Do Not Expect A Revolution In Nigeria Says Fredrick Odorige
Fredrick Odorige is unearthing the uncommon treasures bestowed on Nigeria and breaking the chains of ineptitude and oppression. He has zero tolerance for injustice especially with regards to governance in Nigeria.
Before you read further, I want you to know that the north is not your problem, but your representatives are your biggest problem.
Our leaders in the south-south, south-east region are the people killing us. They are responsible for the squalor we see in the region. They have sold your future and that of your unborn children.
Those looting in NDDC are the leaders from the region. For a long time, I cannot remember sitting down to watch a video for over 2 hours. I did so yesterday as I watched the public session of the investigative probe of the national assembly into the smelly rot in NDDC.
I have seen people who have the bad habit of always opening their mouths even when they are walking on the street or standing alone. Sometimes I thought that they were drying their teeth under the sun. No, they also do it when it is raining. Maybe they heard a shocking news when they were very young and their mouths refused to close since then!
I listened to the shame. I saw liquid evidences. I saw common thieves who manufactured every reason to steal in the name of contract. They presented the problem as a project and they stole the money as the solution. Then it got to a point where I opened my mouth. This time I really needed somebody to push back my lips together.
My little daughter could be very alert. She looked at me and observed my discomfort. Then she asked me what was the problem. I jolted back from oblivion and closed my lips again. Why?
I unconsciously opened my mouth at that point where somebody testified that NDDC awarded N641m for ‘media support for forensic audit’. Meaning that when the ‘audit’ is going on, the media will be paid that amount of money to publicize their work. N641m!
That was not enough. I closed my mouth again. The real mouth-opener was when it was stated that NDDC awarded a contract for “Emergency Consultancy to construct INFANT JESUS”. W-h-a-t?
J-e-s-u-s?
They even took their stealing to religious dimension. Wow!
Then I immediately started to pray and groan in the spirit like Hannah in the temple before Eli the Priest. I burst out speaking in tongue. I was binding every environmental forces of wickedness. I was binding the destiny traders and evil merchants of our commonwealth. I was binding in the spirit, every enemy within!!
Oh, no! Shamefully, the NDDC representatives are from the same 3 regions that are agitating for secession into Biafra, Oduduwa and Niger delta. Shamefully, they all stole money meant for the development of their people and regions.
The common thieves are from the 9 states of Imo, Abia, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Cross Rivers and Bayelsa!
Yes, let them continue to blame the north while the north blame the north.
If militants and regional agitators refuse to react and revolt against the broad day robbery by their people, it will be extremely difficult to have any form of revolution that will engulf Nigeria. It is better for all agitations to cease because if we remain silent now, all other agitations will be all about chasing shadows.
Now I can clearly see that many agitators are either fighting for their pockets or doing so as service delivery to their paymasters. Complaining is neither an option nor a hobby.
This NDDC investigation may die because many legislators have also received their shares. Now we can see that Niger delta Senator James Manager who has been in the senate for 16 years without moving a bill, simply went there to represent himself. He deceitfully and allegedly pocketed the resources of his people. Yes, power to the people indeed!
Now we can see that Niger delta Senator Nwaoboshi who has been in the senate for 8 years without moving a bill, simply went there to represent himself. He allegedly pocketed the resources of his people. Power to the people!
Without death sentence or minimum of life imprisonment for corruption cases, we may never be able to address corruption in Nigeria. No way!
Buhari is fighting corruption with corruption. Hence he consciously appointed Godswill Akpabio and Timipre Sylva as Ministers despite their previous EFCC cases. Why else did he insist that Magu must remain at EFCC after being rejected twice by the Senate?
Why did he support Hope Uzodinma to be Imo state governor despite his alleged embezzlement of $12m meant for dredging the Calaba canal?
Why are some people secretly refunding stolen money without being arraigned in court while those that stole plantain have been awaiting trial for three years? VIP thieves?
Unless something new happens tomorrow, the continuing silence by Niger deltans has clearly shown to me that we cannot have a revolution of the people to address the ills we daily complain about. Our people are more comfortable in attacking activists and their helpers. Youths are now blaming youths for inaction. Many are still calling for the second release of Barabas because ‘our thief is better than your thief’.
Many are very busy breaking Nigeria on social media without visible strategies while their regions are being raped by their relatives and representatives.
We have been victims of our decades of long silence to bad governance. Now, we continue to be silent in the midst of worsening governance. We blame and insult one another for the transgressions of our oppressors.
We are looking for helpers to lead a revolution when we are the helpers others are looking up to.
There may never be a people’s revolution in Nigeria and Nigeria may not break in or out of our wildest dreams. It is our collective choice to continue to live in the penury masterminded by a few.
Complaining may just become a trade because our smallest finger has become too heavy to be raised against the oppressors.
As a people, we refused to act upon what Gani Fawehinmi et al fought for. We refused to act on what Fela Anikulapo sang for. We only play Fela’s music to rehearse our continuing agonies of many colours. Future generations will definitely not forgive us.
They will call us a generation of cowards, self-seekers and the Biblical brood of vipers.
They will spit on our graves for bequeathing to them a country blessed by God but cursed by men. We may not be free even in death. All of us!!
The greatest regret is that our thieves have clearly shown that Ken Saro-Wiwa and others struggled and died in vain. Our people have betrayed Saro-Wiwa and his revolutionary agenda. He fought against marginalization in the Niger delta. He fought against environmental degradation. He fought for the survival of the fishes in our rivers and the trees in our forests.
Then, Sani Abacha took him; hanged him and melted his corpse in corrosive acid.
Ken Saro-Wiwa died without a grave so that our lives may be better.
Now, as our people continue to steal from the expected prosperity of Niger delta, they have killed Saro-Wiwa a second time!
The revolution is not coming. It may never come. We are yet to be angry enough. Farewell prosperity!!
Twitter: @FOdorige