Surely, corruption and poverty are two ills that Nigeria will not be able to fix anytime soon; the reason for this is widespread religious fatalism. Folks do not demand for accountability from those elected into government because, well, “Fate” has decreed that they must be in government at the time that they are in government. Thus, if they “chop and wack” government money, “Fate” has also pre-destined this. By extension, if a soul wallows in abject poverty, there is absolutely no reason for that one to seek to improve his lot because “fate” had ensured that that one will taste poverty and suffer in it.
This is the reason why, out here, folks think that Ibrahim Magu, formerly of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is being harshly done by; this bloke does not get criticism but laudation for all the chops that he had “eaten.” After all, “fate” determined that he would head the EFCC and there was nothing anyone could do about that and this “fate” knew beforehand that there would be seized loot to be re-looted.
So, what’s all this ado and hullaballoo about? On poverty, it is even annoying that Bill and Melinda Gates desire to eliminate world poverty; really do they know that in trying to do so they are challenging “fate” and the pathways that have been charted for humanity? By the way, how dare mortal ‘uns like Bill and Melinda contemplate this action? What impudence! It is better that the lame should not be encouraged to leap, the dumb not be encouraged to shout, the blind not be encouraged to spy, etc. Basically, “fate” loves it when “practitioners” give alms. How would they give these alms if they do not wack government money that accrues from the lands of the “unfavorable?” In Nigeria, our clogged minds are barriers to effective reasonableness.
Sunday Adole Jonah,
Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State
