Nigerians and the Absurdity of Docility

In 2016, while I was still on my extended visit to Nigeria, I travelled by road from Abuja to Benin City. And it was a journey I will never forget. After Irrua, the driver made a detour and decided to go through Ekpoma City in order to avoid the gully ahead of us on the highway. The detour turned out to be our worst nightmare - there was no motorable road anywhere within Ekpoma township. A detour that ought to be about fifteen minutes turned out to be about an hour drive. 

When I got to Benin City, I wrote and complained about the state of the Abuja/Lokoja/Auchi/Benin road and the seeming total abandonment of the entire Ekpoma Town by the Edo State Government. Only one guy, Oyetenu, an alumnus of Bendel State University, responded, asking if I had any video of the road. I do not recollect another comment or response on the thread. 

About a week after the publication of my protest comment, two things happened in that city. 

First, Governor Adam Oshiomhole hastily awarded a contract to construct a certain road in Ekpoma. 

And two, a young, beautiful lady, a lawyer by profession, was killed at the troubled spot in an accident between Ekpoma and Irrua. The story of her death stayed long on Facebook because a lot of people were commenting and sending condolence messages to the family member.

The question that begs to be asked is if it requires a beautiful lawyer to die before Nigerians show interest in a very important issue? May the soul of the departed learned colleague rest in peace. But which is more beneficial to society? Extending condolences to the bereaved or drawing the government's attention to the state of our roads? Given the choices, I do think the beautiful lady would have rather that attention be shown to the poor state of the road and that the government acted promptly. Because that would have saved her life.

I have been writing about Mr. Fashola and the state of our Federal Highways consistently in the past four years. When the Ministerial list was sent to the Senate by President Buhari, I protested here on my Wall that Minister Fashola is not fit to hold another Ministerial position again, and the screening committee should not confirm his name. I have more than a thousand friends on Facebook, and the majority of them live in Nigeria and drive on our highways daily, but there was no response to my piece. 

Where are we today? Everybody is now writing and complaining about the perilous state of Nigerian roads. If there was a concerted effort in the form of a protest at the National Assembly, demanding the rejection of Fashola, I think Aso Rock would have gotten the message loud and clear. A Minister who presided over the abandonment of the Lagos/Badagry road and the Mile 2/Apapa road for four years was screened and reappointed. No protest came from Nigeria. Meaning you aren't right or conversant with what citizens' right entails.

Just about a week ago, the Minister of Works stated that the conditions of our roads are not as bad as painted in the media. You think he knows about the state of our roads? How often do you see your Senator or House of Rep member in your community? They don't ply your roads and they don't live your world. And that's what disconnect is about.

And the disconnect is sharpened when people do not cry out loud as reasonably necessary. And it happens when a given people channel their angst against the wrong individuals for nothing substantially beneficial to them, but for being outspoken.

A lot of Nigerians on social media cannot see any reason to support Sowore on the allegation that Asiwaju Tinubu paid him to help remove President Jonathan from office.

And that is the problem with Nigeria; you hate and resent wrongly. You channel your anger wrongly, not for the deprivations or economic harms you are contending with, but just grudging someone who you foolishly perceived as "seeking attention" and "looking for a government job." 

When you do stand for a cause, you are extending to a larger audience the grievances covered in the cause.  And that is the best way to compel an irresponsible government into action. But most often, Nigerians do not see the larger picture. Your mind is fixated not on the benefit to you and the larger society, but on the thought of him becoming popular for starting the process. 

Nigerians should stop sleeping on their rights. Learn to stand for a good cause. Osinbajo is not the enemy. I know what it is not to be fear and suffer rejection, not specifically on what you are doing wrong, but what you are perceived of becoming or doing in the future.