Addressing neo-colonialism in Nigeria

WHAT  better word portrays the acts of our so-called leaders in this country? The colonial masters came down to Nigeria mainly for raw materials and slave trade. As we have it today, many scholars have tried to define colonialism. But what is deducible from all the definitions is that colonialism is the act of imposition by the superior over the less privileged in order to exploit. If I may I ask, which is better between the colonial period and indigenous democratic dispensations? Was the colonial regime like  our indigenous regimes? The hallmark of Nigerian leaders’ attitude in positions of authority underscores the semblance between the colonial masters’ objectives and theirs.

To start with, they pretend to be our brother during election periods. We are treated like kings and queens just to get our mandate. Thereafter, we become irrelevant just like a grocery bag after use. It is glaring from their act that they neither love us nor do they really care for us. Rather, they refine us before use and dump after use. At times, we are the ladder which they use to reach the zenith of their political careers. As the colonial masters fooled our forefathers in the name of civilisation, so are our brothers fooling us in the guise of democracy; both with the aim of galvanizing and siphoning resources for selfish interests. They promise heaven and earth not in good faith.

Who is deceiving who? How on earth would a civil/public servant earn fat salaries and allowances monthly which the so-called masters (masses) cannot earn in a year? Yet democracy implies government of the people! If democracy means servants ruling and controlling the resources to the disadvantage of the masses, there is no point in such a system of government! If democracy means that a few useless people feed fat while the majority suffer, way with it. Our democratic preachers have systematically pauperised the masses.  Although they promise us the dividends of democracy every four years, they live in abundance while the masses starve in penury.  Welcome to the world of democrat colonialist.

Secondly, they impose their ways on us earlier done by the colonial masters without recourse to our feelings and opinion. Any attempt to challenge their action is described as act of treason and/or media propaganda. We cannot challenge them because we have been incapacitated but not handicapped. Our voice and strength have been divested and we remain powerless with just the option of submission. They have structured the system in such a way that even if we do, it will be of less significance. How? They have denied us education and blessed us with ignorance. The system has invested us with poverty and divested us of abundance. Ignorance has blindfolded the majority. It is indeed a cold war between two extreme classes. It is either we fight to die or be an everlasting prey of exploitation. It is nothing but a sheer calculation to weaken the masses the more and to propose legislative immunity amidst the masses’ outcry for the removal of executive immunity. This is an attempt by the legislators to further shield themselves from legal prosecution and public criticism.

How can our so-called leaders shield themselves from the challenges and criticism of those they claimed to serve? This clearly gives an insight into their state of mind as they have concocted evil and more exploitation. Whatever they have decided to do or put in place, nobody can challenge and even if we do, it will be of no effect as only two percent of the people understand. The ever increasing school levy is a calculation to deprive the destitute and less privileged of educational opportunities even when the constitution clearly guarantees such rights. The rapid decline in the quality of public primary and secondary education is an attempt to paralyze the educational system to pave the path to ignorance and illiteracy of the masses. Meanwhile, they send their wards abroad for qualitative education so that they can inherit the precious corridor of power.

Is it a coincidence that the quality of Nigerian education grows retrogressively in spite of both federal and state budgets? Can you rationalise this? Have you ever visited any public primary school in your community recently? It is indeed a plot to deny the masses quality education so that power can remain in their court forever. The few less privileged graduates sweat to get a first-class job because they have reserved all lucrative jobs for their undergraduate wards. Paradoxically, the colonial masters offered us free quality education, perhaps because they have no plan to remain forever. More worrisome is the fact that majority of these cabals enjoyed free education under the white-colonial government with allowances and stipends.

Lastly, they enrich us in nothing but poverty; the mother of all evil. Our past is better than our present. Studying the history of this great country will make you understand the secret behind the title ‘giant of Africa’. The present social and economic decadence and deplorable condition of the country justify the missing ‘gi’ from the title won in the past. Hence, ‘ant of African’ remains the current title. The set of people called leaders purposely impoverish us so that they can easily govern us knowing that the easiest weapon to enslave us is starvation. This reminds me of the Nigerian civil war when the linkage between the East and West was blocked, thereby cutting the accessibility of the Easterners to food, which eventually facilitated their surrender.

Our current colonialist democrats have employed the principle of starvation to silence their opponents. Remember that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. They spread diseases and thereafter come with the antidote during election. Rather than castigate and condemn them, we celebrate them as Messiahs and Samaritans. They make laws to engineer their evil plot and pet us with stipends after stealing billions through plea bargaining. In other words, they steal more and pay less. Can you imagine when someone steals the sum of N5 billion and is only being asked to pay N250 million to set himself free. What becomes of the remaining N4.3 billion?

It is high time we did away with our differences. It is not a matter of “my kinsman is ruling” but a matter of fastening lasting solutions. We are now an indissoluble citizen of state of poverty. We have a common attribute whether from the South, East, West or North.  It’s high time we had a peaceful revolution in this country.

• Omokunmi is a 500 level law student of the University of Ilorin.