NIGERIA AT 54: ARE WE OVER PAMPERED?

Was at the newsstand a few days ago and the discussion was about the state of the nation. (precisely the initial functious origo of the discussion was about the recent volcanic eruption in_______. As usual it soon diverted to the state of the nation.

When we look at the magnitude of natural disasters befalling most of the worlds develop countries, we tend to wonder, what helps them to cope and still not be effaced from the earth.

We still see them advancing in technology, while a relatively free from disaster (I mean disaster like Volcanoes, Tsunami and the rest) nation like us still languish in the stink of underdevelopment.

Well my question was answered by a man, this time a business man, who of course happen to read the morning papers not to find news, but to look for recent contract and invitation to bid advertorials.

The man just said, “Spare the rod and spoil the child”.

I thought of that and everything else seems to fall in place.

Nigeria is still underdeveloped because we have been overpampered by nature.

Here is a little of my reasons for saying so:

Nations constantly hit by disaster are very much prepared ahead of the disaster and as such the disaster will not come as a shock to them.

This require donating large amount of money and man power to research and backing this research up with policy and inventions.

Take for example the state of building in those countries.

Government policies strictly regulate the materials use in building, standard of building and of course  ensures that all this policies are adhered to. The recent event at the Synagogue Church Of All Nation wont have happened in a Tsunami ridden country where building policy is strictly regulated and devotedly adhered to.

In Nigeria, the problem is that when we are confronted with Minor disasters, we are quick to pray to God to help the nation solve them. This in itself is not bad. But I think, we are rather being lazy about our plights.

Let me again call to mind the event at T.B Joshua’s church.

Even after the event which caught nation wide attention, our building research agencies in Lagos still haven’t presented us with detailed fact as to the cause of the sorry event. Even in things like this, we still find a way to put the blame on the supernatural. T.B Joshua himself claimed the building collapsed as a recent of an UFO that hovers round the building and our research agencies have not come out with a counteracting prove.

This wont happen in a disaster ridden country who are always prepared in terms of danger.

What still surprise me is that despite the disasters in such countries, you still find them building the largest sky scrapers in the world. And countries like ours are content with offices in Bungalows.

I strongly believe that the most efficient part of the Nigerian story is the Nigerian Military-The Nigerian Army precisely.

Now the army is up to task, why? Because they have been tested by different security conditions in various times.

The Biafran Situation, Niger Delta Militancy And of course the recent Boko haram insurgency.

Our medical sector is getting facelift now, with the arrival of the Ebola disaster.

Now if Nigeria gets more of things like this, the money that’s squandered in peoples pocket will be better used in some life threatening endeavors.

Once again the reason for corruption in the country is because they are a lot of cash left idle and the politicians just assumed that someone needs to spend them. Nigerians wont spend money that’s to be used to avert an impending disaster or epidemic. We need such epidemics to test the state of our development as a country.

I know that some people very conservative individuals will query my assertions here, but if they opened their minds, they will see it crystal clear. In Oheagbagbon  words “visible to the blind, audible to the deaf”.

It’s a popular fact that problems test and help a nation grow.

We need those problems in Nigeria to grow. Boko Haram is one, Ebola is another. These have tested different aspect of our national development and we have learnt lessons, applied what we have learnt and those sectors are ever ready now.

Now we need a disaster that will test the Nigerian educational system so that we can ensure the development of the sector.