OUR SILENCE: OUR CONSPIRACY.

It saddens the sane heart what our dear country has degenerated into. Decade after decade, following the ironic independence we got in 1960 with an unreleased noose around the nation's naive neck like

that of a hangman's halter in the hands of the colonialists - the imperialists - waiting for the final order, things kept getting worse by the day, and the country's continued existence kept being constantly threatened.

The life of an average Nigerian became more and more meaningless. Our lives were turned to lab rats, chess pawns, dealers' goods and inconsequential entities in the hands of our dealers as leaders, political experimentalists as leaders, chess players as rulers, and traders as political office holders respectively. And we watched and folded our arms in silence as we gradually slide into an abyss of human

debasement filled with gory acts of macabre orgies. And we watched and folded our arms like lobotomized figures bought with crumbs from the blood of the innocent. And we watched and folded our arms as we kept being sold into second slavery while our commonwealth was being plundered and looted with glee by the recycled traders of our land. 

We kept watching because we have eaten the forbidden fruit, we could never be bold again to speak the

truth even when our children's future was in the line - even when their continued welfare and existence kept being threatened. We could no longer act because we have eaten the seeming sumptuous plantain fried by our very own assailant. We freely gave them our blood. We also donated our children's blood because of stomach infrastructure while we were expected to take a great decision that could turn our lives around at the polls.

Year-in, year-out, decade after decade we watched. We watched as we gradually descended into a state of barbaric anarchy that kept painting the entire nation red with the blood of the innocent. We watched as diseases kept ravaging the country and watched as our leaders chose to profit and enrich themselves from exploiting the ugly situation to the detriment of both the sick and the unsafe citizens of the country - we watched! We watched and did nothing - not even a protest. Why because we live in an era of dictatorship and anarchy, an era of ethnic rivalry, religious intolerance and extremism, blind party loyalty, political exploitations, and above all corruption. So, we kept watching and waiting. Till when? No one knows.

The country is deeply entrenched in corruption. We were born into corruption because the very existence of the country smacks of corruption and condescension! We live in corruption and trade corruption. We are kitted and robed in corruption and mammon has become our god. We do anything for money. We do anything to enrich ourselves even when lives are in the line. We buy humans with money. We sell humans for money. We die for money!

Yet, we see nothing wrong. Everyone keeps maintaining the egocentric stance of "me, myself and I". For how long shall we keep keeping silent? Remember, "the man dies in him that keeps silent in the face of tyranny." When you lock yourself up in the fantasy of your kingly mansion, remember that one day, it will only require six feet to lock you up eternally and singly beneath the very ground that holds your mansion and you will be asked to give an account of your stewardship. When you drive wound-up around in your exotic cars, you only need to remember that it only takes a coffin to wind you up forever in the lonely belly of the earth you used to cruise on!

Remember, whatever fragments of good you are able to do while on earth would be your only respite which will outlive you. You came to this world naked, and naked shall you return!