Planned Protests: Wole Oladipo Raises Questions About Nation, Nationality, Public And Self Interests

Planned Protests

OpenLife Nigeria reproduces a piece by Wole Oladipo, a retired civil servant and vocal public affairs commentator, in which he makes allusion to the deceit and subterfuge bedeviling the management of the country’s resource resulting to undercurrent metrics in the planned nationwide protests against poverty and unemployment in Nigeria beginning from August 1.

Titled “What a People, a Country, and a Life,” Wole Oladipo’s review, through subtle anecdote, is presented below

Recent events, in the country, have shown that constantly doing something in a similar manner, and expect different result, is a future suicidal mission of the highest order, with its attendant consequences, to those who refuse to learn.

An adage-“Ti ara ile eni ba nje kokoro pelu obi, ti a ko tete sofun, kurukere kurukere e, koni je ki a sun loru”, is a Yoruba wise saying, warning those close family, society, religious, and ethnic groups, of the imminent danger, inherent, in not saying the truth, to an erring member, when it matters most.

An interesting time in our national life, indeed, when those that are expected to speak the truth, unusually look the other way, to dance to the lyric of ethnic sentiment, emotion, religious prejudice, and political self-interest, all of which have always been the bane of the nation’s unfruitful issues of collective interest.

Ethno-religious diversity, with its emotional attachment, has always been cunningly and mischievously used, as the escape route for leadership administrative failure, incompetence, incapacitation, and political-misdemeanor.

But, more often, as a weapon of validation, and integration, of our internal political oppressors, in our ethno-religious groups, as a launchpad to the larger political conglomerate.

What really is the essence of our living, within the hegemony of political leadership, followership, and the general masses, in a national setting in this tumultuous world?
Is it to destroy others to make a point, for the ultimate political self-interest and invariably destroying ourselves, the nation, and entire human race?

Or is it otherwise, which is achievable by our individuals, and collective acts of omission or commission, action or inaction in our manners of speaking, talking, writing, deeds, and body language whenever the truth matters most for justice, fairness, reality, stability, and peace to reign, over and above falsehood, lies, propaganda, fallacy, illusion, evil, injustice, chaos, and instability, in our body politics, amongst different ethnic divides, and the country, at large.?

Why creating more problems for the future, than the present by segmented, piecemeal solutions, divisive in design, for hidden personal future political interest instead of holistic solutions for collective interests, majority wellbeing, and future Peace, unity, and stability.
Only the deep can go to the deep, indeed.

Are values and principles no more relevant in the family, society, and our national life?

What a rat race ?

Wole Oladipo, a former Director of Information in Ogun State civil service, and Public affairs analyst, social commentator can be reached via: oladipooluwole21@gmail.com