The Problem with Nigeria

CALABAR, Nigeria, Feb. 11 -- The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with Nigeria land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmark of true leadership.

Nigeria is not beyond change. Nigeria can change today if she discovers leaders who have the will, the ability and the vision. Such people are rare in anytime or place. But it is the duty of enlightened citizens to lead the way in their discovery and to create an atmosphere conductive to their emergence. I call on thoughtful Nigerians to rise up today and reject those habits which cripples our aspirations and inhibit our chances of becoming a modern and attractive country. Nigeria has many thoughtful men and women of conscience, large number of talented people.

Why is it then that all these patriots make so little impact on the life of our nation? Why is it that our corruption, gross inequities, our noisy vulgarity, our selfishness, our ineptitude seem so much stronger than the good influence at work in our society? Why do the good among us seems so helpless while the worst are full of vile energy? There is no doubt that Nigeria is in the grip of its worst crisis ever. What happened in Kano on Friday Jan 20 2012 when nearly 200 Nigerians were murdered in a spate of suicide bombings targeted against the offices of security agencies is clearly unaccepted and fully underscored the worsening security situation in the country.

The deadly bombing by boko haram which has declared war against the Nigeria state is indicative that Nigeria is at war itself. A part of the whole has declared war against the rest of the federation and we can no longer continue beg the issue.

The danger of this war is that it is not conventional. It is a guerilla warfare which is the most difficult to deal with out of all forms of warfare. Now nearly every part of the country has become unsafe due to the activities of boko haram which has surface is angling for the enthronment of islamic sharia law in the country.