In Pursuit Of Freedom

The office was stuffy, the hot air stung to my skin, while I desperately tried not to look irritated. The lady looked at me with pleading eyes ‘bear with us, help us’. This place was the epitome of disorganization. I had called her, reminded her that I was coming to her office today, yet she wasn’t prepared for my visit. My duty was to come wherever my office sent me and make sure they were complying with the rules and regulations of the government. Her looks said she wanted me to bend the rules for her.  

As I stared at her, I was reminded of January 9, 2012 when the NLC commenced a strike because of the increase in petroleum. Thousands of Nigerians I like to call ‘New Nigerians’ came out of their comfort zone, hit the streets carrying placards ’75 Naira or nothing”, ‘Kill Corruption, do not kill Nigerians’, ‘75 Naira or Jonathan must go’. The opposing parties used the strike to their advantage or maybe they were fighting for a new and better Nigeria. Nigerians in Diaspora also protested with their fellow country-men. ‘People are tired. Where are we going? Eh! what kind of nation is this? We produce fuel yet we cannot provide our indigenous product for the benefit of the indigenous people.’ My uncle said. This was our cry. The government’s reason for increasing the price of fuel was to reduce corruption. (What a joke hehehehe). 

I shook myself back to the present, where were we? Yes the woman’s bulging eyes. Her eyes spoke ‘you sef see how this country be now. It is not easy to comply with rules and regulations. I need a back door, a way to cheat the government that is cheating us’. She was in pursuit of freedom, freedom from the rules of a negligent government. The irony is if we aren’t careful we become slaves of our freedom. In January we fought against corruption of government officials. We keep chanting about our corrupt government daily but we are mirrors of our leadership. I am not in any way saying we shouldn’t stand up and fight for our rights. It is wisdom to know your rights and fight for it. My point is no country can rise beyond the quality of its people. The people make the government, we are the government. We get the leaders we deserve. 

What is the freedom in breaking rules and lacking integrity? In pursuit of short-cuts to freedom we look for back doors that tax us more than the right doors. We pursue freedom from rules by bribing our way through continuously. We become slaves of those we bribe to keep our secret and when they blackmail us or increase their service fee we sometimes cannot complain.

The first solution in an average Nigerians mind is to cut-corners and justify our actions with the excuse ‘everyone is doing it, don’t slack. Omo ja si (be smart).’ Even to get a job sef you have to know ‘someone’ that knows ‘someone’ that knows ‘someone’. Jobs gotten based on total merit are few. This fast mentality affects us in every area. 

On the road we exhibit this attitude. It seems people would rather be stuck in traffic for two hours than be patient for one second. We must always go first. The better you are at shunting the smarter you are. It reminds me of how my mother scolded me when I told her I was being bullied in school ‘don’t be an ode o, emi o bi omo ode (I won’t have a stupid child), you better fight back before they abuse you, abuse them well.’ It seems the spirit of competition, impatience and outsmarting your neighbour was taught from childhood. Your parents and the environment tell you to achieve, you have to outsmart the other person or bribe them for your freedom. 

In schools you pay lecturers to get a degree. When writing JAMB or SSCE we have special centers where parents pay for their children to be given answers to the exam and some hire mercenaries to write exams for their children. Our excuse is ‘ah he has written JAMB seven, no eight times o, he must make it this year’. The examination board is bribed to exchange people’s results and sometimes make outrageous mistakes. 

When I got my secondary school WAEC result I had so many F’s in courses I didn’t even register for or sit for in the first place. The funny part was the papers I wrote weren’t found in my result. It was replaced with history, chemistry, physics, geography and account. Courses I had never taken in my life. I was an art student with a science and commercial result. Lots of people bribe their way to, through, in and out of school. 

‘Nigerian freedom’ doesn’t set us free and let us soar, it binds us in chains. It punishes those who strive for integrity and change while rejoicing with those that cheat their way through. When Bode George was released lots of Nigerians who lack wisdom were congratulating him, singing praises outside the court and on the streets. 

We hear stories of people dying on Lagos-Ibadan expressway. My friend told me of a couple that just got married and died on their way from Epe. They went for their honeymoon at La Capaine Tropicana, they had a terrible accident and died on the spot. Those deadly potholes were as a result of the government giving out an inflated contract to a fellow Nigerian who had to settle all those that helped him get the contract. After settling them he had to make sure he settles himself before he even thinks of repairing the roads. He wants to be given another ridiculously inflated contract again so he uses sub-standard products and within the space of three months we have a small pothole. No one cares about the pothole and it grows bigger and bigger and bigger till it becomes a death trap.  People die, we cry, we move on. 

Someone is given money to buy drugs in the general hospital. He loots half of the money and patients come to a hospital with no drugs, no good health care. People die, we cry, we move on. Like my pastor says dishonesty, corruption equals to death. 

We are never really free when we have no integrity. We have to service our freedom buyers and when we are caught red-handed, we find another way to re-free ourselves with another person who promises us freedom at a higher price and with higher demands. This is evident in politics and God-fatherism.

Sometimes I wonder why lots of Nigerians complain about our leaders when we are just like them. If given the opportunity they have we would commit worse atrocities. My admonition is to be the change you want to see. Stop blaming, start acting.

Imagine if Jonathan was really free to make decisions without the cabal and his God-fathers.

We are breeding a house of slavery not freedom. Freedom comes when you owe no man anything except love. That’s the freedom I want.

What is your opinion?