THE PROBLEMS WITH NIGERIANS

GINA WEEKEND COLUMN,
BY:
HABIBU GENTE
DATE:  Saturday,  April 8, 2017.
 
'In a time of deceit telling the truth is  a revolutionary act'
                                                                    Gorge Orwell
Nigeria is a country with the highest number of ethnic groups in Africa . And the largest in the continent,  and most populous black nation on earth. Blessed with both abundance of natural and human resources, yet one of the poorest countries in the world today.  Having the most richest cultures yet they have the most pervasive moral decadence politicians.  A rich nation with a poorest citizens. One of the fastest growing economy while the citizens droning in the ocean of poverty. Having highest number of educational institutions in Africa,  yet eighty percent of the citizens are illiterates. They experienced one of the worst civil wars in the world,  yet they are the least nations in the world to forget the gory history and swift to repeat such mistake in human history.
Many scholars and intellectual academics had intensively discuss about the problems of Nigeria. For me to write about same topic it would be like a drop of rain in a ocean.  However,  a drop of rain in the ocean wouldn't reduced its water.  Rather it will increase to the already abundance. This is what I will do, and equally to remind our youths that those problems outlined by those intellectuals like Chinua Achebe,  Soyinka and the likes,  it isn't same problems that affect us today there are new ones that grew with circumstances of times and social change in our modern day. Although some of it still hunt us today, problems like;  lack of good leadership,  lack of patriotism,  intolerance,  nepotism,  tribalism, ethnicity and corruption etc.
The problems with Nigeria isn't the amalgamation of 1914, it isn't 1979 republic nor  the failure of the first independent general census. To me the problem started when chief Enahoro tabled for the independence 1954. The total rejection of the motion by some groups and the conspiracy behind it advocacy. That is the root of our problems. And it grandchild is the 1966 coup which gave birth to the gory civil war that lasted in 1970.  From that very moment in our nation the disparity,  lack of trust,  hatred,  selfishness and ethno-religion sentiment seeds germinated into beautiful green-vegitaton called 'Nigeria of our time'.
However,  here are some of the problems with Nigerians I identified in our modern country;
1. ABSOLUTE TOLERANCE; There is not absolute tolerance in Nigeria. Some will argue that Nigerians tolerate each other. And they will cite example of the way people live peacefully with each other in different regions.  Like yorubas are living with hausas in the north. Igbos living with yorubas and hausas. And vice versa. But I said it is misleading to think so,  in those regions there is only 'political tolerance ' and not what I called ' absolute tolerance '. Why?,  because absolute tolerance means not only to live peacefully with one another in good and calm times. No,  its means understand each other cultures , beliefs and norms ,understand your differences and live with them.  And when your ideologies clashes resolve to adopting 'hold yours' and 'I hold mine'. And not to imposed yours in others and be convinced about its superiority complex. And when there is clash with those cultures, norms and values or any wrongs from its adherents judge each one based on their own values norms and cultures regardless of where they reside. This is what 'absolute tolerance ' means.
                                                                             To be continued .