The bigger foe: A reflection on Nigeria

By Eve Eden

I must confess that I am clueless on what to pen down. My brain is blank and it’s been decades that I had the cravings or motivation to write. I am exhausted by the awful events that 2020 has birthed. It’s indeed a year of woes nationally and globally. Perhaps I would chirp about the mini war roaming in Nigeria.

It’s been days of sad chatter in the nation.The brutality imposed on youths is sheer wickedness. There can never be justification on why an army of soldiers would fight armless youths because they condemned the bad government that has been stifling their human development in their home country. The miseries of the innocent never go unnoticed.

It’s unwise to juxtapose the coronavirus and the political unrest that Nigeria is experiencing at the moment. The former is an abstract enemy targeted at anyone while the latter is a physical enemy directed at the common man. It’s depressing that the country has to be faced with a situation more distressing than the corona virus which tore all continents apart.

Surely there were records of death as a result of coronavirus in the nation but such records were meaningless to most Nigerians cause they never had a close encounter with the number of deaths being churned out by the media. No corpse was viewed on the media but at last we have seen what truly can snuff lives in the nation- political violence. In this instance, we have seen the bigger enemy caused by man and not by nature (virus).

It’s incomprehensible that what the Corona virus didn’t do; man can do. What usually happens in video games are manifesting on the streets in Nigeria. Unlike the virus, in which case preventive measures which when adhered to kept one safe, there seems to be no caution for political violence.

We have witnessed cases of citizens who were killed by staying in their balconies or walking in the streets. A friend of mine returned to her house and was greeted with spots of blood in her sitting room as some hoodlums came into her neighbourhood and caused havoc on people and properties. Her elder brother who was at home was hit by a bottle and blood dripped. There is no safe zone with this one!! Also, some stash of food items gained during the covid-19 season have been discovered in a leader’s house in a part of Lagos amidst this shambling time. The talk on how inhuman our leaders are, is a discourse for another time.

What is unfolding at the moment in the country is dreadful. I hope we don’t get to experience a full blown war because I can’t endure starvation. Besides, it’s more than out of place to experience in a 21st century. War to me sounds archaic and out of fashion. I perceive it as something meant for historical purposes, an experience best for the pages of a book and not for my eyes to witness.

I can’t fathom not bathing daily or waking up in one arid forest with a cluster of strangers who would then become my new family. I can’t condone poor nutrition not to mention starvation. That surely would be hell on earth. I don’t plan my tales with my posterity to be tagged on how grandma survived during the 2020 war. No, I don’t cherish to share heroine stories with my generation I rather prefer to share human stories on how I played under the rain as a young adult, or countlessly jumped my hostel window because I was doing vain things outside; beyond my hostel curfew. Even if I am compelled to share a heroine act I would rather go with the tale on how I was never penniless despite the fact that my student allowance always came in tiny envelopes.

I may sound foolish if I say surely there would be perks to this chaos in our land. Though with many bereaved hearts in the country I strongly trust Nigeria would never be the same. Nothing would remain as status quo. We would experience a cabal of worthy leaders, our naira would become Africa’s dollar, our vehicles shall testify the goodness of being driven on good roads and social amenities lacking in all areas shall be efficiently provided.

The positive change has begun for our nation. Judging by my personal experience I never go through a tussle and neglect to experience a positive change afterwards. Notwithstanding how I coped with the difficulty; either burnt or without blemish- Things always take a positive shift for me and I liken it to what Nigeria would experience. I say these words as prayers backed up with faith and when prayers plus faith are paired; our requests manifest.