Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
Even though I abhor violence of any sort, these days, I’m beginning to understand the minds of those young army officers in Nigeria referred to as Nigeria’s Five Majors. Gripped with patriotic fervor and zeal, but maddened by the corrupt tendencies of then politicians, these officers had staged a putsch and attempted to clear out the stench that was those politicians.
Their attempt failed with its attendant disastrous consequences. Hop over to Ghana several years later and you come to a certain young army officer that just seized power; then Lt Col Jerry Rawlings. He was angered by the corrupt practices of some former heads of state before him which had thrown Ghana under the wheels. He had them tried and executed by firing squad.
Ghana stirred, sneezed and became alive again and the Ghanaians who used to flock to Nigeria as a safe haven, returned to their country and today Nigerians are flocking to Ghana, with many sending their children to their universities to read.
The situation in today’s Nigeria would have elicited the same actions taken by the five majors and Rawlings if not that such an action is no longer fashionable.
But, daily, when one watches events unfold in this country, one feels a certain revulsion and anger at the antics of those who call themselves our leaders. These people no longer pretend to be stealing us blind.
They do so and dare us to do our worst and that includes brazenly stealing the people’s mandate in the last elections without finesse. They believe we will do nothing and it seems they are right. Nigerians have been bullied into a state of stupor. Many can no longer think straight. They are almost becoming zombies occasioned by the excruciating hardship.
This is why I always tell myself to be careful while driving because some of the people you see on the road are the walking dead. They are so overwhelmed by their problems that they may be looking at you and coming towards you without seeing you.
Sometimes they look like they jumped out of their skin when you blare your horn. At other times even when you blare your horn they will keep coming towards you or walking almost on the middle of the road. If your mind is not there you can easily run them over.
There are others who deliberately take a dive for vehicles to run over them out of frustration. This is why when I see some people standing on the side of the road, ostensibly waiting for vehicles to pass before crossing, I keep a close watch on them in case they are suicide cases.
You know it will take a lot to convince the Nigerian police that they dived to be run over. That is the situation that many Nigerians have been forced into. Many are frustrated and depressed and wanting to end it all.
Back to our friends, the political class. After what they did to us in the recent elections in the country, they are now shamelessly fighting over positions, even when they are unsure of the victory of their boss, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the courts. They are fighting dirty and it is a wonder they have not removed their clothes yet. They have by their actions shown they care only for their selfish interests.
This country needs to be purged. Nigerians tried to do it through their votes but got swindled. There is hope yet that something will happen; that God will do cause a miracle to happen. In the interim, the nation turns to the judiciary. It’s their last hope. Will God visit them? We pray he does, because many are on the verge of cracking. God save Nigeria!