IN the light of some of the experiences that Nigerians have been through in recent times it would not be out of place for one to wonder how much worse things could get before they would get better. We can only be optimistic in the present circumstances and not give in to any form of despair. For this reason it makes sense to believe that our situation would surely get better. That way we can all have something to look forward to- and very soon too. Otherwise, families might soon be at war, with wives up in arms against their husbands while children take out their parents as we all try to make sense of the nonsense that has become our lot.
These are indeed times that try men’s souls. The last few weeks, especially the last two, could well pass for some of the worst Nigerians have known in recent times. What with the double whammy of constant power outage and the terrible scourge of fuel scarcity. Nigerians have been literally grounded in their homes with many who can still afford the impossible price of petrol at about N300 or more per litre being more careful about what to expend the little fuel in their vehicle tanks on. Not for them are the frivolous visits or trips to nowhere. Much deliberation and thought go into what people do with their resources these days. Petrol has perhaps never been more precious to Nigerian than in the last two weeks. If you were grounded at home with no fuel to make the rounds of your usual haunts, life would at least be a little bearable if you could enjoy some family time in an atmosphere of peace. But what would you do when the home becomes literally too hot due to the discomfort of power outage?
Indeed how many Nigerians could afford the luxury of quiet family time even without electricity when they have to be out practically slaving away, unsure of where their next meal would come from? Even without fuel in their vehicles and with the steep increase in transport fare, Nigerian must still find a way to report at work, be it private business or otherwise. We are in a double bind, a recurrent cycle of crises in which there appears to be no route of immediate escape. In the circumstance there can’t be any room for wastage.
This may yet be one of the practical benefits of the present harsh times. Nigerians who have been hard put learning to conserve energy may be coming to the gradual realisation that we are in different times and there must now be purpose to every action. People who would casually ignore all domestic illumination switched on the previous night while leaving home in the morning, may learn to conserve power now that tariff keeps increasing in a state of constant power outage and no salaries. Nobody would want to waste the few litres of fuel sourced from the black market to power bulbs nobody needs in day time.
Since Nigerians have taken up responsibility for many of the municipal services people take for granted elsewhere, having no fuel to do many of these things that could help ease the pressure they are under must be very aggravating. What are those things people do these days without petrol or electricity, whether self-provided or from the Distribution Companies? We buy generators to provide electricity, install boreholes or dig wells to obtain water, dispose waste even if in drainages. We feel our governments by their near total absence in our lives except when they want to inflict more injuries on us. With this much to do already what more can the people of this country be expected to take upon themselves?
When can they hope to look for more sustained and permanent respite from these troubles? But it would appear that Nigerians have learned a lot of endurance, sometimes one thinks they’ve learned to endure more than is healthy for them. The thing is however that everyone is being careful. Everybody is being extra careful not to tip things over the brink where they presently rest. The Yoruba say when a child has not been sufficiently chastised, he hurls insults at his chastiser.
But chastised beyond measure a child learns to beg for mercy. Nigerians have been chastised beyond measure, they’ve suffered all sorts of pain and indignities- far more than anyone would have thought possible in years gone by. They’ve learned to bear the lies and serial betrayals of their leaders. We have learned to work and not be paid for many months at a time; and when we are paid just some percentage of what we are entitled to and our leaders give out the lie that we’ve been fully paid, we say nothing in return. Rather we even rush to go to the same job for which we are not being paid.
Labour leaders have since lost everything- their bark and bite. Everyone can read the writing on the wall and have wisely refrained from rocking the boat. Some might argue as they’ve been doing in the last nine months that we should say nothing, complain of nothing but simply accept our plight as the ‘change’ we voted for. For them there is nobody to hold for the crisis in which this country has found itself but the present government of Mohammadu Buhari. Like Lot’s wife we are told not to look back to where we were coming from and ask nothing of the past. Indeed the present government has a lot to do and it would do well to brace itself more for the task ahead in order to bring immediate relief to Nigerians. For one it must find a permanent solution to the problem of incessant fuel scarcity.
It does it no credit that just a month away from its first anniversary, it looks inadequate to discharge its remit. But it only needs to show that it has more staying power than its inherited problems. It should go to work in a manner that would make its effort more obvious. For some of us, our present problems, especially such as we have encountered in the last few weeks, only remind us of how far we have journeyed from the unspeakable calamity that a Peoples Democratic Party government would have made inevitable. Only God knows what would have become of this country today had that government not been swept off in the tidal wave of the last presidential election. We are where we are today because of the massive corruption emplaced by that administration and we will only find relief when we resolve to do away with many of the ignoble ways of that inept regime.
VANGUARD
END
Be the first to comment