This question was what I asked myself after the scene I witnessed on a highway in Ondo state. The scene is a good outline of the country Nigeria.
The driver of the bus I boarded maintained the middle lane of the road while another driver coming from behind kept to the left lane. In spite of this, he (the other driver) was on the wrong side of the road. Perhaps, he must have been thinking the same way my secondary school computer teacher thought, …’life is like an express way, overtaking is allowed’.
My driver intentionally blocked the one coming behind which almost led to a collision. The motorist from behind wailed angrily and spat loathsome utterances in rapid successions. My driver obviously was no novice at the game. He simultaneously returned his counterparts’ utterances with suitable horrible ones at melodic intervals. They both displayed their verbal gymnastics which was shortly subdued by the intervention from the passengers on both buses and finally gave way to each other.
The passengers on the bus I was blamed the other driver for being the culprit. I am sure that the other commuters too, would blame our driver too, for being at fault.
If there’s need to reiterate the information from this scene, it is a synopsis of the state of our nation where everyone is right. The question is a grave one that begs for a timely and scholarly intervention. The older generation blame the younger ones for being an oxymoronic version of their generation. The younger generation blame the older generation for failing at their prime, which has brought them shame, and has now become a brick with which the younger generation build their blocks. The government blames the citizens for not paying tax for the development of the nation. The citizens blame the government for failing in its responsibilities. Lecturers blame students for being lazy and too myopic in their thinking. The students blame the lecturers for being methodological in their approach in class, which now, leaves them in the light of the gone ages and centuries, but in the dark of the current era. Parents blame teachers for failing in their responsibilities in school, teachers blame parents for being deficient in their parental responsibilities. We keep blaming, blaming… no one is ready to accept the blame.
When there is no acceptance of responsibilities we can’t get things right. The transformation of our nation can only be realized when everyone takes responsibility. If we all want to be right, we cannot get this nation into the right state. We must all come to the realization that we need to shoulder responsibilities. Can all be like the Senegalese musician, Akon? …’You can put the blame on me’.
The other grave question which begs for a sincere answer is, ‘who is ready to shoulder the responsibilities in a nation where everything is poisoned by corruption, and everyone is looking forward to taking his own portion of the ‘spoilt’ national cake and go away? When we remember that there are other generations coming behind, we should be forced to do it right by accepting the blame and working things out as a Teacher, Student, Government, Parent, Entrepreneur, Farmer, Director and the list continues… So, can we put the blame on ourselves and work things out?
Can we really work things out? What is your opinion as regards the state of the nation? Nigeria is 57, are we moving forward, backwards or stagnant? Kindly air your views!!!
Emmanuel Tobiloba Oloba, is a Teacher, Writer, Transformational Speaker, Entrepreneur and an Educational strategist. He is passionate about educational reformation in Africa.
Emmanuel can be reached Via Facebook: Emmanuel Tobiloba Twitter : greatman_icon.