By Prince Charles Dickson
DURING the Obasanjo administration, we called it reforms, and with Yar'Adua came agenda, now we are transforming. But sadly the continued reoccurrence and persistence of repression through economic, political and social-cultural means in the last 11 years of democracy has created a nation of traumatised and dehumanised citizenry.
The indicators which the evil ruling class refuse to see include declining economy, political instability, pervasive and entrenched dictatorial and repressive mode of governance, mass poverty and growing worsening condition of social and personal insecurity and disharmony, widespread opposition against the government, a conglomeration of geo-ethnic and parapoitic associations both sane ones and confused ones.
An above average knowledge of psychology and one will be conscious of the changing of the so-called 'Nigerian Psychology', that psychology has many branches, from the ethnic, to the religious, from the political to the apolitical, it has different shades, but of all the phases of it, one that never ceases to amaze me is the psychology of the poor in Nigeria...a 'poor' Nigerian has never asked for anything other than the basics, food, shelter, he even cares less about clothing, any combination of two meals out of three is perfect, one meal is just okay.
He is fast to say lafiya, 'we thank God', even in a thankless situation...for how long will that remain static, that may all be about to change.
Despite all the gimmicks at fuel subsidies, it all seems that the fuel queues are coming back if the guys on top are not allowed their economics of subsidies. The facebook-listening, sweet-nose-smiling and once-upon-a shoeless administrator at the helm of our affairs does not simply understand, all that Nigerians have asked for is their right to a life.
Those in charge are not willing to bend in order to rise, nobody wants to be accountable, we are so engrossed with blaming x, y, z that we have not been able to sit and access the situation that we find ourselves in.
As a nation and people we have not come out with a SWOT analysis, from PAP, to NAPEP, to NEEDS and SEEDS, Reforms and Agendas, Transformation and Re-engineering, yet very little in results.
The good news, however, is that an increasing number of people out there are beginning to really care, they may not be talking, they may be silent, but that in itself is the danger.
They are quiet but deep down they are grumbling and are planning what to them is a solution to the mess our leaders and some of us have brought this nation to. There is a storm in the air, positive as a lot of us may want to sound, we can hide but we cannot run.
The Arewa Peace Conference signed off with a blast, whether gas cylinder, or battery, motorcycle rider or ghost messenger, lives were lost, even as another blast occurred in Jos, with no-clear indications regarding a blast in a Mosque in Sapele.
The indices are there...I am not preaching a revolution, but let it be on record that we were warned, events keep warning us of the impending doom. Nigerians are angry, forget the smile, it is all deceit.
Parents cannot pay school fees, hospital bills cannot be afforded, even the hospitals are not there.
To be continued.