Admittedly, a visit to this forum is always guaranteed to invigorate even the most torpid mind. The question though is, with what stuff? It must have been an eon or so ago I last hazarded a participation in the carbonated climes of this forum but on a recent stopover, I couldn’t but wonder if the times hadn’t stood still here! While others are going nuclear and constructing highways to the Mars we are still grappling with our disenchanted and primeval ethnic and personality polit-iconographies.

Unfathomably, such bigoted and uninspiring figures like Atq, Obj, Ibb, Bhr, etc, etc, and their endless roster of besotted factotums are still making the rounds here. In which century are we, by the way?  How can a Nigeria of over 145,000,000 people endowed with such versatile potentials be held to her knees for so long by just a handful of hauteur and self-indulging dilettantes, who have been abundantly and beyond reasonable doubts, proven to be nothing more than incompetent, uncaring and selfish overlords?

This conundrum is the question that mostly preoccupies my thinking days and sleepless nights in recent times. How did we get to this point and why? My insomnia is further aggravated by the fear that we seem to have collectively elected to remain bottom-rung for an unforeseeable future, totally unperturbed about what legacy we would be bequeathing posterity. This collective callousness gets more barefaced anytime the onus is on us to collectively make a seminally pro-progressive statement.

With the presidential elections underway, the usual bunch of shady power mongers and their cohorts have been salivating and hovering over our body politic from lofty elevations like vultures that have just sighted some luscious carcass. While they are again scheming to hijack power with or without our mandate, all we are doing is sizing up their stomachs and wrangling within our ranks, from our lowly deprivations, over which one of them is less hungry than the others and therefore likely to let more crumbs down his sumptuous table. Poor Nigerians!

This blatant negligence of the wishes of the people by a cabal of ingenious and self-serving demigods, we demurely style the ruling class, and their unabashed assumption of fait accompli in their ability to impose their whims and caprices on the people, at any time of their choosing, is redolent of the colonial era when the Europeans simply swooped on Africa and divided Her territories among themselves without respect for existing ethnic ties and thereafter proceeded by a strategy of divide and rule to suppress and keep the people in check.

Unfortunately, the spillovers of that era are still very much with us today, albeit far better refined to suit a different era. So, rather than the tactic of divide and rule they now use the tictac of unite and disagree, which is the flipside of the same coin. But quite in keeping with the old system they still cart away the proceeds of their legerdemain into the white man’s coffers. This is no wonder since most of the people still rearing Africa today are direct products of that colonial system.

The only wonder here is that even after nearly five decades of independence and the somber condition of their people it has not occurred to them that they are no colonial overlords. They still have not realized that it is over the affairs of their own kith and kin they now preside and that it behooves them, as a matter of obligation and prestige for their kind and posterity, to uncompromisingly uphold the interests of their peoples in all their actions, keeping the living standards of their people abreast with the times, just like those imperialists they all too often, unashamedly, ingratiate themselves with.       

While they let our institutions and infrastructures rot away, they often boast of going for medical checkups in white man’s land. They send their scions to schools in white man’s land because ours have become moribund. Every now and again they are caught carting away unconscionably huge sums of money, they couldn’t have earned by honest means, into white man’s land. They buy Properties in white man’s land, worth more than could ever be related to their earnings and they are very often caught with bogus credentials faked from white man’s land. Apparently, to be credited with any worth, everything has to be made by the white man! Is this not white magic?

To make matters worse, despite the fratricidal performances of these so called leaders there are always those among us who would brazenly stand up in this forum and elsewhere to render such highfalutin encomia on their behalf, ascribing achievements of sorts to them, one cannot but wonder what has actually gone awry here. Where are all these lofty achievements for God’s own sake? Some of us would even come up with such infantile augments that a government that has enabled its citizens to gallivant around with cellular phones in their hands deserves spiking our constitution in its favor. This is basically the root of our problems; we cannot unanimously condemn a bad situation! 

Worse still, when such farsighted sages we still have among us, like Prof WS, call our attentions to the follies of taking some of these demigods at face value, citing highly plausible reasons for his misgivings some of us who were still hiding behind their mama’s wrappers when he started putting his neck on the line for the betterment of that nation, would not hesitate to launch ad hominem attacks on his person, attempting to vilify him with private issues he would’ve had with a colleague of his some years back, as if the Prof ever claimed to be a saint. Who is?

Such is the grip of the white jinx on our collective consciousness. We would never speak in one voice even when we speak the same language the white man ingrained into our midst long ago, except, of cause, when we tell ourselves white lies. Consequently, we would never come up with a viable state and therefore would forever remain indebted to him, forced to rely on him and to place all our wealth and resources at his disposal. Alas, he does not even have to come calling because we literally haul them on our humbly backs to him, on our own accord. The 600bn US$ declared missing from Nigeria since independence, by the World Bank, is a case in point.   

