace and unity in other |
| closer, I discover she is a neighbor. I smile | | | | countries, while our country is falling |
| back at her, but with curiosity within me. | | | | apart. Crisis, conflicts, pains and poverty |
| | | | is what our nation has been experiencing |
| "Neighbor, where are these people coming | | | | since 1985 till date. And probably, it might |
| from?" I ask. "From St. Matthew," she | | | | extend till 2007 and beyond. |
| replies, as I look into her eyeballs with | | | | |
| surprise. "What's happening in St. Matthew | | | | Yes, I'm sure, because the leadership still |
| today?" I ask again. "Nothing, we just | | | | rotates among the same old "cargoes," who |
| attended the first mass," she answers. "You | | | | refuse to die or who never get tired of |
| mean this is just a mass for a Sunday | | | | staying at the Aso-Rock-the seat of power. |
| service?" "Yes," she says, nodding her head, | | | | They sit tight there in conducive rooms |
| still smiling. | | | | dictating what happens to the masses. They've |
| | | | never experienced hardship. |
| I decide to keep a lookout for the second | | | | |
| mass. The crowd was large too. The third mass | | | | At times, I ask myself this question: "Will |
| had the largest crowd of all. It could be | | | | this nation ever return to her former state?" |
| said to double the first and second mass. | | | | "And if it will, who will be the Moses or |
| | | | Savior that will achieve that for us?" The |
| Mind you. These were the only ones I saw that | | | | answers to these questions are far fetched. |
| very day. I did not mention other churches in | | | | Because corruption, as started and practiced |
| that same vicinity and other places. I live | | | | by the leaders has indirectly been legalized |
| in a place where you'll find not less than | | | | for every citizen. |
| five churches in a street with loud speakers | | | | |
| mounted everywhere. And this so much affect | | | | Or maybe we need a moral man. Not a |
| our hearing. So we shout at the top of our | | | | Christian. Not a Muslim. Because none of |
| voices, making signs with the fingers for | | | | these religious groups have made any positive |
| easier communication. | | | | influence on us. But the question now is: |
| | | | Where is the moral man? |
| My country is in a great mess. Imagine a | | | | |
| place where milk and honey flow. Nigeria is | | | | Now think of the population of Nigeria. Where |
| blessed with oil and agriculture. A land | | | | are the resources to take care of them? |
| blessed by God, for every Nigerian to enjoy. | | | | Budgets? No. They read budgets. And we hear |
| But, only some sets of individuals are rich. | | | | of the large amounts mentioned. The budgets |
| Why? When the Military were in power, I | | | | are shared among state and local governments. |
| thought things were bad. But as the civilians | | | | And we don't see what they do with it. |
| came on, things became worse. | | | | |
| | | | An average Nigerian can no longer afford |
| Actually, we all wanted democracy. We | | | | three meals a day. There is hardly a family |
| clamored for it. But as it is now, I no | | | | where you won't find a child with |
| longer understand the meaning of the word | | | | malnutrition. Except for the rich ones. |
| democracy. It sounds like it means | | | | |
| "demonstration of craziness," because we've | | | | Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause |
| not experienced its benefits and it never | | | | |
| favored us. Maybe we should go back to the | | | | Guide our leaders right. |
| autocratic system. | | | | |
| | | | Help our youths the truth to know. |
| I wish our past heroes who once ruled our | | | | |
| nation, such as Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa | | | | In love and honesty to grow, |
| Balewa, The Right Honorable Dr. Nnamdi | | | | |
| Azikiwe, Major General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi, | | | | And living just and true. |
| including other regional leaders like M.I. | | | | |
| Okpara, Awolowo and Sarduana of Sokoto will | | | | Great lofty heights attain, |
| come back to life. They will see that their | | | | |
| labor for Nigeria was in vain. | | | | To build a nation where peace and justice |
| | | | shall reign. |
| Our new presidents no longer do anything | | | | |
| right for this nation to develop. We no more | | | | That was the second stanza of the National |
| serve our fatherland with love and strength; | | | | Anthem composed by a true Nigerian, Mr. Ben |
| neither do we serve in faith. Even the | | | | Odiase, of the Nigeria Police Band in October |
| patriotic rhythm of our National Anthem has | | | | 1st, 1978. He never expected that one day his |
| lost its value. | | | | nation would turn for the worse. |
| | | | |
| We do not "serve with hearts and might." | | | | I pity Nigeria. I pray for change! |
| Neither do we experience "peace and unity." | | | | |
| Rather we experience tribal and religious | | | | DD Phil is a romance writer. His book titled |
| wars. In the Northern part of Nigeria, we | | | | "How to Marry your Spouse" is coming soon. |
| constantly hear of Christians and Muslims | | | | |