THE audacity of some beggars is, sometimes, befuddling. They boldly walk into unexpected spaces and – with their guides for the blind ones – stand in utter disregard of whatever is going on in such places while seeking alms.
Their nerve, their indifference and their lack of concern for the goings-on at that spot prompts a study on beggars’ confidence. Is it lack of knowledge or just pure disregard? They live in a different realm psychologically. All they are conscious of is just where to go, what to get there, and what they want. Beggars, a common sight on our streets and in many neighbourhoods do not roam. They have goals.
They have focus.
Recently, Nigeria was in France for the Paris Peace Forum. Apart from the forum, we also went in search of redemption of our faded and jaded relevance and to also seek economic gains. We went with the same audacity, confidence and aloofness of the beggar, but it is not clear if we went there with an equal kind of focus. Our dear President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly made a fine outing while inParis. One of the highlights of his stay in France l was the report of his address to the Nigeria International Partnership Forum (NIPF) in Paris.
The NIPF was said to be “a high-level event on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum.” The event brought together governments of the two countries and their private sectors “in wide-ranging discussions focused on security, regional stability, trade and industrialisation.”
A report said “The event is also to attract investment to Nigeria, bridge existing infrastructure gaps, spotlight Nigeria’s immense trade and investment opportunities and reset false and distorted narratives about the country.”
This shows a creative web of ideas spurn obviously by professionals with the kind of confidence exuded by beggars. There is a focus to make gains for the country while also being relevant at the Paris peace Forum.
There were no reports that France President Emmanuel Macron attended. Perhaps, the absence of Macron caused the event to go unreported by international media organisations.
Or, perhaps, they were not interested what we went to hawk.
The organisers of the NIPF also had the aim to “reset false and distorted narratives about the country.” Wow! This point sticks out like a sore thumb. It appears, from the way it is crafted, that this is actually the main reason of conjuring up a NIPF and giving it a life that is way larger than what it really is.
Thus, we entered France like the typical beggar: with enough confidence, nerve and utter indifference to what the people there are saying about us.
Reports from France say how rosy Buhari has made life and living for Nigerians. What he told the foreigners is that all is well with Nigeria now, so come and invest. Then in the same breath, he said there are ‘false and distorted narratives about the country’ which needed to be corrected. Who is writing the false and distorted narratives? Why are they writing it? What are these false and distorted narratives? Could it be the daily reports emanating from Nigeria about the appalling state of everything under Buhari?
Are the local reports of how bad everything has turned under his watch “false and distorted”?
Is it false that insecurity expressed in banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping for ransom has forced state governments to shut down schools in many states in northern Nigeria? Is it false and distorted narrative that states such as Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna are groaning in the vice-like grip of bandits? Are those unrestrained, unmitigated and uninvestigated deadly attacks in Plateau, Benue, Adamawa, Taraba and some other states by Fulani herders ‘false and distorted narratives’?
Ponder, why do we have internally-displaced persons (IDP) in a state like Benue and Plateau for instance?
Before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters (commonly called EndSARS Panel) made its report public, the sad incident of October 20, 2020 was a ‘false and distorted’ narrative. The panel made its findings public and affirmed what Nigerians knew all along. What false narratives or distortions are there?
These speak for themselves or as lawyers say in Latin, “Res ipsa loquitur.” Individuals like Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mr. Femi Adesina and Malam Garba Shehu are the ones pushing false narratives and dishing out distortions.
“I’ve revitalised economy, built infrastructure, uplifted Nigerians’ living standards – Buhari tells French business community” is an example of a false narrative and distortion of facts about the country. Indeed, it is a blatant lie which left many aghast. The basic living condition of Nigerians is far from the tales they are telling the world.
Nigeria might be the only economy in the world in which you can buy a used regular car we call “Tokunbo” or “Belgium”, drive the car for about five years and still sell the car for about the same amount you bought it five years earlier or even higher. ‘Regular car’ here refers to those that are not classed as vintage cars. That’s our inflation! Leave cars for the rich, check the price of 12.5kg of gas in the last six years. We all cook – rich and poor. When placed side by side, is it the crying Nigerians that are pushing false and distorted narratives or the people forcing us to keep quiet in the face of searing hardship?
This government seems to forget that the internet is everywhere. It cannot be lack of knowledge (as of the beggars), but it might be utter disregard to decency that the handlers of this government overlook the fact that those they are telling these tales also have access to the internet. It has never been in dispute that Nigeria has been a mire of mismanagement; but the arrival of Buhari has accentuated our problems and created new ones. He has taken our problems from a few to something like Yoruba’s “oni igba awe” (200-ply) manifold…
Those who love entrails, know. The government should quit hiding behind a finger; turning from one page of lie and propaganda to another only dips it further into disrepute. Do to be told if a government has achieved success?
Nigerians, who are supposed to be the direct and or indirect beneficiaries, should by themselves know. There is no need to ‘torchlight’ it if there are goodies around for all. When the household is not merry, the town will bear the semblance of a jungle.
and then