THE FBI REPORT AND THE REST OF US

Nigeria is messed up. That's the utter truth. Everything that could go worse have gone worse. I'm quite sure, the late Chinua Achebe must be cringing in his grave that he was hasty in his assertion that things have fallen apart.

Nothing seems to work, and no one appears to care. The leaders are barest of ideas. The followers are direction-less. The institutions are in zigzags from the family to Church, and church to Mosque.

The values of probity, integrity, and honest dealings are no longer common place among the many. People just do what they like. In Nigeria today, what matter is securement of wealth, legitimate or illegitimate, and the society will worship you.

What determines seniority in the families is no longer age, but money. Relevance in churches and mosques is a function of people's monetary contributions. Traditional tittles are now sold to the highest bidders. Promotion in public sectors is hardly on merit but 'mantocracy' and monetary inducements.

So it's not surprising though extremely embarrassing that seventy nine (79) Nigerians could be put on FBI Watch List for fraudulent practices. The people on this list are the heroes of our country men. When they get to social occasion, they spend money as if tomorrow will not come.

What's suprising to me is that rather than all of us to collectively condemn this act, and its implications to our dear country in the community of nations, we have decided to pass the bucks again like we always do. It has become a South / North dichotomy issue.

To me, crime is crime and must be condemned by all men and women of goodwill. Until we have such mentality, we may hardly have meaningful change in the affairs of this country.

Let me say that the failure of this generation can be attributed to the failure of effective parenting. And in this while, it's time to go back to the basis. We need to raise men and women who will believe in the dignity of their labour, and will not be concerned with primordial love for materialism without any apparent justification for such wealth.

As comical as it may sound, the narrative on the social media spaces is that the Yorubas are drug dealers, the Igbos are reputed for Yahoo Yahoo, the Fulanis for Kidnapping and banditry, and the Hausas for drug dealings. It's a sad reality of our times and one which may consumed us all.

This is because such narrative makes a mockery of some of us who believe in hardworking, dignity of labour, and persistent work for riches no matter the odds of life.

I'm more perturbed about the fate of our men and women, brothers and sisters residing abroad, and those who go abroad for leisures using their legitimate incomes, the world perceptions of them.

What this narrative means is that an average global citizen will think twice if not thrice before employing any Nigerian and or engage in business with them. This is because we have all being patented as criminals and crooks of the global society.

This has to change, the government, you and I have a role to change it. The government must be proactive in its foreign policy narrative. The government must identify and celebrate Nigerians living abroad and even in Nigeria for their great feats and achievements. The economic welfare of Nigeria citizens must also take a pride of place in government decisions and policies. This means real economic managers must be hired to do the job of managing the economy.

As citizens too, we have a duty to be role modelled to our children and others children wherever we go. We must collectively condemned evil, as evil will always remains evil irrespective of creed, cultures, political affiliation and religious persuasion. Let's go back to the days of our forefathers when children are collectively raised for the good of the society if we hope to change the present narrative about our dear country Nigeria.

The civil society especially non governmental bodies must rise to occasion to prioritize value orientation, and education in their works and activities. The press must be alive to their responsibility through effective investigative journalism that will name and shame corrupt individuals and institutions. The anti-graft must be fought with candour, credibility, ingenuity and sincerity without any political colouration.

Yes, it's time to steer the ship of our dear country from collision if we want to have in ten or twenty years time a country we can all call our own. Time to act is now, let's rise above ethnic loyalty, primordiality, and sentiment to do the needful so that generation born and unborn will not curse us in our graves.

God bless Nigeria!
God bless Africa!!
God bless Humanity!!!