Like I once wrote in an earlier piece, these seeds of discord had been sewn within us far back into time. But to limit the self-negating effects of that poignant past lets focus on recent history, which at the moment is more relevant to us. It is basically because of these dissentions that many of us today are in voluntary exiles in the white man’s land (if we are plucky enough to look the truth in the eyes) giving our very best for the wellbeing and pleasure of a thankless white man, while our folks back home pine away in misery, not to mention those that were shipped into slavery long, long ago. We have allowed our collective consciousness to be ostracized from our collective reality. For this reason we have repeatedly permitted people at the helm of our affairs who are either not loyal to us or do not know where they really belong.

There is absolutely nothing the white man can do that the black man cannot do, probably even better. The only difference is that the white man realized early enough that to survive in this arid world he has to prey on others, and we have blithely elected to be the fodder to his predatory quirks. It is time to reject this abysmal imposition before we become extinct. We must sunder this white jinx by speaking in one clear voice all the time, especially when it comes to choosing our leaders.

We must never again allow anybody that has at anytime in the past ruled this country to touch the reins of leadership again. These recurrent rulers of the old brigade have proven beyond reasonable doubt that they have neither the will nor the gumption  to lead us out of this quagmire. We have enough highly qualified younger hands to try out and if they don’t perform we vote them out again in one voice.

We need leaders who would listen seriously to the grievances of any group, section or ethnicity of the Nigerian project and make swift and earnest efforts to reconcile equitably whatever issues they may be without recourse to brute force, for if we are truly a nation, then every ones problem must be seen as everybody’s problem and should be addressed like a family problem. The MEND and MASSOB are two cases in point. We need leaders who would prepare the ground for the repatriation of our invaluable human resources long lost to the exploitative white man. 

And above all, we need leaders that can confidently bang their fists on the white man’s desk, glower straight into his eyes and tell him, flat out, that the days are gone for good when Africans were up for exploitation! Nigeria has the potential to blaze the trail towards delivering the black man from this white magic. But first of all we must abandon this attitude of united disagreement so that we can elect a dynamic and worthy president irrespective of his or her ethnic extraction.

Robot  # 1 | 07.02.2007 23:58

...Read the full article.

DeepThought  # 2 | 08.02.2007 01:07

While they let our institutions and infrastructures rot away, they often boast of going for medical checkups in white man’s land. They send their scions to schools in white man’s land because ours have become moribund. What I wouldn't give to see a law making it illegal for any Nigerian "leader" to travel outside the country for medical reasons. But then, in Nigeria, laws are made just so they can be broken.

denker  # 3 | 08.02.2007 04:38

Worse still, when such farsighted sages we still have among us, like Prof WS, call our attentions to the follies of taking some of these demigods at face value, citing highly plausible reasons for his misgivings some of us who were still hiding behind their mama’s wrappers when he started putting his neck on the line for the betterment of that nation, would not hesitate to launch ad hominem attacks on his person, attempting to vilify him with private issues he would’ve had with a colleague of his some years back, as if the Prof ever claimed to be a saint. Who is? Chidi: First and foremost, thanks for the Job well accomplished. A good write-up. Just picked a copy of your 'A Biafra Odyssey', you look great with that Rastas! MrOneNaija: What a Pity that you're wasting a Precious Gift of Eloquence bestowed upon you by the Nature by playing a Game of an incongenial Role of a SPIN-DOCTOR on our dear Village-Square for that treacherous Creature that goes with the Nomenclature 'BUHARI'. That's, IMHO, the worst highest form of SYCOPHANCY - What a PITY!:mad: Auspicious: Thank you for the great job you're doing on this board. Best Regards! PS: remember not to forget to click here: www.otc-technology.de

Ada Eze  # 4 | 08.02.2007 18:22

Hello Chidi, You are a gifted writer. I most often lurk with NVS. There are few villager writers that I admire and you’re one of them. I like reading your submissions/contributions. I wondered what happened to you. I lurk with NVS because the villagers are always sharing the same old rhetoric. The same yada yada yada bla bla bla with little or no action. Few months ago, you wrote about matching to Abuja. That received great feedbacks and then quest to do something about Niga situation died down and NVS returned to business as usual. Thank you for always bringing in issues that should jorge our memories. Someone I can’t readily remember shared his/her disappointment of our educated illiterates. Our educated illiterates main aim is to write big grammar and no action. I am still awaiting for action/s and reaction/s about the idea of matching/protesting to Abuja. As always Thanks Chidi.

