WILL EVER MOVE BACK TO NIGERIA? And so I was asked if I would ever move back to Nigeria from the UK. My answer, an emphatic NO! Do not mistake it; this is not about patriotism or loyalty – I am as patriotic and loyal to my homeland as may be required. This is about survival, sheer human instincts. What future would I have for myself or daughter considering all the ugliness going on back home, how would I manage to earn a living in a society where almost 90% of the people my age live below £1 daily and yet are relied upon as political and religious thugs to disrupt electioneering activities, coerced to make ends meet by any means necessary? I would go back to Nigeria on the next flight if my security is guaranteed; if I am free to live in any part of the country and raise my kid as I well please; if I would not be a victim of kidnappers, armed robbers, or ritual ‘experts’; if Boko Haram would not bomb the church where I am worshipping on a quiet Sunday or the school where my daughter is ‘learning’ ABC on a Monday. I would gladly return home when my security is guaranteed. I would go back home when my fundamental human rights would be protected; when I can freely associate in any way I please; when my choice for a male or female partner is respected; when a small girl of 12 years old is not allowed to marry a man of 65 years just because he is rich or he claims his religion allows it. I would go back when laws are passed to protect my rights and when passed, they are respected by people of the law and the whole society. I would go back when the healthcare system improves; when I do not need to use all my savings to fly to the UK or India to treat simple ailments just because my country does not have the facilities and expertise to cure me. I would go back to Nigeria when my wife would be certain of having her baby born in a sanitized and properly functional hospital with the right number and quality of staff and power to run the theater; when my child would not die of treatable ailments or contract life-threatening diseases because of the doctor’s negligence, quackery, and incompetence. I would go back to Nigeria when I am sure that I can turn on the switch and light would appear in the bulb at any time I want; when I can utilize electricity to make my life more meaningful and worthwhile; when I do not need to quarrel with my neighbor because his power generating set churns out chimney-thick smoke enough to puncture the ozone layer or is too noisy that my child and I have to keep vigil each night because we can’t sleep; when I can use an electric boiler to heat water in the harmattan cold and rely on the fridge to give me cold drinks and ice during the hot dry season. I would gladly go back to Nigeria when I am sure that the crater-like potholes on the roads would not brake my shaft or puncture my tire and cause me to die in a ghastly motor accident at this prime age; when I am sure that the next plane about to take me and my family to my hometown would not drop from the sky because it was badly maintained or the pilot is inadequately trained; when I do not need to sit in long traffic jams because the roads are dilapidated, too narrow, and still, there are no trains or water transport systems as alternatives. I would persuade my family to go back to Nigeria when I am sure that the judiciary is upright and less corrupt; when the same laws that restricts the poor man is also there to caution the rich; when laws are passed for the generality of the society and long term based instead of the ego of a few gluttons in power who want to squander everything today; when the corrupt politician or administrator can be looked in the face and brought to justice as a deterrent to others like him or her. Nigeria would be my next destination when I am sure that my education and expertise would land me a good and rewarding job and I would not need to rely on one godfather or the other to get employment; when I am certain that my kid would graduate from college and get employment based on merit and not quota system and tribalism or nepotism; when the bread on my table can be guaranteed through hard work and ingenuity. I shall go back to Nigeria when there is a social security net that can cushion any eventualities; when I can be sure that my contribution to the pensions fund would not be squandered by a few people shielded by politicians in high places; when I can retire well and enjoy life in my old age after diligently serving my country; when the police is truly my friend and would not ‘accidentally’ shoot my wife in the back because she looks like a suspect on the run. I would go back to Nigeria when political bickering and the raw desire for power at all cost is minimized; when public office is used to better the lives of all the citizenry and not the politician’s immediate family; when tribal and religious sentiments would not be a basis for choosing elected representatives but wise judgment based on integrity, character, and past records are used as yardsticks to vote and be voted for. Nigeria is my root, that I cannot deny, but so long as there are no basic amenities and provisions like pipe borne water, functional schools, dependable healthcare delivery system, justice and equality in the system, favorable conditions to achieve my big dreams and lofty aspirations, stable electricity to enhance my possibilities, and a truly committed and ideas-driven leadership in place, I shall stay put in the UK. At least almost all of the above mentioned are guaranteed, albeit racially defined. There are very many problems facing the Nigerian in diaspora; racism, poor job opportunities; unequal access to justice; stigmatization; uneasy access to the common wealth; educational barriers; and many other such challenges. The question then is: would I rather stay put and endure all this ‘suffering’ in another man’s land where they see me as an intruder and an unwelcomed guest usurping their space and unnecessarily tapping from their scarce resources or go back to my homeland where I do not need to carry a passport everywhere I go; where I can aspire to be anything I want? I dare say, and unfortunately so, that I would gladly choose the former; I would gladly stay put in a society where my life and that of my family is secured – albeit not 100%; where the system works; where I can use my talents and expertise to make a living for myself and my family; where there is regular and sustained peace and progress. Nigeria is my country, my fatherland; but the UK is my residence. Before I die someday, I would surely take a trip with my family to see my country, breathe the air, and visit beautiful places. But that’s about it. Until the leaders in my country put their acts together, I do not think I would leave the UK for Nigeria on a permanent basis.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 06:01:01 +0000
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