I doubt that my post will live up to the title, but I’m willing to try.
I have become a hardened Nigerian in the last couple of years. Hardened from a soft believer to a cynical one. Note that I am still a believer! However, daily reality has opened my eyes to see that it will take a lot more than I previously thought to bring about real change in this nation.
My analogy will be Lagos State. I was tripped reading Tolu Ogunlesi’s editorial in the Guardian early this week. He spoke about seeing books (intellectual ones and not gossip magazines) on the seat of the governors car. I was tripped because if our governor is reading good books then I think he might be someone who I can identify with.
I was brought up in a family (nuclear & extended) who valued reading more than watching television and many there was a debate about how to turn this country around just before and after dinner. The number of ideas, points, policies, etc that were churned out debate after talk after reminisces were enough to turn this country around in seconds.
Well I might be simplifying things a whole lot but I believe that Governor Fashola might have the sort of ideas needed to make Nigeria better starting with this hub of society called Lagos. At least we are not dealing with a governor who enjoys nothing better than an owambe every weekend or the company of equally empty brained charlatans who are only interested in filling their pockets; so empty brained that droppings of this loot can be very easily traced to them. (pls note I am no supporter of creative thieves, or any thievery or thiefing enterprise)
I finished my youth service bubbling with ideas and optimism. I had finally been ‘let loose’ to contribute my quota and change this nation. Little did i realise that my quota would be very insignificant in the scheme of things (Yes I know, little drops make a mighty ocean and all that!) What I realised is that we need leaders, good leaders, influential honest leaders, strong leaders, square pegs in square holes who are not only willing to produce change in GOVERNMENT but who are ABLE to do so.
I’ve read with pity and heartfelt sadness (is there a phrase like that?) the story of the 300million Naira Health Ministry End of year dividend for several staff. My object of pity is the former Minister, Prof. (Mrs) Nike Grange. She strikes me as a capable Health professional (obviously her resume is impressive), she was my fathers teacher ( a fact that I only knew about last week) and I do not believe she is a thief.
I believe she is a product of the Nigerian system where thieves are known (and are secretly disdained but openly applauded). A system where fear ‘catches’ anyone who dares to think of speaking out against such ills. (This brings to mind my sister who was threatened when she stumbled upon ‘cronje’ or ‘expo’ (exam papers) dealers during her SSCE). If teenagers are taught to be afraid at that age, the fear just builds up.
Mrs. Grange’s fault was giving in to her fear of exposing the corrupt ones. They were probably very friendly with her. Shining teeth and giving very obsequious bows and all… they were her work-pals who came to her with the little bits of gossip and juicy details about this person or that. And when it was time to be faithful, to return the money as directed by her ‘chief-executive’, these same pals came round with what has proved to be very ‘unsound’ advice.
“Aaah! Madam! You are new here, these commands have never been obeyed. This is the way we go about doing these things, afterall if the money is not used here, it’ll be ‘used or diverted’ at the recall centre ”. I believe she is not a thief so a red flag must have gone up somewhere in her subconscious. “Emm, dont you think that is a bit funny?” To avoid annoying them, she might have added “What if he finds out?” To which the now greedy staff would have said, “It has never happened”.
The rest is the story we all know now. She was too afraid to bell the cat, something she probably has never done. Diverting the funds on phony contracts to these unreliable staff and as a Christmas bonus to many others has now proved to be her undoing. Its a sad story but all too true of the malais called the Nigerian system.
I am particularly pained when I hear money meant for the Health system has been diverted for untoward purposes. First of all, with the numerous work begging to be done across government hospitals in the land, what is 300million Naira doing lying fallow? With the millions of people without access to good health care, why on earth had that money not gone to good use.
I believe (and I realise I’m no judge) that Mrs. Grange is not a thief in the sense that we all know it, she wouldnt take anything that does not belong to her but she is deemed as guilty as the real thieves because she did not protest or report them. She kept quiet! hoping that it would all go away.
Just yesterday after I started writing, I heard about the death of a woman after child birth. Last year she lost her first pregnancy and this year she followed. She died at a private hospital that obviously did not have the personnel or skill to attend to post-partum haemorrage and she is one of millions gone. If our government hospitals were well equipped with well-remunerated health workers, if they were not ‘killing-centres’ what on earth is anyone looking for in a squalid private clinic that probably does not have a functional generator?
(After July 2007, I have vowed not to step foot in any government hospital. Dont blame me!, Read my posts- Eku ewu omo1 & 2)
And there was 300million naira lying fallow being eyed by greedy civil servants who probably have stolen enough to jet out of the country when ill. There are many Mrs. Grange’s who are too timid to say this is wrong or this is evil, I wont condone it! There are too many who have been frightened into silence or perhaps killed or maimed because their mouths were ‘too big’.
I believe the whistle blowers should not just be those annoyed that their share of the loot is too small but honest hardworking men, women and children who believe that CHANGE starts with them.
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21/04/2008 at 5:27 pm Permalink
Hi sis i love your post, i am encouraged to start shouting out that mr x is corrupt, when im in a safe place(outside the shores of this land) when i know his local hired assasins cant get me!
13/05/2008 at 12:28 am Permalink
Growing up definitely brings on a very different sense of reality… I totally feel you Toyin on the subtle changes that have taken place, from shouting at the top of our voices trying to champion the “Naija must to Beta” cause to our current state of seriously seeking for some major divine intervention providing us with the “how” to change things around at the snap of the finger. How bold can we be when we’re not sure giving up our lives and putting our loved ones through sorrow and misery will truly make a dent in the bubble of “disastrous anarchy”.
All hope is not lost though… slowly but surely, more and more people are getting bold… the face of those in authority improves, even though the differences in shades is barely discernable, over time, we’ll see how far across the colour spectrum we’ve come. We each just need to pray that we always have the courage to stand up for what we truly believe in, even if all we do is dissociate ourselves.
Nice post as always girl… Looking forward to rejoining you in the struggle
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29/05/2008 at 6:11 am Permalink
Enjoyed reading this. Please stop by nigeriancuriosity.com and participate in the Nigerian Proclamation’s one year anniversary. Grab a banner and put it on your site.
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God bless.
25/06/2008 at 4:20 pm Permalink
Ma’am, points-on but, may i point out that i don’t think the leaders (Governors & Mr. President, i daresay) are the problem.
” I was tripped because if our governor is reading good books…” on the contrary, i think these leaders are extremely intelligent (i’ve had cause to work with one) only their so called subordinates…..their paraphenalia (oops, aided) of office. These are the ones that cause all the friction in the wheels of governace and to them we must stand firm & refuse incompetence.