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