Thursday, October 18, 2007

A fighting chance...

There are moments...

That require the special grace and intervention of God to see me through such times.
It could be witnessing an embarrassing situation which involved me.
It could be witnessing the humiliation and shame of myself or something that I admire and/or respect.

But that aside - How does one categorize the recent events in our polity?
Where politicians trade blows and rain curses and accusations on each other like errant school children? How a presiding officer of the House of Reps is allowed to stay in office and lead the investigation of her own case?

Do I castigate on the basis of her sex? No!!!!
If it was a man I would be probably more tolerant because we can be real idiots - most of the time. But the women of this country have shown us that it is possible to do the right thing and create a standard - think Prof Dora of NAFDAC or Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Former Finance Minister) that others will admire and aspire towards.

However for Madam Etteh (as she is un-fondly called) - I feel no pity or understanding of her antics...
She was virtually ushered into the house as the leader with no opposition and now she has gone and messed it up over a scandal...

But that isn't what lights my rockets...

What lights my rockets is that she would sit in during the normally rowdy sessions and watch her fellow reps rain blows upon each other and smile...

It is the smile that got me wondering...
Why in heaven's blazes does she smile at a time like this - as if she's enjoying all the commotion.
maybe she thinks it is all for her benefit...

Yesterday, (17th of October 2007) a representative took the official exit out of this world - when he slumped suddenly in full view of the members of the house after proving how fit(or unfit) he was by jumping up and down like a monkey.

Attempts to get him to a hospital to revive him proved abortive as he was confirmed dead on arrival...

All for what? To protect Madam Etteh and her little fiefdom of lunatics and Yes-men...

Nigeria is a soap opera that lacks a plot... She just manages to ramble onwards with no clear objective in sight - instead there is hope and faith that "Things Go better"...
A common local saying in pidgin english, which means that things will improve...

My questions are:
When and how?

If we continue to exploit ourselves in this manner then we will be pushed to the brink of extermination and irrelevance - the real question that needs an honest answer is:
Who has the moral courage and fortitude to turn this country around...

we know it can be done - we have seen examples but we're yet to commit to a common line of action...

As Hannibal once told his men: We will either find a way or make one!

So brethren - we do have a fighting chance and it involves our saying no to lots of things - to abuses of power and privilege, to corruption etc...

Nigeria is an entity bigger than anyone of us and will remain in existence long after we're dead and gone... Let us leave our petty ambitions and greed and embrace order and positive change - there is no better time to start than now...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hi,

1) if there aren't any gods-in-Nigerian-politics who are supporting her/backing her up in words and advice....that 'this'-the Nigerian people', shouting.....will be over, and who she is banking on, she won't be on her sit. So its like when a child goes to school to fight rest assured that 'daddy is there to defend me.'
2) She is a woman, she should have thought about things better.
3) I would really like to know what her husband has to say about all that is happening......I wonder how they too would sit and discuss in the evening....u know, as in her husband asking her how the day went....and she goes: one of our House of Assembly died today while jumping on the table....

the conclusion of the matter is: WHAT A MAN CAN DO, A WOMAN CAN DO, AND WILL DO BETTER.

Anonymous said...

Very well said.