By: Adebayo AbdulRahman Adedayo
I am neither an adult nor a kid, I hang in that class of the Nigerian society where you are too young to run for any serious political office but not too young to run a political campaign by face-ing your book or tweeting a thread as a netizen of the federal republic of leopards, cows and Igbos.
But forget my age and pardon my manners because I am a Marlian. I have seen moments that have proven to me that Nigerians can be happy people. Like when Mr President declared that Boko Haram has been technically defeated or when that lousy Sowore was taught how to be a statesman in the courtroom, among others.
However, the only thing that has consistently convinced me that Nigeria doesn’t need a federal ministry of happiness to make the people happy is the way we celebrate anytime the power holding company decides to power on the electricity in our homes or places of work.
The collective way we roar ‘up NEPA!’ is an unforced one. It’s like our life depends on it. Actually it does because the longer the absence of power, the louder the noise when it’s finally powered on. You don’t need to be tutored on how to yell, as long as you are Nigerian, you are good to shout.
Even though some people question why we celebrate something that is constant in other countries. What they don’t understand is that it’s not about how far but about how well and what Nigerians really enjoy is the passion, the action, the zeal and the feeling they experience when they yell ‘up NEPA!’
It’s like approaching climax or sniffing cocaine; we are addicted to it. Even if it means some Albino would sit in an air-conditioned room in the Queen’s land and say we are underdeveloped or underdeveloping, that’s their problem. At least it’s our country and we have pledged to be faithful, loyal, and (dis)honest to it.
But fellow Nigerians, the thing I don’t understand is why we don’t applaud and celebrate other sectors that are faring well like our power sector. This is one thing we need to work on. We need to stop criticising other sectors or actions of the government, whether good or bad, and applaud them the way we celebrate our epileptic power supply.
For example, we need to start overlooking the few loopholes as regards the security of lives and properties. This is as a matter of urgency because, recently, some betrayers of the state have concluded preparation to transform to leopards also known as, Amotekun, all in a bid to fight cows. Ha-ha!
At least you were all there when Jagaban asked where the cows are and you could not point out the cows in your midst. Even if there are cows eating your crops and cow(ard)s killing you because of their cows, is a leopard not too wild an animal to bring into a domesticated country just to fight cows and cow(ard)s with AK47?
Another issue we need to look into is the way we criticise the federal government about the condition of our roads. The main problem we have in this regard is lack of respect because, if we have respect for adults and constituted authorities, no one would dare say that the most honourable minister of (bad) roads is a liar, haba! If we have respect for our elders and their wisdom we would never doubt the words of a legal luminary who drives the development of our roads.
A man whose contribution to real development is evident in his grey hairs and falling weight. Even if he is wrong we shouldn’t think otherwise. And, by the way, he can’t be wrong because he is Shola the son of Ifa — the Yoruba deity that says the truth at all times.
