There is a saying that when the blind is leading the blind, they’ll both end up in a ditch. Afoju is a blind person. In some other clime or context, blindness is referred to darkness, ignorance or the absence of light.
Ignorance is darkness. And when an Afoju is leading another Afoju, they’ll soon be on their way to the pit. This state is synonymous to the Nigerian state. Its disgraceful, pathetic and pitiable that in a country with plenty omowe and akowe; a clime with plenty ’emi naa lo school nah’ kind of people, they still open their naked eyes to pick a leader with controversial O’level results over a Professor. That is simply ‘Adari Afoju’ activated. Ninu aye yii, ninu 21st century yii, a set of people can still be brain-dead on who will be their leader in modern day ‘ijoba alagbada’, it’s pitiable. There is no other way to describe it, if a set of people can handpick an Afoju leader to lead them, then the people are blind. The blind cannot see the blind.
This Afoju isn’t about physical blindness but of the mind. Many have eyes but they cannot see. Doesn’t his excellency and most holy citizen of the federation have ears and cannot properly hear? There cannot be a sound national culture and idealogy when the nation has been handed over to Afoju. Up till now, I haven’t see someone with a convincing and compelling reason as to why he/she voted for Daddy integrity as president. Its been baseless stories upon another.
Enlightened nation, I mean awon ilu to laju have a common idealogy that has sinked into every citizen over a long period of time. It isn’t new for any nation to possess one or two differences. As united as the US is there are still disparities among some groups and resentfulness among some sect. But, irespective of their differences they carry a common idealogy which is to ensure America is the FIRST in anywhere and anything.
If you ask omo naija, “why can’t we be like the US?”. They’ll reply with “Give us some more time, Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Bros, but this is Nigeria nah, leave Rome alone. You see how mediocrity has swallow people’s mentality? The common philosophy among the Americans is to be the FIRST; She is a nation of many firsts. From being the first to land a man on the moon to inventing the first airplane to the internet circa of 1985 to the invention of machine guns to the introduction of cell phone by Motorola in 1973; they have been a nation of many firsts. Leading every sphere has been the common mentality that accompanies every American.
In saner surroundings, void of a critical mass of Afoju people, everyone should wake up with an ideology that drives them. Irespective of their profession and job description. Like the Americans, people should have a dream country imprinted on their heart as they set out every day. A French man doesn’t accept that something is impossible. You’ll never find it in their social diction; they believe anything is possible. Canada is the world most educated nation with a national idealogy to ensure that Canada is the most habitable place for anyone. Its what drives the people everyday. I don’t know what’s driving the most populous black nation except adanikan je, emi ni mo nii, and awa la wa nbe mentality.
Awon temi ni naija; everyone just move out frustrated than yesterday, tired and weary of the asiwaju they blindly elected. Asiwaju that has made the country ero eyin; backwardness of the highest class. When you attempt to show them the way, they throw their face away like ‘fila mawobe’. Mediocrity has taken the center stage, who will call us back to normal? We need a leader not the rulers we’ve been having. And more importantly, a national vision that should drive everyone. Until then, Asiwaju Afoju will continue to lead us and Ijoba alagbada will continue to gba wa danu.
Olamide Francis, 2019
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