JUST WONDERING ABOUT NIGERIA

Hi Everyone!

Hope y'all had a gud weekend...mine was cool! Handed in my resignation yesterday...freal if you were sat anywhere within a mile of me, you would have heard the sound of my heart thumping (not beating oh)! It was a cocktail of guilt, apprehension, excitement & apprehension again. But my boss, although visibly taken aback if not shocked, took it well. She definately didnt see it coming! haha!

Am soooo excited...loking forward to my new job and did I tell you am going to Nig on Sunday! Yaaaay! My 2nd trip there in 3 months. Dint realise how much I missed home as I hadnt been back in 5 yrs, until I visited in Feb. It was HOT - temperature wise and fun-wise! On the temperature though, I was convinced that its a different sun(from the one we all know) that shines in Nigeria (Lagos in particular);one would think that the Sun was Nigeria's closes nieghbour geographically. Infact, I can swear that in Lagos, the Sun doesnt set...As in it sets physically, but thats just a front as it still does its magic day & night! The sun in Nigeria never sleeps; working overtime to ensure the discomfort of all and sundry!lol!

But, am still looking forward to Sunday but this time, I'm going armed with my Sunscreen SPF15 cream even though I'm as dark as mahogany:)

Anyway, just wondered about 2 things as I have a deep interest in politics and religion;

1. Why do we worship the god of my oppressors (slave/colonial masters)?

2. Will Nigeria be better off as a Communist State or at least a Marxist State? Is Nigeria not to corrupt to be Capitalists at least for now?I think that before colonialism/slave trade, what we now know as Nigeria (as baptised by Flora Shaw- Lord Lugard's girlfriend), practised a communist system of governance...The community worked together for the good of (yup you got it) the community.People shared with each other, ensured that everyone had enough and equality reigned. Nobody was accorded special treatment and the laws of the land were enforced against whoever dared to flout them, be they the King (oba/obi/obong or whatever they were called in different communities) or the village idiot.

People were afraid to break laws or to act in a way that was detrimental to the progress of the community. People took pride in not just their immediate families but the village/community as a whole...People respected the law and part of that was because of the fear of the wrath of what we are now told are lesser gods.

People feared sango's wrath, the curse of ogun, olokun etc. I dont believe in idol worshipping but it worked for them back then. For the record, I do not identify myself with any organised religion. I'm a Lover i.e. mine is the religion of compassion fullstop.

But now, what do we have?? People who will sell their mothers for government contract; women selling their virtue for a few wads of cash; people getting money through illicit ways being reverred in their hometowns as blessings and given high chieftancy titles!Inshort, we just have SELFISH,NARROW-MINDED, LAZY people

Even till date, people dont fear this oyibo god. If you curse someone by ogun or sango, they are more likely to take offense than if you tell them 'God punish you'. So who are we deceiving with all the many churches crowding each street & corner in Nig? Pastors driving state-of-art cars & their congregation can even afford public transport...

Never in the history of african villages, did the village dibia,babalawo,oracle etc live the flashiest lifestyle afterall, they were only messengers of the higher powers. But for these pastors, its about avertisement. Lets show them what this oyibo god can do. Lets drive big cars,live in big houses & wear designer clothes...How selfish is that? Infact, it seems, capitalism has now even eaten into religion! How shameful!

So what do you think? Are you of the school of though that we have discarded our culture, language, system of governance and even our gods for everything foreign -western and this has caused more harm than good? Or do you believe that the west 'rescued' us and we should only have ourselves to blame and them to thank?