Quietly Optimistic

  

The temptation to write a rip-roaring article about our New Beginnings and what 'Nigeria Expects' during the next four years is unyielding. For today we witness something extra-ordinary; an incumbent African president handing over the reins of power to a credibly elected victor. 

An incumbent that served only one term!!!

Wonders will never cease.

But wait. 

Going any further without a little moan about the near complete breakdown of the nation's economy would be the mother of all injustices. Two weeks of no electricity and no petrol!! 

You know what?! One can almost tolerate that. After-all at least you get to go back to the sanctuary of your home and enjoy the TLC of you wife / husband / partner. And for those of us that are single we at least get to watch some football, or more recently French Open Tennis. But then 'no diesel' was added to the mix!! So bad was it that even those living in serviced apartments got a taste of what it's like to spend evenings in the dark. What a horrible two weeks it was. Everywhere I turned I saw the grim evidence of a nation in mere existence as opposed to living; no petrol, no light, no diesel, people half asleep as a result of little or no sleep during the previous night, dead phones, badly ironed shirts, exorbitant transport fees, diabolical food prices, and GSM networks no longer having to conjure up excuses for their generally awful services.

Flipping Fuel Subsidy!!  If I were the Incoming President I would banish Fuel subsidy once and for all within twenty four hours of my swearing in. 

Right, that's my moan out of the way. Back to the matter at hand. Ah yes - today's wonderful achievement. 

Yes yes I know South Africa has being doing it for years, and likewise Ghana. But let's be honest, the only reason South Africa is still vaguely standing (all be-it resembling a sumo wrestler in stilletoes) is because the white man reigned there for so long. It's a painful truth, but the truth none the less. 

As wonderful a nation as Ghana is, comparing it to Nigeria is simply a non starter. For a start the demographics are like chalk and cheese; not to talk of the comparative economic potentials. 

Nigeria, that rich slice of African pie which has always had the potential to dwarf the combined slices of the rest, has managed to do it all on her own. 

For this I say, "Thank you and well done President Jonathan." Although your government's inability to resolve the nation's gruesome experience of the past fortnight was a brutal demonstration of the wondrous ineptitude and incompetence that has governed these shores during the past six years. 

Let's move on swiftly. 

There's a picture that has been circulating Facebook during the past twenty four hours; that of our new president sitting in economy on his return flight from London to Abuja. 

My initial reaction was 'Fine, I fully understand where you're coming from Sir, but you're my President. I want to see you in First Class.'

Then I thought 'Why'?

Why should I respect someone more simply because he or she is flying First Class???

Indeed that is the kind of mindset that has turned our country completely upside down; a nation in which the respect or otherwise that anyone gives you is largely dependent on the size of your bank account.

A nation wherein the only recognised moral is the currency in your pocket. 

Greed, and the numerous other avarices that result from the lust of money have been ruling this land for years. So much so that it has eaten into every fibre of society - schools, churches, businesses, universities, relationships, and so much more. Every which way you turn money is talking, and money rules.

So if our new President is subtly telling us a  new era of Principles, Morals, Decency, Humility and Servitude is about to unfold, then I for one am quietly optimistic about Nigeria's future. 

So, no rip-roaring piece about how Nigeria is about to do amazing things. 

Let's cooperate. Let's be patient.  Let's support. And let's see how things pan out.