I was with a long time friend at a local haunt, quaffing a couple of never-so-cheap-to-come-by beers and we lamented like the ancient Israelites brooding over the loss of Jerusalem!
We recalled together the time when the prices of cars were just a few thousands of this same naira, in ranges of : two thousand naira for Volkswagen beetle, four thousand naira for Peugeot 504 GL, to high end cars like Mercedes Benz for eighteen thousand naira or less, same went for the Swedish brand, Volvo sedan. And these were freshly minted automobiles!
Well, after a long gulp and a heavy pull on a stuff that looked like cigarette stick, my companion, in a burst of exhalement and with interdigitated fingers; not being well versed with economics jargons, asked me: *”Di-ayị* , why is our own country’s one naira not equal to other countries currencies, after all, one is equal to one everywhere ?”
At the release of this salvo, I got disquietened. But, roving my eyes from side to side trying to figure out how to tackle this, I said: “Even though an egusi soup is egusi soup alright, the tastes differ depending on the ingredients and all the ngwo-ngwo used in preparing them”? And so, each country’s currency is as strong as what they are producing for export and how much less they depended on other countries for their needs. I am not sure I made a “sense” to him as I could sense from the expression on his face. But, that was how far I could go!
Anyway, we emptied bottles again and again as we both recalled that during that same period, when Nigerian naira was still basking in good health, NYSC members were paid a princely sum of two hundred naira per month, and the happy corp members were expected to feed, transport themselves , save and did all those things native to youths!
Also, in that period under x-ray, people built their houses without this prevalent imprisonment in the name of building high walls, burglary proof doors and windows that don’t even guarantee anything, any more!
Suddenly, a noxious gale blew and Nigeria lost her primeval innocence and her virginity as well . An alien idea crept into the minds of the militants from the creeks of the Niger Delta and they left their God-given trade of catching fish to that of catching of expatriate oil workers and the dividends in foreign exchange awed them. The discovery of this “gold mine” led to a frenzied dive for the cheap and easy substrate.
Having whetted their appetite and as the white personnels were withdrawn, indigenous personnels of the oil companies became their next meat as well, since equal financial rewards were gotten.
Not quite long, and like the north and south poles of a bar magnet, invading arid terrorists of northern Sahara learnt the art of catching humans for money from the people of the creeks of the south. These villainous beasts upped their ensemble with rape, killing and dismemberment of their victims, in the manner in which they slaughtered their cattle, strafing the earth in their trail.
These horrid gung-hos who made an enterprise of crime , like play like play, got the entire Nigerian canvass dubbed with fear and Nigeria has been dripping with the terror of kidnapping for ransome.
As a consequence, the elites, those described as having *”kidnap values “*, deserted the hinterlands and flocked to the urban cities in a bid to save their lives and properties. Alas, they seem to have forgotten that no matter how swift a person runs, he/she cannot run past his/her rump.
And so, the kidnap trade was shifted to the urban areas in a no-hold-barred fashion, as the elites tried to play smart by deserting the hinterlands. Everyone, both the deprived and the mighty became endangered. .
But, the politicians, the brigands with dark souls, didn’t help matters. They went on frenzied brigandage, looting and licking plates, not leaving even the crumps out for the boys.
Well, one of my in-laws from Imo State gave me this adage and he said ” onye nyụrụ nshị anyụghị mmamịrị, nyere ala ihie kpọrọ nkpọọ”! (He who defecates on the ground without urinating has given the soil a hard substance)! The politicians had stolen, yes, but they failed to leave a little, albeit small to calm the boys down and now, empty stomachs are retching and rumbling and everyone has taken fright!
Because the high and mighty living in the urban areas have learnt to disguise as commoners to evade kidnap, everyone is now at risk.
And so, if they “catch” you and you are not able to cough out good spondulicks, don’t bother to bother, your meat and body parts will serve the kidnappers fell purposes as they have ready markets for them. These bad boys have this sloganeering jest: ” Ichere n’anyị bịara ebea ịta akara”? (Do you think we’re here just to eat akara balls?)!
Folks, make no mistake, terror has become our neighbours in this land and everyone is dumbstruck, looking like a chicken whose only chick has been snatched by a fleeting hawk.
No, we cannot afford to be morons while we have a government in place. Yes, it’s in the nature of scorpion to sting, also, bad behaviours such as these are native to man. Thusly, it’s left to a responsible and responsive government to develop adequate responses to castrate these unbecoming tendencies in man.
The tools are there begging to be deployed and in doing this, the government must avoid the lure of narrow framing. The government should go to the extent of finding adequate employment for the youths. One who has a good shelter and assured feeding will begin to value lives and not tempted to think evil.
Again, all these bandits have occupied well known locations and territories and they brag about it. What stops the government from carrying out aerial reconnaissance along with ground reconnoitre with a view to strafing off and annihilating these elements of terror wherever they may found? And, the commentary will allude to this!
And until government muscles up, instead of the present attitude of flirtations with these bad boys; these celebrated criminals will overrun this country, just one fine morning!
Nze Ernest Obiora Ezema.
“Ejibiengwa” Is A Social Commentators, Political Analyst and A Prolific Writer; He Writes From Awka.
