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| The Bone in our neck by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren |
One
local farmer finds himself in a precarious situation. While inspecting his trap
in the heart of his farm, he was not circumspect and tread smartly. He laid
down his guard and strolled casually to the corner where he had his trap. It
was his property, no doubt. He didn’t really need an invitation to walk around
it or inspect his crops. He was within his rights to do as he deemed fit. But
sometimes, not making the right move can be costly.
To
be a property owner, means to be committed to a lot of things, which include
your own safety. As soon as he moved nearer, the ground beneath his feet
cracked. He lost his footing and was sucked into an underworld where he landed awkwardly
on the floor and slipped into unconsciousness. You have to know the ground
beneath your feet.
The
animal, a large carnivorous creature, the farmer had wanted to catch and get
rid of once and for all because it had nearly ruined his livelihood had
outsmarted him by digging the hole near the trap and watched the man make the
wrong move that left him battling for his life. What a moment!
While
the farmer briefly closed his eyes upon the light of the world, the animal came
out of a nearby bush and peered down the hole at the man that it considered wicked
for not allowing its kind have their way on the farm. The animal’s face beamed
with smile. He was happy that it had finally beaten the man who had always
hunted its kind to his own game.
Then
the animal thought it would be nice to drag the farmer further into oblivion by
simply making a short work of him. It would be a massive victory for their
kind. He had caused the animals so much pain. So getting the farmer off the
menu simply means they will now have the farm to themselves. This is history
unfolding. The doors are open and the victory is within the reach of the
animals.
There
was no need for him to be alive. Eating a creature of this size alone would not
be nice. The wild animal decided to invite other animals to the party. The
hunter suddenly became the hunted. The animal ran back to the bush to spread
the news of its theatrical triumph.
Not
long after, the farmer regained consciousness. He slowly rose to his feet. He
dusted his clothes and glanced about. He could barely see beyond his nose
because the day was far spent and it was almost dark down there. As he tried to
get out of the hole, the wild animal arrived with its friends. Their meal was trying
to get out of the hole. This is not a good idea. They need to narrow his path
and send him to the silent world as soon as possible.
They
bare their fangs at him and tried to attack. The farmer still had his cutlass
by his side. He grabbed hold it with an iron grip for self-defense. Then fight
broke out. The farm owner had been pushed back. He needs to fight and regain
freedom. His life is in grave danger. If he doesn’t act quickly, he may never survive
or regain his farm.
This
is what Nigeria has slowly become. Kidnappers, bandits and terrorists are winning
on all sides and those who should secure lives and properties appear to be on
the back foot. Basically struggling to contain the cruel hands of hell,
hopelessness have reached the high heavens. On no condition should a nation
struggle in the defense of her citizens.
Like
the farm owner, if we take the wrong turn, our chance of survival will not only
be slim, it will be completely wiped out. If Nigeria does not fix her security
situation now, the proverbial giant of Africa may never reach her full potentials
any time soon. It is difficult to argue that security situation will improve
with the current structure. We are living dangerously. Misery is on the loose.
Dogs are denied of bones. The chance to walk free is elusive. Freedom has
become a luxury. To challenge the establishment, is to dare God and face the
music. The renditions are often not pleasant to the ears. It’s like the long
walk to freedom. This time with twists and turns that lead to nowhere. To make
a difference, we must push and be committed to the project.
There
is no future being a liability. Living dangerously is not a path to greatness. It
is a sign of weakness. Not knowing how to fix your problems is a calamity. Nothing
spectacular or germane will happen in a country constantly on the wrong side of
things. It is frustration, humiliation to be lost. You don’t help a man by
killing him.
We
have a scar that is easy to see. The country is in the middle of a crisis. That
crisis is insecurity. It is a bone in our neck. Sadly, this bone is large
enough to choke the nation to death. No nation will make significant progress
when her citizens are not guaranteed of their safety.
Achieving
a feat or securing the country can never be done overnight. There is no short
cuts to greatness. And beautiful things are never a product of sheer luck. There
must be deliberate attempt to do what is right. Though, luck sometimes play a
key role in propelling one to an enviable height. However, in governance, there
is little luck can do in fixing problems. It is down to good governance, expertise,
know-how and the readiness of those saddled with the responsibility of
governing to act accordingly. Progress is a costly commodity.
