The Funeral of the Nigerian Conscience: Why Citizens, Not Politicians, Are Nigeria’s Biggest Problem.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“We are not victims of bad leaders; we are architects of our own decay.” Until Nigerians change themselves, no leader will save this country.

Introduction: A Nation in Denial.
Nigeria bleeds daily, not only because of corruption in high places, but because the very soul of its citizens is corrupted. We curse politicians as thieves, yet glorify fraudsters on the streets. We denounce bad governance but demand “MOBILIZATION FEES” before carrying out even the smallest task. We complain about looters in Abuja, yet we sell our votes for ₦10,000 and a bag of rice.

The bitter truth is this: Nigeria is not destroyed by TINUBU, ATIKU, OBI, JONATHAN or SOWORE. Nigeria is destroyed by NIGERIANS themselves. Our leaders are not aliens from Mars; they are our BROTHERS, SISTERS, CLASSMATES, CHURCH MEMBERS and UNCLES/AUNTIES. They did not fall from the sky; they are the true reflection of us.

As Chinua Achebe, the father of African literature, once noted: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Though here is the wicked twist Achebe did not fully expand; leaders are produced by the people. Leadership is only the magnifying mirror of the moral collapse of its citizens.

The Nigerian Disease: Corruption Without Shame.
From the grassroots to the presidency, corruption is not just an event in Nigeria; it is a culture. We condemn politicians who loot billions, but we bribe policemen with ₦1,000 and call it “SETTLEMENT.” We decry inflated contracts, yet we inflate our CVs, fake receipts and cheat our own employers.

According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, Nigeria ranks 150 out of 180 countries, a shameful position for Africa’s largest economy. Yet, who fuels this corruption? The average Nigerian. Every election season, vote-buying becomes a festival. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) admitted in reports that 2023 elections witnessed widespread vote-trading, with citizens willingly exchanging their future for ₦10,000.

As Wole Soyinka once thundered: “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” In Nigeria, it is worse. The man dies not in silence, but in collaboration with tyranny.

Religion and Tribalism: The Twin Chains of Slavery.
Nigerians are not ruled by politicians alone, they are ruled by PASTORS, IMAMS and TRIBAL LORDS. We pay tithes to BILLION-DOLLAR MEGA CHURCHES while praying for divine intervention to solve potholes on our streets. We sow “SEEDS” of faith for prosperity, yet trek home while our pastors fly private jets. According to a 2019 Pew Research survey, Nigerians are among the most religious people in the world; yet among the most CORRUPT.

Similarly, TRIBALISM remains Nigeria’s greatest disease. We pretend to preach unity, but our patriotism begins and ends with “MY TRIBE MUST EAT FIRST.” This is why elections are never about COMPETENCE but ETHNICITY. In 2023, political campaigns collapsed into tribal wars online, where Nigerians fought themselves more viciously than they challenged the system.

Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, warned: “Seek ye first the political kingdom, and all things shall be added unto you.” Though Nigerians seek first the tribal kingdom and everything else (justice, unity, progress) gets subtracted.

Poverty as a Tool of Enslavement.
Over 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022). Yet, even in hunger, Nigerians laugh at the wrong jokes. They line up for bags of rice and ₦5,000 during elections, mortgaging four years of their lives for a week’s survival.

This is why CLOWNS in AGBADA and PUPPETS in CASSOCKS keep owning Nigerians like livestock. Poverty has hypnotized the people into obedience. As Karl Marx said, “Religion is the opium of the masses.” In Nigeria, poverty is the opium and religion only intensifies the addiction.

Nigerians Don’t Hate Bad Governance; they Envy It.
Let us stop deceiving ourselves: Nigerians do not hate looters, THEY ASPIRE TO BECOME THEM. Ask a struggling young man what he would do if given the chance to rule and he will tell you he would “SECURE HIS FAMILY FIRST” before serving the people. This mindset is the reason Yahoo-Yahoo (internet fraud) is celebrated as “SMARTNESS.”

EFCC reports that internet fraud cases have risen by over 200% in the last five years, with university students making up the largest percentage of culprits. These same youths will call politicians “THIEVES,” yet they run Ponzi schemes, fake forex platforms and scam their own neighbors.

As Mahatma Gandhi warned: “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.” Nigeria is drowning not because of lack, but because of greed; greed that lives in the heart of the people themselves.

