By Dayo da-Silva
Yes! No one wants to die in Nigeria, whether rich or poor, not even the old and elderly.
This reflects much in our timid and fragile life in which we all have become victims of our precarious society.
I am not saying people want to die in other countries, but the Nigerian case is a life lived in fear. Everyday, the prayer of an average Nigerian after what to eat and money to survive revolves round protection and security from God, thus “no one wants to die”.
Not even those who committed suicide; they never intended to die, they were just victims of an illness, a mental health disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood.
However, news of the death of an old school mate, who was a victim of poor medical care in Abeokuta; the death of a cousin who fell to the cold hands of hypertension and the death of a friend’s wife who passed away during childbirth in a Lagos Hospital within a spate of two days, jolted me into reality, that people die after all, even as no one would like to die.
My worry is, why have we turned, a people with no conscience, compassion and patriotism for our country? How did we get to this low level, where our quality of benevolence and value for human lives have dropped tremendously? Why do we intentionally disrupt the system and society that we live in? Why is everything about self against the common good of all?
“No one wants to die”, but people die daily in accident while travelling on bad roads, they die in various hospitals due to lack of drugs, facilities and personnel; Curable common illnesses still kill our people; many die of hunger and poverty; we are threatened daily by kidnappers, militants, terrorists and armed robbers who kill at random because our Nation failed to provide jobs and good life for our people; ordinary pipe- borne water, the Nigerian Government can not provide; a whole lot of our people die due to ignorance because of our failed education system. The reckless abandonment with which the present government has removed oil subsidy no doubt is affecting everybody. Many are frustrated and so depressed.
Most of these deaths are “appalling crimes against humanity” as they are caused by our man-made acts of corruption and greed, thus avoidable.
The deaths are the resultant effects of bad leadership and failed followership which transcends the All Progressives Congress, APC, Labour Party, LP and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP conundrum. Simply put, It is the failure of Nigerians as a people. We have failed to manage ourselves, even as we strive and thrive to become the best in other climes. Back home it is a tale of failures and corruption. Nigeria is a country where the worst rules the best!
When would our political office holders across various tiers of Governments realise that they are not necessarily the best in the society and the opportunity to hold positions is to serve, develop and improve humanity? Any political office holder is there for only a period of time and one day, they will become victims of the society they have created.
When would followers learn how to ask questions and revolt against political representatives holding the society to ransom?
Truly, we don’t want to die but the disunity, signs of war and terror in the land today, would not spare anyone if allowed to continue.
“In the past, the poor cannot sleep because they have nothing to eat, but at present the wealthy cannot sleep because the poor are awake”.
“Life itself is transient, People die anyway, but we have the choice to sound the death knell on the Nation or improve humanity and build a society that will preserve you and me”.
It is to our advantage if we have an enabling environment for us to thrive as a people. A place where good hospitals, motorable roads, regular electricity supply, potable water, access to loans, adequate security are assured. A good system that protects all and encourage self development.
“It is in our hands to stop playing dirty politics, embrace our unity in diversity and create a real essence of living to heal our Nation, Nigeria”!