As
of today, Nigeria is yet to fully embrace or move in the right direction. It
appears we still don’t understand the magnitude of the problem before us because
we are not doing enough to punish criminals or make them pay for their crimes.
We are trapped. There is no balance. Criminals only become daring when they
sense they can easily get away with their crimes.
Terrorists
have recorded so much success in the last few months and this have only made them
daring. We are one dreadful decision away from total collapse and anarchy. You
track down a convict, what you make of him afterwards is of greater importance.
If we cannot make him answer for his crimes, we have actually done nothing. Urgent
steps must be taken to arrest the situation and stop the bandits in their
tracks. The government should draw the line because we have an emergency. If we
continue to play politics with insecurity, Nigerians will suffer and things
will spiral out of control. We must stay away from any form of evil. Dragging
our feet in the congregation of the ungodly only drive crime and put lives in
danger.
I
don’t think it will be fair to say Nigerians are free in their own country. Every
day is a struggle. Those who make it through the night are never sure of a
better day. The constant reminder that nowhere is safe, is evil enough and can
make people crack under every truckload of misfortune. Trapped and relatively outnumbered
by criminals and their enablers, we are reinforcing failure and getting drowned
by the day. Evil is awake. Her soldiers are on the dark streets. Multiplying by
the second and making gains to the detriment of the world around them. First
phase of the mayhem almost successfully executed. The eyes that see are
quivering. Some are leech. Some are cruel hard monsters. They pretend not to
know evil is upon us and crawling at every direction to ruin lives. A journey
from abyss to the very top is not a pleasant one. It takes might and sacrifice to
have a fulfilled life. But some think they can easily cut corners and reach the
heights by wielding knives and daggers.
As
a knife pierce a chicken, we have been thrown under the bus to be crushed and
battered. That is why there are hardly any day a Nigerian is not killed or
kidnapped. Ordinarily no man wants to die because twists and turns make life
sweet. Can Nigerians have their destinies in their hands? That is a matter of
choice. There is no a guarantee that Nigeria will turn the corner anytime soon.
The picture is not clear and the future is bleak.
Salvation
is not a worldly seed or costly apparel worn by the rich and affluent. It is
divinely given to all men who merit it. So is insecurity. The cost of it is
huge. Divinely given by Satan to his cohorts. Beaten by the beast. Never in the
way of relevance. Spoilers who want to own things without following the due
process. It is evil.
Things
will only get worse if nothing is done about it. The road to the Promised Land
is not always paved with treasures and good intentions. Sometimes, it has all
sorts of problems, which requires the know-how of a leader to navigate the
terrain. Not fixing the problem or lacking the know-how, will lead to a hall of
pain.
It
is true that a man is for himself and God is for us all, but nothing is guaranteed
in a failed state. If we don’t fix insecurity, we should be prepared to face
the outcome of its deadly brutality. It doesn’t make any sense if the state is
at the mercy of bandits. It only shows that those saddled with the responsibility
to keep the society safe are either not good enough or they have been
compromised.
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| The Bone in our neck |
Nothing
discourages a people like when they know that their safety is not guaranteed. They
exist not knowing what will happen to them the next minute. They live every day
like is their last.
Safety
is not a meal that the government should serve anytime they so wish. Malevolence
should not take the place of safety, goodwill and good governance.
Our
inability to decimate bandits, have only made them more daring. It will surely
get worse if we tread the same old path. It is dreadful to count the dead when
we should be focused on humanity and make the world a better place. To
disappear is to die. To live is to conquer. God bless Nigeria.
Meet the Author
Omoruyi
Uwuigiaren is a former cartoonist turned writer. When he was a kid, he loved
music and composed songs for his high school band. After school, he wanted to
pursue a career in music. Instead he embraced writing and studied Mass
Communications. His literary works and books have appeared in Urban News Express Online, Moronic Ox
Literary and Cultural Journal, Open Books and many more. He’s the owner of Ruyi’s World of Books and Stories.
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