In the past few days, I have followed and watched with disdain, the online competition of pasting #Thelist of Nigerian criminals convicted for various offences in United States and Dubai respectively. Those of Igbo extractions were pasting the list of the 23 convicted Nigerians facing execution in Dubai for drug related offences and who are majorly Yorubas. On the other hand, my Yoruba Facebook friends are equally sharing the list of 88 Nigerians convicted for internet fraud offences in the United States who are majorly Igbos. It was a clear show of shame and it has become so intellectual annoying seeing widely acknowledged bright minds home and abroad joining the bandwagon. I had to inbox one of them to pull the rubbish down.
Fact is, what the world knows is Nigeria and not Igbos or Hausas. We all made this country what it is today. The North made the international community tagged Nigeria a 'Terrorist Nation', the Yorubas according to #Thelist, made us 'Drug Peddlers' while the Igbos made us to be labelled, 'Internet Fraudsters!'. So we all are collectively bad and have contributed to the defamation of Nigeria's image abroad. Let's give up tribalism and accept our fate.
Regrettably, I blame the government and our leaders for all of these. So they didnt know it would get to this when they built a society that rewards incompetence? A system where people with integrity don't amount to anything yet celebrate men and women who rose to the top through crooked and dishonest means. A society that allow the worst to emerge to the top in many respects; a society where all issues are swept under the carpet depending on who holds the broom and where all things can be covered depending on where the umbrella tilts..
A former Governor left office with 26 months of unpaid salaries, 38 months pension arrears, plunging the civil servants into abject poverty and excruciating hardship yet appointed a Minister of the Federal Republic. Another has a #108billion fraud case against him by EFCC, yet appointed a Minister. What about the one who allegedly laundered #15billion State funds and is said to be under EFCC investigation, but has already been appointed the Chairman of a Senate Committee? With all these, the government is passing a direct message to the youths on where lies our values
So long as the system is flawed, whatever evil you fight will grow. Sending these Yahoo boys to prison or authorising SARS to go after the youths isn't the solution, it wont stop the practice. Rather there's need for value re-orientation. The National Orientation Agency need to educate the youths about the danger venturing into illegal practices that may put Nigeria's image in jeopardy abroad. Take it or leave it, it will eventually affect them one way or the other. I had read the lamentations of many Nigerian youths, on how they lost opportunities abroad based on the battered Nigeria's image
Secondly, the present government should create REAL jobs and not the ones we only read in papers. It would shock the government to see how much this youths would prefer to work rather than engaging in illegal activities.
Lastly, government should endeavour to create an enabling environment for business to thrive. It should review its policies and see how it could be of help to businesses especially the small and medium businesses.
