By Helen Ovbiagele

A few years ago, a friend whose  son and daughter-in-law had  very good jobs in Europe, persuaded the couple to relocate to Nigeria, to come use their skills to help develop the country, and also raise their children on our soil so that they can get connected to their roots.

‘Home is still home, and our moral values and respect for culture and elders, are still much higher than in the western countries where anything goes in the name of  democracy and human rights, and parents are no longer respected by their wards.

Fancy an environment where your own child can go report you to the Police, and get you arrested if you smack him, or shout at him!  Parents are in fear that their children would be taken away by the government if they don’t allow them unbridled freedom.  You don’t want to raise your children in such a place, do you?’ were some of the reasons she gave then.

The couple listened, obeyed and relocated here.  Luckily, they were able to get good jobs here and their children settled into good schools.  My friend  and her husband were  very happy to have them in the country.

When I ran into her recently, the story had changed.  She looked visibly shaken as she told me that even though her son is still here, he had relocated his wife and children to the U.S.A.

“You’re joking!  I saw them a few times and they looked happily settled here.  They came in only two years ago, isn’t it?  What happened?”

“Actually, they came in only eighteen months ago, and after a few hiccups, they were glad to be here.  They even agreed with us that life here is not as bad as they had thought it would be for them .  I don’t know when dissatisfaction and fear set in, but he had already made the decision to relocate his family when he came to see me and his dad.  In fact, they were leaving the next day.  We were all upset by the decision and the fact that he had kept us in the dark about it.”

“Well, that’s understandable.  He didn’t want you to dissuade him.  Anyway, he’s an adult with his own family now, so, he’s entitled to make decisions which he feels are in their own interest.  I know how you feel, but all you can do is pray for him and his family.  So, he still works here and the family is now in the U.S.?”

“Yes, he wants to stay here because his job is quite good, and with a good future, but he says he wants his family to live in a safe environment..  It’s a pity because the wife and children have to start all over again over there, with all the attendant expenses and upheaval. They don’t even have their own place yet, and the wife is job-hunting.

He says they’re happy.  Hm!  Anyway, I don’t blame him, given the violence at every corner., and social services that don’t work.  Even those of us who have to live here, don’t feel safe. Maybe it was a mistake to ask them to leave Europe, in the first place.”

I told my friend that many parents would have given the same advice she and her husband gave.  After all, many of us want our children and their families with us in the country,  for us to interact with and feel like family.  It’s normal.  But at what cost!  Isn’t it sad that Nigerians now consider the western world, which in itself is rife with astonishing criminal activities, violence and unrest, safer than this country?

The current state of  affairs in the country is very distressing. Indoors or outdoor, you’re filled with dread and fear of attacks and violence of all sorts.  You  quake when you’re walking on the streets, you quake inside your vehicle, you quake while taking public transport, because your life and property are in danger.

You can’t even identify with your faith and practise it freely, because you now do so at the risk of your life!  How did we get to this low point?    It’s like we’re living on the edge of a volcano which can erupt at any time;  spewing hot lava all around, destroying  human beings,  animals and the environment.

Gradually, this country has become dangerous to its citizens and to other countries!   Among our other sins of perpetuating financial scams at home and abroad, corruption, etc., we’re now branded a terrorist country by the western world, and considered an unsafe country to come to.

How are the mighty fallen!   Just what are our rulers doing about this?  Don’t they care?  Naturally, many of them have their families abroad.  We shouldn’t grudge them that.  It’s their luck that they occupy positions that enable them  to be able to afford sending their families away, out of harm’s way.

However, as our rulers who are at the helms of affairs in this country, they owe it to us to give us as much sense of security of lives and property, as is humanly possible to give.  They’re not God and are not supreme over all, but they’ve been given the responsibility to ensure that things work out well for the citizens of this nation.  With every change of government, come special challenges to task our souls.  So, what’s the matter with us?  Can’t the government rise up to these challenges?

Some of us grew up in an era that believed that  things didn’t just happen by chance, and good draw out good, and evil draw out evil.  That was why many families then, ensured that members were raised to bring honour and blessings to the family.  This aspect of our culture has been greatly eroded, and people no longer feel committed to bringing honour to their families.

So, are sins responsible for the jittery state we’re  in, in this nation, where things don’t work, and we’ve suddenly begun to be afraid of our own shadows, and are turning against one another?  Maybe.  Religious sects and denominations have been praying hard for God to have mercy on us, and make our country safe, secure and peaceful for us all again. Amen!

But will prayers work if we’re not ready to set aside our selfish, greedy,  power-hungry and corrupt nature wherever we are, and whatever work we do?  No, not even if we pray aggressively and inflict injuries on our persons like the prophets of  Baal!

Money is usually the motive behind most of the unrest  and aggression we have in this country.  In all walks of life, there’s the desire to make money out of every situation.  From the lowliest  to the very highly-placed, there’s an insatiable need to defraud, short-change, and do things for personal gains.

So, why we may well blame our rulers for the decaying state of our nation, our fingers should point to ourselves as well, because those who are in government come from us, reflecting the society we all live in.  We all have to collectively resolve to shun evil.

Those who are wreaking evil in one form or  the other are from among us, not aliens from outer space.  Those in a position to do something positive, should do so,  and save our nation.   Peace is possible in Nigeria.
As we celebrate the Risen Christ, we pray that our beloved country will regain its past glory, when we were respected in the sub-region and all over the world.