THE REAL TRIBE TROUBLING NIGERIA

Before We Build a New Nigeria, We May Need a New Nigerian

There is a lot of buzz about a New Nigeria. Everybody seems to want one.

Politicians want a New Nigeria, pastors pray for a New Nigeria while Imams preach about a New Nigeria. Young people tweet about a New Nigeria and people in the diaspora passionately discuss a New Nigeria. Even some of the people actively destroying Nigeria will angrily tell you that Nigeria needs to change.

And therein lies our problem. Because I have discovered a very powerful family in Nigeria.

They are not Yorubas, Igbos or Hausas. They are not even Christians, Muslims or traditionalists neither are they from the North or South. They belong to every tribe, religion, profession, social class and region.

I call them:- THE FAMILY. They are united by one operating system: They condemn publicly the Nigeria they privately reproduce. Everybody knows their political branch which is the branch Nigerians love to discuss.

Corrupt politicians, bad governance, stolen funds and mismanagements including election manipulation. And yes, that branch deserves scrutiny. But today, I don’t want to talk about the political branch. I want us to meet the rest of The Family because politicians may not be our only problem.

MEET THE PHARMACEUTICAL BRANCH

Some members of The Family have discovered that human desperation can be extremely profitable. They participate in the distribution of falsified, counterfeit or substandard medicines.

They may not understand pharmacology or toxicology but they understand profit.

Somebody’s mother believes she is taking medicine that will make her better. Somebody’s child desperately needs treatment. Yet somewhere along the supply chain, somebody has decided that profit matters more than human life. Then when the consequences of our broken systems appear, the same society asks:

“What is government doing?” Government certainly has a responsibility. But so does the citizen who knowingly profits from something capable of destroying another citizen.

MEET THE AUTOMOTIVE BRANCH

They can pray beautifully in the morning with lovely worship while others will never miss Friday prayers in the Mosque but spirituality ends where the customer’s car begins.

A used or inferior part can be presented as new. A cheaper component can be substituted after the customer has paid for the genuine one. Work that was never properly done can be billed as completed.

The customer drives away believing his vehicle is safe. Except that dishonesty involving a vehicle is not merely fraud; It can become a death sentence at 120 kilometres per hour.

And if regulators attempt to enforce standards, sometimes the conversation quickly changes. “They are attacking our people.”

“It is because of our religion.” “It is because of our tribe.” Suddenly accountability becomes persecution. That is another operating principle of The Family: When consequences arrive, change the conversation from conduct to identity.

MEET THE IMPORTATION BRANCH

They travel around the world and see quality and standards. They see what other nations insist upon but some deliberately ask manufacturers: “What is the cheapest version you can produce?” because standards can be compromised and margins increased.

Inferior electrical products. Substandard construction materials and poor-quality components.

Then another branch somewhere in the regulatory or border system may look the other way. A payment changes hands, a container moves and a signature appears. Everybody makes money until something burns and something fails and lives are lost but the cycle continues.

MEET THE UNIVERSITY BRANCH

The Family also has professors, administrators and lecturers. Admission may not always be about merit infact I had a first hand experience of this in 1995 when the admission officer in Ado Ekiti swapped my admission with someone else that paid right in front of me simply because I didn’t give him the 5k he asked for.

Marks may not always be about performance. Opportunities may not always go to the most deserving. And in the ugliest cases, someone entrusted with educating a young person abuses that power by demanding sexual access, money or favors.

A student’s future becomes negotiable. Then the same lecturer attends a conference and delivers a passionate speech about the decline of Nigeria.

But what is Nigeria?

Nigeria is not merely Aso Rock.

Nigeria is what happens when a citizen has power over another citizen.

MEET THE PULPIT BRANCH

This one frightens me because The Family has learned religion.

Some can preach, prophesy and tech the Qur’an. Some carry impressive religious titles but eloquence is not character. A religious institution can become comfortable receiving questionable money without asking difficult questions.

A spiritual leader can become so close to power and wealth that accountability becomes inconvenient. Religion can even become reputational detergent helping people appear righteous without confronting how they acquired what they possess.

Then we organize another national prayer meeting. But perhaps heaven is asking:

“What happened to righteousness?”. Nigeria does not merely need more religious activity; Nigeria needs people whose private ethics agree with their public spirituality.

MEET THE EMPLOYER BRANCH

I will continue this later because my heart is a bit burdened and i will write about this branch but the big question i want you to ponder on is

Are you in the FAMILY?

Have you reserved your slot for our Family House paid community where we put in the intensive work to build a transgenerational system) www.praisefowowedtech.com/family-house-waitlist

To be continued.

#nigeria #hausa #igbos #yoruba