By Hassan Ahmad Usman
What else do we need to see before we believe that we don’t have anyone to cry out to, fight with, or even be our hope?
Two things happened over the weekend that explained clear how dualism exists in Nigeria. First, the gap between the so-called “elites” and the masses is so wide that you can’t imagine these two people living and sharing a country. It is a clear call for us, the less privileged children, to have sense and redirect where we burn our energies and pursue a realistic future.
First, when airline operators announced their resolution to stop operations on May 9 due to the ever-increasing prices of aviation fuel, we thought it was time for them too (elites) to feel how discomfort Nigeria can be and how a malfunctioning Nigeria is not suitable for anyone. But our curiosity got punctured when we woke to the news that the operators had suspended the planned stoppage of operations. Why? How? We only have one answer – it is something that has to do with them (“elites ” or “big men” if you like). They don’t deserve humiliation. On the contrary, they deserve a swift response to what affects them (even behind closed doors). They are the true Nigerians.
How do you expect an Atiku, Tinubu, Moghalu, Wike, Amaechi and the rest to campaign without air transport? Osinbajo will undoubtedly use the presidential fleets. So he’s a bigger boy.
On the hand, ASUU announced the end of their warning strike of three months with another three months of strike ( it doesn’t even sound logical). How can you go on strike while on strike? So it is another painful morning for the children of the poor and their parents.
It is high time we understood that to survive in Nigeria with these same elites; we must go beyond being their praise singers or political foot soldiers for actualizing their political dreams. We must understand that our unborn children deserve much more than we have.
Our schools have been closed for a quarter of this year, and we’ve braced up for another quarter to go unaccounted for. Unfortunately, given the political atmosphere looming for the next general election, the ground is set for them to cultivate many young, hungry people for political thuggery with the help of our lecturers who never see sense in keeping us in school to shape us for the future.
My dear children of the masses, our lives and future are not and never tied to any politician. Therefore, despite our condition, we can dream and aspire just like their children. What we need is to focus and keep building in ourselves.
Let’s equip ourselves with relevant skills. The certificates ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria are denying us are becoming irrelevant on the global stage. Yes, education is good, but there is no specified timeframe for it. We can build ourselves before going back to classes. So, let’s endeavour to show that we’ve not only come of age, our senses, too, have come of age.
Hassan Ahmad Usman writes from Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. He can be reached via basree177@gmail.com.