The Generational Betrayal.
Our parents lived modest lives with dignity; many of them farmed, traded or worked civil service jobs and still raised large families with peace of mind. Today, Nigerians are poorer than their parents, yet more arrogant, more wasteful and more gullible.

Instead of building industries, young people chase fast wealth through fraud. Instead of demanding accountability, they worship celebrities who flaunt ill-gotten wealth. Instead of producing leaders of integrity, we produce CULTISTS in POLITICS and THIEVES in CASSOCKS.

What do we pass on to the next generation? Poverty, silence, tribalism and blind religiosity. This is why the Nigerian dream has become a nightmare.

The Way Forward: Mirror, Not Messiah.
Nigeria does not need another messiah. Not Tinubu, not Atiku, not Obi, not Sowore. Nigeria needs Nigerians to change themselves first.

Stop selling your vote.

Stop demanding bribes for ordinary services.

Stop glorifying Yahoo boys.

Stop defending corrupt politicians because they share your religion or tribe.

Start holding your leaders accountable in local communities, not just in Abuja.

Start practicing the integrity you demand from others.

As Nelson Mandela once declared: “We are the masters of our own fate. The power to change the world is in our hands.” Until Nigerians confront themselves in the mirror, NO ELECTION, NO PRAYER and NO REVOLUTION will save this country.

Final word: The Funeral of the Nigerian Conscience. This is not just a critique; it is a funeral service. The corpse being buried is the Nigerian conscience.

We say politicians are thieves, but the truth is they are only reflections of us with better opportunities to steal. We say the country is broken, but in reality, Nigerians are broken. Until the people admit that the devil they are fighting is inside them (not Aso Rock) their children will inherit the same foolishness they inherited from their parents.

Nigeria’s greatest tragedy is not bad leadership. It is the citizens who love bad governance, envy it and secretly wish to practice it when given the chance.

Until Nigerians change themselves, Nigeria will remain a graveyard of wasted potential.

George O. Sylvester
Political Analyst & Commentator
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

Nigeria at the Crossroads: History, Memory and the Choice to Rise.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com

We stand at the junction of repetition and reform; the past is calling and the future waits for no one.

Nigeria’s story is a tapestry of triumphs and tragedies, of heroes remembered and forgotten, of lessons ignored and repeated. From the sacrifices of early nationalists to the failures of successive governments, history has been both a guide and a warning. Yet today, the nation teeters on the edge, caught between the chains of the past and the promise of a new dawn. The question is simple, but urgent: will Nigeria rise, or will it continue its cycle of self-inflicted crises?

As the historian John Henrik Clarke observed: “A people without knowledge of their past cannot chart a course for their future.” Nigeria’s present is evidence enough that ignorance of history has been costly. But knowledge, properly applied, offers redemption.

Lessons from the Forgotten Heroes.
The builders of Nigeria; Herbert Macaulay, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Michael Imoudu, Anthony Enahoro, Margaret Ekpo and countless others, did not toil for a fleeting generation. They labored for citizenship, civic duty and national cohesion. Remembering them is not an exercise in nostalgia; it is a strategy for national survival.

Their struggles illuminate critical truths: leadership requires sacrifice, governance demands integrity and progress is contingent upon vigilance. Forgetting their contributions allows mediocrity and corruption to flourish unchecked.

From Coup to Crisis: Repetition as Warning.
Nigeria’s military and civilian history demonstrates that ignorance of past failures is disastrous. Coups, mismanaged elections and corruption are not random misfortunes; they are predictable outcomes when lessons of history are ignored. From 1966 to the Fourth Republic, the same patterns repeat: crisis follows complacency and leadership is judged by rhetoric, not results.

As Chinua Achebe rightly stated: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Yet leadership is shaped by citizens who remember, question and demand accountability. Without memory, citizens empower the very failures that haunt them.

Tribalism: The Oldest Wound.
No series of reforms or heroic efforts can succeed if tribalism remains unchecked. Ethnic favoritism and religious polarization have undermined nation-building for decades. From post-independence coups to modern elections, tribal loyalty has repeatedly eclipsed national interest.

Wole Soyinka warned: “When you start to think in terms of tribe rather than humanity, you have abandoned reason for instinct and instinct is often deadly.” Nigeria must choose reason over instinct, unity over division and national identity over narrow loyalty.

Democracy or Deception?

