Why is it that we are inlove with destruction in Nigeria?
A country with more than half of it’s population living in multidimensional poverty, yet any slightest opportunity we see, we seek to destroy valuable things.
This is not just about the government but also the average and poor Nigerians. Our first instinct always shouts DESTRUCTION!
Few days ago, I was in one Estate at Centenary City Enugu. There I saw duplexes that were at 99% completion being battered and almost pulled down.
When I asked what’s wrong, I was told that the villagers are having issues with the owner of the said property.
Then I wondered out loud, of what use is the destruction of these buildings to the villagers?
Wouldn’t it have been better if they took the said man to court and struggled to win their case, which if they win, they will own the land and the building and all the benefits therefrom?
And if they feel the man would bribe the Judges, will destroying the houses prevent the man from bribing the Judges? Seeing that after the destruction, the man still took them to Court where they’re having a long battle which might result in payment of damages if they lose or they will regain the land with damaged buildings if they win?
So who does destruction profit? As we are talking about tomorrow’s PEPT Judgement, someone on my Facebook comment section was already suggesting the destruction of properties of the powerful politicians if the Judgement didn’t go their way.
What does destruction of properties profit us? After the Endsars was hijacked in 2020, properties belong to individuals and Governments were destroyed. Did it do anyone any good?
After the houses belonging to Hope Uzodimma, Joe Igbokwe and others were set ablaze in the early days of UGM, did it prevent anything?
Put all the riots, wars and other destructive endeavors Nigerians have embarked on before, has any of them ever profited us?
When people are appointed to be incharge of State and Federal Capital territory Authorities, the first thing on their bucket list is always DESTRUCTION. They destroy people’s properties and still build nothing worthwhile in return.
When Niger Delta young people get angry, they start bombing pipelines and destroying things.
When Customs get illegally imported goods. Goods that are very very good, just that the owner didn’t want to pay all the exorbitant custom duties, they will confiscate the goods and burn them or destroy them with chemicals.
When NAFDAC caught cocaine dealers, instead of using them appropriately, they burn them all.
When Navy gets hold of ships bunkering oil, the Navy of a country that has never produced a ship will set the ship ablaze along with Oil that is worth trillions of naira.
When Hisbah police sees beer worth millions of naira, even if it’s constitutionally right to confiscate them, they would rather destroy it than sell it and use the money to feed the starving Kano indigenes.
Everything about Nigerians at the high and low places is destruction destruction destruction!
No wonder why we don’t build or produce anything worthwhile. We always want to destroy things.
A nation that sees destruction as a solution or deterrent will never truly build anything worthwhile.
We must cleanse ourselves of this destruction mentality if we must move forward as a Nation.
It baffles me how a Nation.