The Real Nigeria 5

'This Cordelia Ukwuoma, for NTA News!'. And I sit there grinning like a Cheshire cat that had had too much cream. I love Nigeria! I love what I just heard. Its too delicious for words! The date is February, 2015. The people of Nigeria just dealt a blow to the great PDP. It is a good day!For years, the PDP had schemed and planned while the people had watched and tried to strategize on how to circumvent its stranglehold on the nation's political heart beat. It seemed impossible. 

I still remember the twit-insults that young man suffered, what's his twitter handle again? @MrFixNigeria when he had declared on Twitter that he had joined the PDP. Everyone had come forth castigating him about such a move. I had laughed and wondered at their sanity. That had been a master stroke of genius in my estimation but everyone knows that at that time, Nigerians had been dealing with issues that made political maneuvering pretty much Greek to the average youth.

But here we are, 3 years since and all I can do is shout at the genius of the people. It is common for the ruling class to forget how they became the ruling class but in Nigeria, a country recently synonymous with perseverance and integrity, and a come back like no other on the local and international scene, this is just bloody marvelous. Casting my mind back, I remember the days of Presidential ineptitude and tomfoolery and how the people had been raped into submission by an uncaring, unfeeling, and disconnected government and how the insecurity and instability and government nonchalance had pushed the people to action. 

It had been after the last bomb blast in Kaduna, I believe. Irate youths had stormed all known abodes of those suspected to belong to the cult that had been causing the decimation of Nigerians and had delivered jungle justice. It had sparked a nationwide self cleansing of the menace that the government could do nothing about. The security operatives had been powerless to stop it and the moribund government had wanted nothing to do with it. The people had extended their self governance beyond providing basic amenities like electricity, water and healthcare to their security and had cleansed the nation through and through. It had been scary but had achieved the aim of making terrorism unattractive. 

The South South which had enjoyed government protection had been hung out to dry and the youths there had dealt a fatal blow by blowing up all arms and turning the tables on all kidnappers by taking their family captive and making them flee from the fear of reprisals. Nigeria had experienced a thorough cleansing by its people. 

Following the success of that cleansing had been a demand for accountability from the nation's representatives and senators. I chuckle at the remembrance of how shocked the first senator to be recalled by his constituency had been. The youths had been able to gather the requisite number of signatures and had recalled him and because they had actually all gone to attend the session where their request was presented, his colleagues had been wary about trying to save him and so they had acquiesced, which had then made many others to recall their reps and for like 4weeks, the lawmakers had become very scared, not only by the recalls but also by the number of youths that showed up demanding to know what they were doing that entitled them to the kind of remuneration they enjoyed. 

The revelations had served to further strengthen the resolve of the youths and before long, elections were being conducted all over the country to replace recalled senators and reps. The elections had also been rather interesting because quite a number of young technocrats had stepped in to take the spots to be filled. I had whooped with joy when quite a number of the Twitter Army and Facebook critics had ended up becoming representatives because the ruling class had seen the handwriting on the wall but not even they could have predicted this ending!

The Nigerian people had witnessed change like never before. The young new reps and senators knew what needed to be done and had set about doing it. The engineers focused on power, the Agric sector had been given attention, infrastructure had received a boost, the Police had been totally broken down and restructured. The Presidency had been read the riot act and that 'one' had retired to his Aso Rock bedroom with a keg of his apeteshie to allow those who valued the nation to get on with the business of running it. 

In 3 short years, change had been the most constant thing and the world had seen the determination and tenacity of the Nigerian youth at close range. All those relevance-seeking geriatrics who had been in governance since the dawn of the nation had been made offers they could not refuse and they had wisely taken to living out their days in peace instead of a hasty exit. They had all been conscripted to write and admit their part in the decline Nigeria had experienced and they could continue meddling only if they agreed to stand trial in the new improved judiciary which would have been akin to suicide. 

The political arena had been cleaned up and the true breath of fresh air is the reason I am laughing at my tv screen. The PDP which was now being led by @MrFixNigeria (by reason of his being the youth who had been in the party longest consequent upon his early entrance into the party) had just held their convention and announced they would not be taking part in the elections scheduled for March 2015. The usual noises about taking time to regroup and putting their best foot forward was comical. Everyone knows the truth.....they had been outwitted by the opposition and @MrFixNigeria had just delivered the coup de grace- Mission Accomplished!