NIGERIA
Is it a country?
Or a geographic expression?
Or a political gossamer?
Or a word?
All are correct.
Take your pick.
Spun by the British,
Out of 371 tribes, and 371 religions.
Handed to the Hausa-Fulani alliance,
Reward for helping pacify,
Stubborn tribes such as the Igbos.
And to ensure their continued hegemony.
Unity still eludes Nigeria, 57 years after independence,
Despite efforts to emblazon unity,
On every symbol of statehood,
Despite efforts to sing unity at every opportunity.
Nigeria remains fragmented by religion and tribe,
But united by corrupt leadership.
Corruption unites and absolute corruption unites absolutely,
Form an alphabet soup, UAC, PWD, OYU.
Allege corruption and marginalization by current leaders,
Replace them with even more corrupt leadership.
Displaced politicians decamp en masse with millions of followers,
To new ruling alphabet soup and the corruption party continues.
Trailing similarly endowed nations,
In all developmental and economic indexes,
It tops all known corruption indexes,
Published by Transparency International (TI).
First in the hypocrisy index,
Published by Hypocrisy International (HI).
Nigerian corrupt leaders championed TI,
Corruption championing anti-corruption, hypocrisy defined.
Nigerian leaders preach unity and foster disunity,
Through nepotism, tribalism, and religious politics,
Whist building their sinecures,
For themselves, relatives, and sycophants.
Gossamers always unravel,
Peacefully or through conflict.
Nigeria is at a crossroad,
Restructure peacefully or by armed conflict.
Apparently the Fulani masters of the alliance,
Will not give up their misrule without a fight.
Hopefully their White Hall advisers,
Will provide wise counsel and guidance,
Or brace for a flood of refugees.
Making Syria and Afghanistan child’s play.
There will be no Nigerexit.
You created the problem, you solve it.
Corruption is a quagmire that needs nothing less than a miracle to be eradicated because it has eaten into the very soul of not only the nation but the soul of Nigerians themselves. That being said, the presence of corruption, along with nepotism, although being a torn in our collective sides, has become the staple food of our society and the uniting factor keeping our country together. Before it can be eradicated, other viable means of cohesiveness, preferably economic growth and political equality, must be utilized.
Countries have been changed by one person. The “miracle” will be electing that leader and not prayers, fasting, and tithing.
Your use of three words: Praying, fasting and tithing, amply says it all…RELIGION is the bane of all sides and road to unity., Both Saduana of Sokoto and Tafawa Balewa expressed their wish, never to accommodate fellow Nigerians, but to convert and use them as second class citizens.and Obafemi Awolowo Says “it (Nigeria), is a geographical Expression”. In that sense, he was prophetic in his vision of Nigeria, as mere geographical location, a geography without symbol of oneness planted by “the peoples will” (general will, in Hobbes, Rousseau and Locke) and strong existential/metaphysical wherewithal as such, a kind of overall point of reference…a “we” point of social life, as Nigerians. Europeans have given us everything we need to formulate the unity of our country, “Concepts and feelings and ideas” most often forced on us. God gave us all the tools and existential and intellectual elements to plant and manure the seed of nation-building. If at 57 years of forced togetherness, we are unable to coin our present and future as a growing nation,…not being able to think and practice the supreme idea of unity, nobody will do it for us, however, WE SIT AND ONLY DREAM AND CRAVE COLONIALS FURTHER HELP…I call it narcissism.