‘Aunty wetin you bring come?’
I should be used to this by now. The regular greeting from the airport porters that I am met with nearly every single time I visit my beloved country, Nigeria. I have become accustomed to it and I shift from being British Nigerian to Nigerian British. I bring out my remaining Naira and ‘settle’ the over-zealous porters. This is regularity for me, but what is not is the overwhelming sense of orderliness that I feel. The disorder that was once part and parcel of Murtala Mohammed Airport has now been replaced with an orderliness that feels somewhat alien to me but I welcome it, bask in it, my pride bubbling over at the brim as I fully comprehend the fact that there has been progress. I can see noticeable differences, not huge differences, but differences nonetheless.
You see, I love being Nigerian and with that comes an ability to celebrate even the small successes along the way. I am in every sense the patriot; irrefutably and undoubtedly. I mean, what is there not to love about Nigeria? We are the giants of Africa, one of the most populous nations on earth, ethnically rich, culturally adept and our reach stretches far and wide. There is no stone that has been left unturned – travel to any country in the world and I guarantee you, there is a small settlement of Nigerians there. We have an innate ability to survive anywhere.
But as I look out of the car window en route from the airport to my well-to-do Aunty’s house, I catch a glimpse of the front cover of Punch and I remember why I am angry, deeply disappointed and full of disdain for the Nigerian government. I remember why at this present moment in time, my patriotism has dissipated. The 276 missing girls (the number is still yet to be verified; 63 have reportedly escaped) of Chibok are still just that – missing.
Boko Haram, the rebel insurgency responsible for the kidnapping, can also assume responsibility for one other thing: they have captured the attention of the international community and taken a light and shone it on Nigeria. In the process, they have aired out our dirty laundry for all to see. Now Nigerians are no longer the only ones privy to the fact that we have an incompetent government and are a country that has never really fully recovered from what is our colonial legacy. The world is now exposed to the fact that there is still a huge disparity between the rich and the poor, despite an abundance of wealth thanks to huge oil-based income, among other revenue streams. No, now the whole world has finally taken notice and hopefully realised that like many other African countries, there are deep underlying issues that stick out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of economic development. Unless they are dealt with one by one, they will forever cast a heavy iron curtain over Nigeria.
Historical ties
The British government created the North - South divide initially before it was finally combined to form the single state of Nigeria in 1914. The North, with its predominantly Muslim demographic, has been marred with protests over the sabotage of oil pipelines (think Niger-Delta) and oil pollution, which has destroyed the livelihoods of farmers, rivers and towns. The South is characterised by both Christians and Muslims. The North-South divide are the undertones of the Biafra civil war and has resurfaced as the fight of Boko Haram takes plight. Once again, the desperate plea to be governed under a separate law – sharia law - continues to reverberate across the whole country. The dichotomy between the North and South continues to be the white elephant in the room; we can no longer continue to ignore it.