Soul Sista  # 5 | 08.02.2007 18:32

=Ada Eze;154254>Hello Chidi, You are a gifted writer. I most often lurk with NVS. There are few villager writers that I admire and you’re one of them. I like reading your submissions/contributions. I wondered what happened to you. I lurk with NVS because the villagers are always sharing the same old rhetoric. The same yada yada yada bla bla bla with little or no action. Few months ago, you wrote about matching to Abuja. That received great feedbacks and then quest to do something about Niga situation died down and NVS returned to business as usual. Thank you for always bringing in issues that should jorge our memories. Someone I can’t readily remember shared his/her disappointment of our educated illiterates. Our educated illiterates main aim is to write big grammar and no action. I am still awaiting for action/s and reaction/s about the idea of matching/protesting to Abuja. As always Thanks Chidi. Ada: Why not lead the march/protest on Abuja? Why wait for action and reaction? Just lead, I will follow you. In fact, I am very ready right now. I have never been in a voluntary protest before. In uni in Naija, I was involved in involuntary protests, courtesy of those we used to call Aluta Boys. One had no choice but to protest as instructed by them if you do not want to get a nice lashing. Welcome to our village. Please introduce yourself before Di Don and EMJ catch you. I don't want to be fined for even talking to an illegal alien. Soul Sista a/k/a Soul Sizzling

Soul Sista  # 6 | 08.02.2007 18:44

=Ada Eze;154254>Hello Chidi, You are a gifted writer. I most often lurk with NVS. There are few villager writers that I admire and you’re one of them. I like reading your submissions/contributions. I wondered what happened to you. I lurk with NVS because the villagers are always sharing the same old rhetoric. The same yada yada yada bla bla bla with little or no action. Few months ago, you wrote about matching to Abuja. That received great feedbacks and then quest to do something about Niga situation died down and NVS returned to business as usual. Thank you for always bringing in issues that should jorge our memories. Someone I can’t readily remember shared his/her disappointment of our educated illiterates. Our educated illiterates main aim is to write big grammar and no action. I am still awaiting for action/s and reaction/s about the idea of matching/protesting to Abuja. As always Thanks Chidi. Ada: Why not lead the march/protest on Abuja? Why wait for action and reaction? Just lead, I will follow you. In fact, I am very ready right now. I have never been in a voluntary protest before. In uni in Naija, I was involved in involuntary protests, courtesy of those we used to call Aluta Boys. One had no choice but to protest as instructed by them if one did not want to get a nice lashing. Welcome to our village. Please introduce yourself before Di Don and EMJ catch you. I don't want to be fined for even talking to an illegal alien. Soul Sista a/k/a Soul Sizzling

emj  # 7 | 08.02.2007 19:49

Like I once wrote in an earlier piece, these seeds of discord had been sewn within us far back into time. But to limit the self-negating effects of that poignant past lets focus on recent history, which at the moment is more relevant to us. It is basically because of these dissentions that many of us today are in voluntary exiles in the white man’s land (if we are plucky enough to look the truth in the eyes) giving our very best for the wellbeing and pleasure of a thankless white man, while our folks back home pine away in misery, not to mention those that were shipped into slavery long, long ago. We have allowed our collective consciousness to be ostracized from our collective reality. For this reason we have repeatedly permitted people at the helm of our affairs who are either not loyal to us or do not know where they really belong. There is absolutely nothing the white man can do that the black man cannot do, probably even better. The only difference is that the white man realized early enough that to survive in this arid world he has to prey on others, and we have blithely elected to be the fodder to his predatory quirks. It is time to reject this abysmal imposition before we become extinct. We must sunder this white jinx by speaking in one clear voice all the time, especially when it comes to choosing our leaders. Your articles are always clean and clear.............i like the way u put ur thoughts down on print/black and white.................if only we can all burst loose, and do dat which is necessary as individuals, family and people, .........if only we can for once put aside our own self-interests and focus on the good of others, if only we can see clearly where our complacency is taking us and has taken us thus far, if only we can give of ourself, for ourselves and our country, if only we can speak with one voice and in a clear language.....if only>>>>>>>> @ADA EZE hmmmmm....Ada Eze, se pe u no wan see us phor intro section, just becos u dey fia say u no go pasisi de interview ni, abi wetin? Make u no allow my Oga Massa cash u phor hia o.

Ada Eze  # 8 | 03.03.2007 21:22

=Soul Sista;154263>Ada: Why not lead the march/protest on Abuja? Why wait for action and reaction? Just lead, I will follow you. In fact, I am very ready right now. I have never been in a voluntary protest before. In uni in Naija, I was involved in involuntary protests, courtesy of those we used to call Aluta Boys. One had no choice but to protest as instructed by them if one did not want to get a nice lashing. Welcome to our village. Please introduce yourself before Di Don and EMJ catch you. I don't want to be fined for even talking to an illegal alien. Soul Sista a/k/a Soul Sizzling Sorry Soul Sista for taking this long to respond to your feedback in reference to the march/protest. I have been extremely busy.:frown: Ok Soul sister, I understand you are a lawyer, right? You have resided in the States for over 10 years, right? You have been with the Village since its inception, right? You have been following the march/protest posting right? On the above premises, hmmmmm Let’s see Let me put it this way!!! I am equal to the task, are you? If you are, then, let’s both unite, design a strategic plan on how to purse that quest and then work on others to follow. Let me know if you’re in? I will make time to introduce myself to the villgares. I appreciate your warm welcoming me to the Village.