I was walking back home from viewing the Nigeria-Germany match last night, I was with a soldier who‘s angry at the ways our boys played, and the following discussion ensued:
Oga Soldier: Did you see what those guys played?
Me: Oga I see am o. But why will they strive from group stage only to go and f**k up at the semi-final?
Oga Soldier: No mind dem abeg. Dem dey play like say dem dey fear Germany. And see these boys o, they are well paid, football is their life, but they prefer their clubs to their nation.
Me: Oga, please don’t blame them. FG does not pay them their allowances as supposed. Money affects a lot in this life and…
Oga Soldier: That means they don’t love their country. Na money dem like…
Me: Who no like money? At least, you’ll know you are striving for something worthy of striving for.
Oga Soldier: So, wetin you want make us Soldiers talk? We risk our lives for the safety of the nation and yet, the pay is not worth it. They pay us peanuts and still Our ogas-at-the-top hold back part of our salary.
Me: Where this country dey go ehn, e go still collapse…
Oga Soldier: I tell you my brother. If we don’t take time, this country will become rebel filled come 2020. The Army is really trying to stop this from happening, yet we are not recognised. Na big men wey no like Nigeria dem they know.
Me: Oga, even corpers dey complain. Our allowee no reach anything, and na this our country we dey serve ‘under the sun and the rain’.
Oga Soldier: This Buhari’s change is a curse on Nigeria, not blessing. He has spent almost two years in office, but things are getting worse instead of better. See bag of rice don turn 15k for market, how dem want make we masses cope. How much dem dey pay us?
Me: The only people that are comfortable with the situation of things in Nigeria are the rich, those that are the cause of the bad economic situation.
Oga Soldier: Very true my brother. I wish I can have a platform to express myself. I was watching NTA news yesterday, and I saw some of my brothers in the army that Boko Haram people have crippled. Tell me what can they do to survive in this crippled country. When Dem get complete body sef, dem no recognise dem. Shey na when dem don cripple government wan know dem?
(At this point, he has gotten to his room in the barracks, and as a form of farewell speech he
said…)
Abeg my young friend, this country is not worth dying for. Just try to be successful on your own and fold your arms to see where this country will end. Good night brother.
Me: Good night Oga. Abeg no dey think am o. I still believe that we the youths can still turn things around if given the opportunity.
Oga Soldier: Na true na, only say dem no go give youths any opportunity.
After this discussion, I got to my room pondering on how possible the country’s survival will be.
Then I promised myself never to give up on my country. One day, E go better!
By Niyi Adekoya
