The Future Is Here

If you can’t feed yourself, you are dehumanized, and you lose self-respect.

A people that cannot feed themselves will be slaves to those who feed them. A nation that cannot feed her citizens loses value in the international arena, and her citizens lose value for themselves and their leaders.

National and state leaders that cannot anticipate the future and plan for it are not fit to lead. It is becoming very unbearable to live in this country and we, the elite, do not seem to see the future now.

There are fundamental forces of motivation at the base of Abraham Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs. They include food, shelter, and security. They have become scarce commodities in Nigeria. I have known long time before now that the very rapidly growing population of Nigeria will need more food, accommodation, and education. The recent blockade of food movement from the Northern part of Nigeria to Southern Nigeria demonstrated vividly what will happen if the current leadership of Nigeria do not effectively handle the issues at stake.

There are lessons learnt:

1. No Nigerian life is more important than that of another from any part of Nigeria.

Several Southern Nigerians have been killed by terrorist herdsmen in their farms. Several Northern Nigerians have also been killed in northern Nigeria, especially farmers. These so-called food traders did not raise their voices. Now that they suffered loses, they have selfishly decided to raise their voices. They have decided to act like spoilt children.

2. Every Nigerian must know that no segment of this nation has the monopoly of violence. You can’t recklessly kill people in their ancestral lands in these tense times and not expect violent reactions.

3. We must, at all times, condemn violence against any person or persons in Nigeria, in all sections of Nigeria. No Nigerian life must be recklessly snuffed out in any part of Nigeria. We are not animals.

4. Every segment in Nigeria should try to be self-sufficient in food production, especially the southern part of Nigeria.

5. We must respect each other.

Every section of this nation needs each other. If we don’t treat each other with respect, Yemen, Somalia, and former Yugoslavia will be like a nursery school drama. Those who refused to send food to the South suffered great losses. Most of the products from the North are perishables. The market is in the South.

6. What if some militants had interrupted fuel supply to the Northern states? What if some militants from the Southwestern parts of Nigeria had interrupted the movements of goods from the Lagos ports? A great percentage of fertilizers that are used in the North are either produced in the South-South or are transported through the South-South.

7. Our leadership in this country have allowed lunatics to take over the voice of this nation.

Our leaders are calling a malignant cancer a boil. From the comments that will follow this post, you will see a display of this lunacy from some individuals.

8. No segment of Nigeria or tribe or functionary can win any type of war against any segment of Nigeria.

The Boko Haram issue is a very good example. We will all lose all the labour of our heroes past if this generation behaves foolishly.

9. Whoever is asking for a break up of Nigeria should imagine the consequences from import duties, visa fees, rise in cost of living, lives, and properties that will be lost. The disruption and destruction will be very unimaginable.

10. This is a time when all statesmen must stand up and demand the soul of Nigeria back from these charlatans parading as political, religious, regional, and tribal leaders.

Most of the present crop of leaders in both PDP and APC, North, South, Muslim, or Christians do not love this nation. Their supporters, who defend their reckless statements or actions, or who excuse their incompetence, should hide their heads in shame. This nation is in a messy situation. Those who have ears let them hear.

God Bless You.