As I hinted in the earlier article on this topic, the right kind of anger helps an individual to find the energy and inner drive to get out of an undesirable situation and make a strong move towards change. In every sphere of existence, Nigeria has seen more than enough reasons to get angry and even get into a rage but surprisingly, everything remains calm. The citizens have been conditioned by adverse policies to adjust rapidly to any new sting and very soon, they learn to laugh about it, make very lively jokes out of it and even turn such pellets of shame into commercial gains. That is why they call us the happiest people on earth. But this is very abnormal. The only category of human beings who never get angry, no matter what happens is the imbecile population. These people were born with some congenital, environmental or drug-related abnormalities which destroy their natural brain functions. They are the ones who can afford to keep laughing and smiling in the face of very bad conditions. Nigeria is not an imbecilic nation and should not act like one. She must get angry and change her situation.
Sometime ago, Akwa-Ibom state, under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio, became angry about the fact that all over the Nigerian nation, the only thing the people of Akwa-Ibom were known for was servitude. Every Ekaite or Ekpeyong was expected to be a house girl while every Okon was a gate keeper. People only remembered Akwa-Ibom when they wanted to hire house helps. When a leader arose, he got angry at this ugly reputation and took necessary actions to reverse the trend. Today, that is no longer what Akwa-Ibom is known for. People now go to Akwa-Ibom when they want to relax and have fun in a superlative environment. The state may not have become all it should be, but it has moved from one point to another because at a point in their history, they got angry and took action against an undesirable condition.
The point remains that one must reject a bad situation before he can take necessary actions to reverse it. There must be an abhorrence of what is before one can get to what should be. I wonder how the Nigerian nation can hold its head high among the comity of nations considering how low she has sunk in the handling of her security agencies. Even small children know that the police force is out there to beg, coerce or rob road users on a daily basis, showing a picture of complete incompetence and lack of professionalism. In my part of the country, you can meet up to five police check points before you complete a journey of fifteen kilometres. At each of these stops, you must part with money, especially if you are plying a commercial vehicle. It’s embarrassing, to say the least. Most cases of accidental discharge where innocent people are killed by the police and sister agencies occur when the driver refuses to part with the twenty, fifty or a hundred Naira that the officers are demanding.
The working condition of these officers of the law is another cause for concern. It is appalling that a country that boasts of abundant resources cannot take proper care of people whose job is to ensure that the laws of the land are respected. Nigeria should feel the shame that comes from her officers looking shabby, living in shanties and carrying outdated weapons. This country should rise up in anger and equip her police force with sophisticated intelligence gathering gadgets and vehicles. It is only by so doing that the response time for distress calls can be reduced to a reasonable level. As it is now, most people fear the police more than they fear criminals. When they are robbed, they do not even bother reporting their ordeal to the police because by the time they pay all the money they will be required to pay for making the entry, they feel they have been robbed a second time.
Nigeria should be angry that the lives of her citizens are worth less than that of a cat in some other countries. If a cat is stuck on a tree or a roof top in these places, the ambulance is called and they respond with paramedics within minutes and ensure the poor animal is given all needed attention. But in Nigeria, countless citizens die carelessly because there is no ambulance service. The law is so weak that so many questionable deaths are not even investigated. Those that are investigated do not go all the hog because the judiciary is usually not capable of dispensing judgment and justice because of their own many handicaps.
Nigeria should get angry that steady power supply is still a mirage to the giant of Africa more than fifty years after independence. She should be angry that smaller countries that she helped to get electric power supply are celebrating years of steady power supply. As at today, Nigeria cannot boast of twenty four hours of steady power supply. Maybe the nation should take up the challenge of recording just twenty four hours of power supply to every part of the country at the same time. That will be a good start.
Nigeria should get angry about the hopelessness of her young people. Her children are so helpless that many have fallen victim to various criminal syndicates and terrorist organizations. They have joined these death mongers out of desperation. Nigeria cannot afford to keep destroying her youngsters this way!
The fact that the nation is economically crippled has resulted in massive joblessness among the youth population. Wrong economic decisions by the government have kept the country at the level of beggars in global economics. This cap-in-hand posture of the government makes her people disadvantaged global citizens. Nigeria should be angry that up till this time, they still go to lending bodies like IMF and World Bank to ask for loans and aids.
When stories of great men are written or told, there is usually a turning point. This turning point comes whenever self realization dawns and the fellow rejects the name he bears and decides to change it. We read about Jabez in the Bible, the young man who jettisoned his name when he realized it was his undoing.
I am advocating that Nigeria should get to the point of self-realization. Nigeria should realize that things have fallen apart and the centre cannot hold UNTIL such a time she gets really angry and takes a drastic decision to change her name and her destiny.
Nnenna Ihebom
