Written by Prince Tubo Johnson Aghogho.
No one is in doubt that Nigeria is a great and blessed Nation with everything going well in her favour – resilience and smart people with beautiful climatic conditions, material and human resources, and above all, the most populous black Nation on earth.
But be that as it may, in what may seem as though a replica of the legendary no-disqualification WWE wrestling match where competitors battle inside an enclosed 20 foot-high steel cage, the intense and continuous violent pains arising or resulting in the struggles, suffering, death and great negative changes in the lives of Nigerians, have become a metaphor.
It marks a reflection of the paradox of the other side of life, making a total submission or surrounding their lives to the excruciating pains in the midst of plenty where only political elites and their cohorts are on the positive side.
And just as the imposing 5-ton open-weave steel mesh structure that surrounds both the ring and the surrounding ring side area of the “Hell in a Cell”, the Nigeria’s paradox of the “Pains and sufferings” of the citizens, represents the metaphoric “Hell in a Cell”, as both economic and political environment had been so notoriously toxic and difficult to cope with, or escape in the hands of our authoritarian politicians in the country, as they have locked the access door to good life, economic prosperity, quality education, good healthcare services, employment opportunities, good infrastructure, good electricity power supply, etc, are all shut to the people with heavy chains and padlocks.
In a similar parallel, just as the gimmick of the “Hell in a Cell”, which was created in 1997 with the most brutal and rivalries in professional wrestling, the “Hell in a Cell” created by Nigerian political elites since the Fourth Republic began in 1999 to date (2026), has been so harrowing to the effect that these politicians have increased the poverty index to a multidimensional level – as between 61% to 65% of the population are poor, and are living below the national poverty line – about 120 to 140 million people, which reflects a total lack or absence of escape route to safety – representing a padlocked door of the “Hell in a Cell” situation.
However, on a broader estimation, about 79% of Nigerians are either living in poverty or are considered vulnerable to falling into poverty – ranging in 3 folds as follows, monetary poverty metrics and multidimensional poverty index (MPI), and as well as the geographical distribution factor which distinguish between Northern Vs Southern Nigeria with 70% in the North and 30% in the South.
The paradoxes have become so glaring to the effect that as Nigerians begin to make logical and time perspective and context, and as political elites tried to change the narrative of denying false evidences and statements in their favour, however, time has denied them, as present events would overwhelm past realities.
Meanwhile, it becomes so preposterous that one may need to ask, why do we have to worry about the throes and the paradoxical situations in the country? As we are all aware, in Nigeria, characterization, polarization and division had become something like recurrent decimals, and as such, there have concerns to everyone across board irrespective of tribe and religion, as rather than unifying ourselves, the height of suspicion and hatred had taken another dimension especially as we draw close to the 2027 electoral cycle.
At the moment, Nigeria have become a paradox where leaders who had subjected the country and her citizens into hardship and suffering; those that would cancel elections; those who had involved in or organise coups; and those who had been part of looting public treasury in a gluttonous manner, but would fail to provide economic prosperity to the people; those who had failed to provide credible elections among others, would still gang up against the citizens and deny them of their rights to quality education, employment opportunities, enjoy good healthcare services, affordable price of goods, while they subject them to a multidimensional poverty, are still in the mix of governance.
To confirm that Nigerians have grown disillusioned on how awful our political leaders rule the country and it’s citizens, has been the strongest expression in the lips of everyone, as most of us have realise the epiphany of our place in line of history of what the future owes – thereby providing a reflection of the sudden and profound understanding of how our perspective is shaped, and connected to the broader narrative of events over time.
This is even so, as we do not have trust in the political elites with regard to trust and deceitful disposition in the democratic governance and leadership communication.
Recall that the country have also been in the mix of religious controversy where it was alleged that leaders and clerics are believed to have placed their religion above the country, as some of them are alleged to have been involved in terrorism and banditry sponsorship, as they are well attached to and sympathise with criminal activities, and become beneficiaries of the Sharia laws on the citizens in the Caliphate and Emirates where they are being applied.
On the other hand, this pragmatic context has resonated yet another stand and dimension to our fledgling union as a country by the founding fathers of our Nation’s political independence – Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who at a time, stated as follows: “we (the East) shall provide blockades on the boarders – land and sea, in retaliation to Sir Ahmadu Bello’s planned secession in 1953, as a response by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe to Ahmadu Bello which was made in 1954. In the same vein, Sir Ahmadu Bello stated that the amalgamation of North and South protectorates in 1914 was a “mistake”, as he had also given in to a planned secession. On the other hand, Chief Obafemi Awolowo also referred to Nigeria as merely a “geographic expression”. Which is to say that in all, they were both divided in the unity of the country, as reflected in their expressions and utterances that followed.
Paradoxically, it is these same colossus through their connections and manipulations that we have today, owners of the oil wells and blocks in the Niger Delta region in what seems to be an albatross to the National imbalance.
We are in a Nation where those who do not believe in the unity of the country are now at the helms of affair, when they couldn’t even vigorously and consciously pursue it’s unity, but with bias perspective, tribal bigotry, discrimination and marginalisation as modus operandi for governance and leadership.
In this regard, several public affairs’ analysts and commentators have stated that it is like a country that is being run or administered as a criminal enterprise, as those alleged criminals and their cohorts grip power like emperors and authoritarian dictators – the alleged Non-Existent government agency like the Presidential Foreign Intervention/Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) and it’s fake DG, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew is a case in point, where billions of public funds are alleged to have been budgeted or to be looted, just as the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation, Abubakar Malam, SAN is said to have forfeited large chunks of money and properties worth billions to the government.
As it stands, tribal and religious colouration have become part of the politics in the country, which seems to have been a seeming concern to it’s unity, and the underlying factor of trust deficit amongst the people – both political elites and followers alike.
However, there is the need for a better and good relationship and friendship for National cohesion, unity, inclusivity and a stability, growth and development.
Therefore, let us unite and believe in ourselves and come together as united people as a country in brotherhood and love, and accept one another and each other. Which is why this one point is apt and clear: All inclusive must include Nigeria. And so, I say that, all God’s given resources – be it liquid and as well as all the solid minerals, and agro-allied resources and products, have to be for everyone, and for all Nigerians, no exclusion, but instead, inclusive for all. And the time, starts Now.
Prince Tubo Johnson Aghogho, is a Columnist and Public Affairs Commentator.
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