All over the world, Christmas is celebrated with joy and ecstasy; but in Nigeria, the feast of Jesus Christ has turned an annual ritual to inflict pain and hardship on fellow Nigerians through sharp practices and in different mannerism. While the whole world is singing...Oh Come Let Us Adore Him; opportunists in Nigeria are shouting... Oh come let's crucify or exploit them.
Every year, many Nigerian business men and women, especially those in the privilege petroleum products marketing business find joy in increasing petroleum products prices by 100 - 150 per cent of it original prices. Gradually this unholy act has become a norm, and most Nigerians keep celebrating a supposed joy-filled feast in pain and sorrow. Yet their grumblings never makes any difference; instead their yoke of burdens are either increased by these actors or twisted with a new tone and drama.
While the rest of the world is exchaning gifts of love to herald the brith of the redeemer of the world - our Lord Jesus Christ, just two days (December 23, 2009) to the celebration, Nigerians in Lagos woke up only to be embraced with an interesting story of a Parcel Bomb Blast, which according to assorted Nigerian Newspapers reports, was an intended Xmas Package/gift for one of the Directors of a local Television Station - SuperScreen TV, domicile in Onikpan, Lagos.
Meanwhile, to prepare for the same celebration, Nigerians were offered an extra burden to the already crushing agony of a global economic crunch by what started like a playful threat from the Tanker Drivers, who said they were not going to lift Petroleum products within the Lagos Metropolis in protest against the undue exploitation from government agents and the recent beating of one their members. In their usual way of celebrating Xmas by oppressing the ordinary Nigerian, the clash between privilege opportunits and government agents turned out like the proverbial grass that suffers when two Elephants fight.
But come to think of it, why is it that public is made the scape-goat of a clash between Tanker Drivers and Naval Official(s)? While only nature (Snow or any other act of God) could kill in its infinite wisdom at seasons like this, in Nigeria, people killed themselves in Nassarawa State of Nigeria, over misunderstanding or whatever, between local farmers in the region and Fulani Cattle Rarers; what a way of celebrating Christmas in Nigeria.
As if the failed promises of government wasn't enough, yet it is only at Christmas that some Nigerian banks chosed to down-size; thus, making the affected employees celebrate the birth of Christ in agony and worries about where to get the next job. As if we all don't know that the Western world engaged in some kind of bailout that will almeliorate the biting hardship occasioned by the global economic meltdown. Yet, the impact of our own bailout is only seen in an increasing prices of essential commodities. Interestingly, like King Pharouh or King Herold, the yoke or burden of economic meltdown has been worsen by the sharp practices of the Oil Marketers; while the killing has taken a different dimension, respectively.
Perhaps those Nigerians, who never gave a thought to the fact that nothing last forever, don't have any clue as to what the celebration of Christmas means. Otherwise, those who gave the eager-to-hike Petroleum pump prices marketers at the slightest excuse would have known that, rather than give anyone cause to worry or suffer under Christmas, the best gift to offer anyone was either Love or Peace or both. Going further, government should've intervened just like the British government, who recently intervened in the alleged strike/industrial action threat of British Airways workers under the consideration of the effect of such action on the general public within and outside Britain. Maybe because, we have an insensitive government, who probably is saying... to hell with your action/threat and its impact on Nigerians. Otherwise, with swift action, the government would've stop the action, knowing the ripple effects and the usual inflationary repercussion.
The question to ask though, is, if some people somewhere threaten to go on strike in retaliation to a slight or any kind of grief; does it mean government don't have alternative provision for its citizenry, or better still a strategic plan?
It's a pity that, we have deviced an entirely allien means of celebrating Christmas of pain and joy or sorry and grief as against the supposed season of joy, peace and love, which Jesus Christ's birth brought to mankind. Yet, Nigerians keep praying that God should intervene, even when it's obvious that Nigerians are confused and don't know whether, God is the solution, and of course, God is the solution. But before God will come in, he definitely will expect some sign of concern and an action from the people who need his help.
Is it impossible for Nigerians to return to our old culture of communalism and being our brothers keeper? Or is that the people inflicting pain on fellow Nigerians are from another planet, who probably cannot be reached by their friends, relatives and associates, who would been in a better position to appeal to their consciences? Probably to set a deterrant to the sharp practices by the Oil Marketers and the extra judicial killings by some privileged Nigerians is the big deal. We often know what has happened, but not what happens next, and so hineous crimes are often swept under the carpet. Otherwise, it would have been possible to whisk the person(s) behind the evil of the pain caused by the actions of the petroleum agony Nigerians are going through under a supposed merry making period. And even the actors behind the Bomb blast, should have been arrested before their escape; but trust the kind of things that happens in Nigeria, and how it will all end on an interesting note that will neither sound a final warning, nor serve as a deterrant
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