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Are you familiar with the Baby Andrew story? If you are not, then follow this link http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/ahaoma-kanu/grand-reception-for-baby-andrew-duku.html to have a better picture.
As I sat in my room reading the successful thanksgiving of baby Andrew who had a medical condition, I cannot but be grateful to Dawn Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN), Nigerian Village Square (NVS) and millions of Nigerians who rallied round to give life back to this innocent child through financial support in no small measure and spiritual support. To all I say a big “Thank youâ€Â. That is the spirit of Nigerian – always at the beck and call of fellow citizens.
Talking of the Nigerian spirit, I guess this spirit is only in the ordinary citizens of this country. For the politicians, it sure is a taboo for them to be genuinely involved in such noble gestures, unless to boost their political image. Or are they not Nigerians? We need to verify their true identity.
One of the comments raised by NVS villager motivated me to pause, ponder and write this piece. He raised a sensitive and vital question about the Lagos state government’s involvement in supporting baby Andrew financially. I will include the Nigerian government in this case. As of when I wrote this article, I had not got a response to that effect.
Assuming the Nigerian government was involved in the life-saving venture of the helpless, innocent Nigerian child, then I end this piece here and now with a commendation to the government for saving the life of its citizen; a mark of living up to its expectation and responsibility. You have done marvellously well and we are proud of you. May God continue to bless you, our noble government, and give you more wisdom to serve the nation. This is why we elected you to lead us and we are happy that you represent us well. The developed nations will no longer laugh and scoff at our leaders because they have risen to their responsibility of knowing that every citizen is the responsibility of the government.
Once again, Government Nigeria, una well-done.
On the other hand if the Nigerian government did not play its expected role to saving the life of an infant and helpless Nigerian child, then I withdraw my commendation and all the praise showered on them here and now. And I will tongue-lash the government for being ruthless and heartless towards a helpless child. If they could not be there for that innocent child, who is a potential leader of tomorrow, that means we are in deep trouble. We are doomed. And we should really reconsider the calibre of people we elect to represent and lead us. It is grossly man’s inhumanity to fellow man to elect a person that cares less whether you lived or died.
I want to believe that the case of baby Andrew was aired electronically and on the print media, therefore there is no excuse for the government to have missed it. And if they claim they did miss it, then the government should question competence of the personnel they have employed to work with. Or is that the case of square pegs in round holes? A sound government cannot miss out of such sensitive issue because that will give a loop hole to their opponents to castigate them.
Thinking about it now, can you imagine what the case could have been if every Nigerian followed the “good†example of our dear leaders? But thank God we still have people who have milk of human kindness; people who represent true Nigerians spirit.
If it was a politician that had a medical condition, all the arms of government will rally round to identify financially with their millionaire counterpart, who can adequately take care of himself even if he had the same condition three times over. Is that not ironic of what should have been done – giving attention to the people who elected you to serve them rather than paying allegiance to birds of same feather? To make matters worse they publicise such obvious actions. It has ceased to be news in Nigeria; they can put the publicity spending into better use. As far as we all know, money is never an issue to such people. Then what is the essence of spending so much on someone who is sufficiently able to double that expense. Is that not penny wise, pound foolish? Jesus Christ even condemned such attitude while teaching Sermon on the Mount. A politician celebrates his birthday or claims to have a thanksgiving service, fellow politicians buy him car and things he can conveniently buy without batting an eyelid. Countryman calls on government to support his hard-work and contribution to the development of the community and the government, if they do respond, sends a representative to the pledge their widows’ mite which takes ages to be fulfilled. Such negligence is what Igbo’s refer to as o ka nma na-ama or mere-mere n’ihu, gwompiti n’azu, which is literally translated as “white sepulchreâ€Â. They only shine where it concerns fellow politicians. Sorry they have missed the most important thing in their political career. There is no way their footprints will ever be on the sands of time – as if they care about such.
Charity, we know, begins at home. In this unique case, home is the helpless Nigerian citizens who are potential leaders of tomorrow. Wait a minute! I do not want to believe that such negligence meted to the masses was premeditated – to do away with the future and potential Nigerian leaders. Is that why every politician wants to remain in power because he is assured that there won’t be future leaders? Well this is basically where failure begins to set in especially when they are blinded by their assumptions, because whether they like it or not, o ji ihe nwata welie aka ya elu, ga ewedata ya ma-aka jie ya, that is literally translated to mean he that holds something belonging to a child and raises his hands up, will certainly bring it down when weakness of the hand sets in.
Baby Andrew’s case is the one we know. Millions of Nigerians abound, both young and adults, whom the Nigerian government could have helped to become better, but they failed in this respect. Do you think such people would ever have a single regard to the government? I bet on it. That accounts for the high rate of corruption during elections where people willingly accept bribes from politicians to vote for them. Whether they keep to their promise of voting or not is another issue entirely. But the fact is that Nigerian citizens have totally lost faith in the system; they know their interests are the least in the priority of the government so they can as well get the money and continue with their life. That is too bad to be mentioned.
So what can be done to change and correct this ugly trend? The decision is for the masses to make only that they will not be heard now. They may in the near future. But then it is high time we got the government involved in such matters affecting its citizens. They have no choice but to respond because they practically chose to wear the crown; therefore they should be ready to dance the music and dance it well.
This is not only for Nigerians but Africans in general. Learn from what happens amongst us.
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