Elections are the ultimate test of Nigeria’s ability to learn from the past. But without historical literacy, democracy becomes ceremonial. Vote-buying, electoral violence and manipulation exploit collective forgetfulness. To protect the future, citizens must demand transparent systems, merit-based leadership and informed participation.

As political scientist Claude Ake observed: “Democracy in Africa is often democracy in name; citizens frequently experience only the ceremonial aspects of the system.” The remedy is memory; remembering past betrayals empowers voters to demand accountability.

Memory as Nigeria’s Weapon.
Memory is not a passive act; it is a tool, a weapon and a safeguard. Nations worldwide (Germany, South Africa, Rwanda) have shown that deliberate remembrance prevents repetition, fosters accountability and strengthens institutions. Nigeria must weaponize memory:

Teach History Fully: From primary school to universities, comprehensive lessons on independence, civil wars, coups and heroes are essential.

Institutionalize Commemoration: Monuments, memorial days and national archives make history visible and impactful.

Engage Media: Documentaries, podcasts and investigative journalism transform abstract memory into public awareness.

Civic Empowerment: Citizens who know their history demand accountability, resist manipulation and uphold national interest.

Memory converts tragedy into foresight, fear into courage and despair into action.

The Choice Ahead.
Nigeria stands at a crossroads. One path leads to repetition; more corruption, violence and division. The other leads to reform; unity, accountability and progress. The difference is knowledge and courage.

Nationalist scholar Chinua Achebe once noted: “The history of a people is never written in isolation; it is written in the living memory of those who remember and act.” Nigeria’s future depends on citizens willing to learn, remember and insist that past sacrifices were not in vain.

The crossroads is not abstract. It is in every election, every civic engagement, every policy debate and every classroom. Each Nigerian must decide: will we allow history to repeat itself or will we honor memory by choosing wisely, demanding competence and rising above tribalism?

Final Thought: Rise or Repeat.
Nigeria is both a cautionary tale and a land of opportunity. Its challenges are formidable, but they are not insurmountable. The nation has known unity, courage and visionary leadership and it can again. But only if memory guides action, history informs decisions and citizens reclaim their role as custodians of the future.

The choice is ours. Ignore history and Nigeria will stumble once more. Remember it, and Nigeria can rise; strong, united and unstoppable.

$4 Billion Refinery Fraud: Protesters Storm ICPC Headquarters, Call for Probe of MSM Group’s Connection to Missing Funds

Hundreds of protesters, led by the Concerned Lawyers and Citizens Network (CLCN), stormed the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja on Thursday demanding an immediate investigation into what they described as a massive $4 billion fraud involving the MSM Group and missing funds meant for Nigeria’s refinery rehabilitation.

In a speech delivered by Sambari G. Benjamin, Esq., the CLCN accused the MSM Group, a conglomerate with ties to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), of being a front for laundering stolen public funds.

The group pointed to the mysterious disappearance of $2.896 billion allocated for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, which remain non-functional despite the massive investment.

“We are here because something is deeply wrong,” Benjamin declared to a crowd of supporters and journalists.

“MSM Group is not just a business; it is a vessel of money laundering, a shell of secrecy, and a front for repurposing stolen public funds.”

The CLCN highlighted MSM Group’s recent $2.4 billion deal with the Kebbi State Government to build a cement plant, questioning the source of the funds and the company’s sudden emergence in industries ranging from oil and gas to cement and agriculture.

The protesters raised concerns about a conflict of interest, noting that a former bank account officer of Kyari is now a director at MSM Group, and the conglomerate has refused to disclose its investors or funding sources.

“How did MSM Group secure $2.4 billion with no prior footprint in cement?” Benjamin asked.

“Why do these funds correspond with the missing money meant for our refineries? This is not coincidence. This is corruption with a family name.”

The protesters demanded that the ICPC launch a full-scale investigation into MSM Group’s financial operations, uncover its links to Kyari’s tenure at NNPCL, expose its investors and directors, and recover every kobo diverted from the refinery funds.

They also called for accountability for all individuals involved, regardless of their influence.

“We speak for the mechanic in Kaduna, the mother in Warri, and the youth in Port Harcourt who have been robbed of opportunity, dignity, and truth,” Benjamin said.

“This is about justice and restoring faith in our institutions.”

The CLCN vowed to continue their agitation until the truth is revealed and justice is served, warning that Nigerians will not be silenced or intimidated.

“Let this day be remembered as the moment Nigerians stood up and said: Enough is enough with the theft of our commonwealth,” Benjamin concluded.