‘May you live in interesting times.’ – Ancient Chinese curse.
Congratulations are in order if you’re reading this, because it means you’ve almost made it into the year 2024, what with just a week remaining. What makes this a laudable feat? Well, for starters, 2023 cannot by any stretch of the imagination be tagged a banner year 9and it’s not even over, anyways), for a number of reasons, chief among them the currently-raging economic hardship that has notoriously always-happy Nigerians becoming always-sad. The hardship has affected practically everything to do with life in this country, including lifestyles, social activities, politics, business, education, entertainment, travel, etc. Even in the face of the potentially dampening news of yet another hike of the price of petrol, we soldier on, as humans tend to.
In the midst of the hardship, we saw nigh-impotent Labour strikes, a good measure in the spike of violent crime in our cities (I’m looking at you, Abuja), mad rise of prices of everything from food (groceries that one could buy for N30,000 suddenly became N100,000) to medications (Augmentin’s infamous rise from N4,000 to N30,000 practically overnight comes to mind) and even transportation (I know someone whose entire N30,000 monthly salary evaporates on taxi fares to work alone). Do not let me start about school fees and rent, either. All I can tell you, without research, is that depression is very much on the rise.
Still one on security, we have seen the return – and eventual spike – of kidnappings that often turn deadly. You would also think that as we have gone through the wringer during Buhari’s hellish eight years, we would learn our lessons and, as they say, ‘take dressing’. But no, we won’t, and I can already tell you why: Our national obsession with ethnicity, religion, and the extreme politicization of both, which won’t ever let us face, dissect, and solve our biggest problems.
Instead of discussing how to make our country better, we get reductive about the important things, and choose to fight about Christmas messages from vocal clerics, conspiracy theory-laden ‘news’ updates about shady politicians, and many other trivialities that do nothing to improve the quality of our lives. But the sad truth is I don’t blame us for being the way we are. It stems, quite simply, from the PTSD that comes from just being Nigerian. I mean, where else would an accidental bombing of innocent civilians occur and the Defence Minister would ascribe the deadly gaffe to “God’s doing”? Only in Nigeria, of course. I could go on, but the truth is I do not want to inflict more pain than is being felt all around.
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Therefore, I believe in 2024, every Nigerian should do their best to engage in fruitful discourse, while remaining sensitive and respectful about the perspective of others, no matter how they may differ from ours. We should study our own history, and that of our neighbours’, and how both affect each other. We should judge less, and try to understand each other. We should take time and educate ourselves about processes that govern us and those who govern us. We should also actively write balanced petitions, call elected officials to order, and even protest if necessary. Peacefully and safely, of course, as we’ve seen how quickly lawful assemblies spiral down to rabid mobs.
And to our ‘leaders’ (the inverted commas represent the looseness of the term), apart from growing a conscience and a good heart, try and have a good head. We will come together if you show good example, and take your jobs seriously. You see, Nigerians need to feel like someone is acting on their behalf. You know, leading them? Don’t get me wrong: We don’t need someone deciding what is in our best interest or not. We need someone who will fight for us, in the best possible way (yes, I’m looking at you, President Bolaji Ahmed Tinubu). I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: We need you to be president now more than ever. Step up and do good, or better. Your best can come later.
Just like I quoted in the opening of this column in an admittedly foreboding manner, while everyone the world over is currently living in interesting times à la ancient China, it is even more so for us poor Nigerians. Well, you could say that even if we’re battered and bruised, at least it looks like we will make it into another year. But like they say, it is he who fights and lives that lives to fight another day. And boy, have we fought! In a nutshell, as you welcome 2024 – or 2022 welcomes you, next week – strive to become a better version of yourself from that of 2023, a better Nigerian citizen or leader, as well as a better human being. I, for one, will prefer to enter the new year like Gen Z youngsters say, with ‘good vibes and insha Allah’.