The Clarion To All Nigerians
In the scorching sun, I waited and waited for an available bus, but could not find any.
A strain of thoughts strayed into my heart
''Many are the woes of an hustler in my country. We toil day and night to ensure we survive, to get a morsel of bread dipped into our mouth has become so difficult.
Inflation has refused to come down, prices of things have skyrocketed, income has refused to grow, yet the cost of living is growing everyday. We've literally become slaves in our motherland, we work like elephants, but we eat so little like ants. We work in a country where the economy has been designed to work against her citizens.
Still in my thoughts, "I encouraged myself, I've learnt almost everything I needed to learn, it's just that life has refused to smile on me, things were getting better, but not at the rate at which I had wanted"
My thoughts were suspended when I saw a yet to be filled bus coming in my direction, soothing gladness filled my soul, I motioned for the driver to stop by shouting the name of my destination, luckily he did, I entered.
I progressed in my journey back home, only to discover that there was a traffic jam on the way, everything was at a standstill, out of my curiosity, with permission from the driver, I got down from the bus to go check what was going on at front, I had barely walked for three minutes before I encountered the problem.
A fatal accident had happened due to the large pothole present on the road, people at the scene were trying to call the ambulance services, but they were not forthcoming, nobody was willing to move close to the people that were seriously injured, virtually everybody was scared of moving close because of legal matters that rises from such cases.
After about fifteen minutes, help finally came, a para-millitary vehicle was passing by, they came to the scene of the accident, and immediately got to work and tried rescuing the people that were trapped, but it was too late , two out of three seriously injured people had become lifeless, with the last one writhing in pains.
Traumatized, I did not wait to see the rest, all I did was go back and narrated my experience to the fellow commuters and after that, I kept my mouth shut.
It was a sad moment, the whole bus was silent and after some few minutes, traffic resumed again and we proceeded on our journey.
And during the course of transit, a fat woman at the back made a statement
"That accident would not have happened if only the government had repaired that road"
And that was all that was needed to add fuel to the burning anger in the minds of passengers, everyone ranted and ranted, they poured all the blame on the government, they all expressed their dissatisfaction on how things are going in the country, from inflation to bad roads, bad electricity, high debt profile, unemployment, insecurity etc.
I also wanted to contribute and rain some curses on the government but instantly, a thought struck me. It was like an hot iron piercing through my traumatized soul.
"You caused it" said that little voice in my heart, I was confused at first.
How?
How am I responsible for the woes happening in my nation?
I calmed down and decided to think over and over again.
And I found the answer.
I'm truly at fault.
We're all at fault.
Less than thirty percent of Nigerians vote when it comes to elections, and majority of these people are the educated ones and the elites.
And even when many Nigerians vote, they vote based on political party, personal interests, ethnic affiliations, money, religion etc without carefully going through the credentials and personality of the candidates.
We've frustrated the serious politicians and given cheap popularity to the charlatans.
We've refused to chase away the political scavengers.
Many of us have refused to take responsibility, that's why suffering has remained a prevalent thing on the landscape.
We always complain, but we've quickly forgotten that we are the bad citizens that voted in the bad government.
So sad!
These thoughts hit me hard, they kept my lips shut that I couldn't participate in the conversation in the bus till I got to my destination and I alighted with so much sorrow and agony in my heart.
But a ray of light passed through my thoughts, there is still hope.
General elections are here again.
It's time to vote , it's time for an opportunity to change the government.
But,
Are you ready for a change?
Are we ready for a change?
If we are truly ready for a change, then this coming election is no joke.
If you're above 18 years and you have not registered to vote, then go and register with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to get your Permanent Voter's Card (PVC).
Are you truly ready for a change?
You may not be interested in Politics, but you can't be disinterested in Governance.
Put into our best possible options, in depth critical analysis of the pressing issues to enable us make the right decisions.
Join other Conscious Nigerian Citizens as we examine and weigh up our chances as a Country in the Next Elections.
NOTE: This is strictly for sound political discussion and to create an awareness for the need to be a Politically Conscious Nigerian Citizen. This is NOT a Campaign Group/Movement.
Click here to join.
5 comments
True, we might be the change we want to see, we might even be ready for the change, but it has to be a change in cycle, one at a time will not(never) get to the place of fulfilment. But rather, many and all part moving(changing) simultaneously.
Shalom for Nigeria
True, we might be the change we want to see, we might even be ready for the change, but it has to be a change in cycle, one at a time will not(never) get to the place of fulfilment. But rather, many and all part moving(changing) simultaneously.