Godforsaken Nigeria

I have gotten to the point where as much as i love the fact that I am Nigerian, I hate Nigeria.

I don't know how I can continue to stomach the horror stories that come out of that country everyday. The life of an average person in Nigeria is valueless. There's no safety, you can't go home for fear of being kidnapped. The roads are death traps and the air planes are flying caskets. We now have a fully functional terrorist group in Nigeria. Where r all the people who were denouncing Mutallab, saying he can't be a true Nigeria, cos Nigerians can't be suicide bombers? Isn't that the order of the day now?

Jungle justice has always existed, now we not only have to hear about them but we also get to see pictures too? Pictures of dead abandoned babies have become the norm on Linda Ikeji. As much as I like the amebo, I think I might take a hiatus from that blog cos Linda doesn't seem to know when to stop. I don't need to see a picture of a dead baby to get the message. I don't need to see pictures of the boys who were beaten to death. Good thing is sometimes she gives u the option of clicking to read more. 99% of the time, I don't click.

But I digress. Back to Nigeria. There was a time in my life when I longed to be in Nigeria, every bone in my body ached for my home. Now I beg people I care about not to go. When my father wanted to go last year, I told him to drop his ransom money before he goes cos no one has money to ransom him out. He ended up not going. Why? Because we come from the kidnapping headquarters in Nigeria, Benin. What's the point of going to Nigeria if you cannot go home and feel safe? My dad's friend who had moved back home to finally settle was kidnapped for a week and given the beating of his life. No one told him to pack his family and come back to America. My friend's father-in-law was kidnapped last year. They got one call from the kidnappers and never heard from them or their father again. As i write this, no one has a clue what happened with the dad. Is that how an old man deserves to leave this earth? They can't even say he is dead because there was no body.

Nigeria makes me sick to my stomach. Things just keep getting worse. Only in Nigeria will you gang rape a girl, tape it, have millions of people watch it and STILL go scot free. God forbid for that country. As religious as people seem to be, why has God forsaken that country? Oh I know, half of the people are stupidly religious and worship their pastors instead of God.

It will be exactly 10 yrs on the 26th of this month, since i've left Nigeria and i have no desire to go back any time soon. I will always love the fact that i am Nigeria because i love my heritage and my culture and i think Nigerians are cool people, but oh, how i hate that country. I hate it because it makes my heart ache. The people who are interested in fixing things will never be given a chance to, but i'm not one. I'm no longer interested.

I am thankful i have the luxury of being out of the madness. I have one sister and one niece in Nigeria and the day they leave that country, i will be truly done.