Skip to main content

Is Nigeria really a shithole?

  Peter OvieAkus
News reports emerged last week that the American President, Donald Trump, allegedly called Haiti, El-Salvador and African countries “shithole countries” in a meeting with Congressional leaders on immigration policy in the White House. He allegedly added that he preferred immigrants from Norway and Asia as they help America economically. Mr. Trump has, however, denied referring to African nations as shithole countries, but said that he used tough words to describe them.
This is not the first time that Donald Trump is attacking Nigeria. In 2016, during the race to win the Republican nomination, he had accused Nigerian leaders of looting Nigeria’s money and stashing it overseas. Similarly, in June 2017 during a cabinet meeting, he allegedly said that “once Nigerians step foot in America, they would not want to return back to their huts in Africa”.
To begin with, let us look at the literal dictionary definition of the word “shithole”. Simply put, a shithole is a place of physical dirt and shabbiness. With the exception of probably Abuja and Calabar, a drive on most Nigerian roads in the major cities would reveal heaps of refuse, stinking to high heavens, lying on the roadsides unattended to alongside nylons of sachet water and other used consumables. It is no secret that Nigerians do not have a culture of properly disposing of dirt and anywhere that seems convenient for them is where they dump their refuse, including gutters. This, most times, leads to flooding during the rainy season. Have we forgotten so soon that just a few years ago, most Nigerians derisively referred to Aba, a commercial city in South-east Nigeria, as the “Refuse Capital of Africa?”
Before we begin to break our heads over what Donald Trump thinks or says about us, we should endeavour to ask ourselves a pertinent question. How do Nigerians perceive Nigeria? It will shock you to know that most Nigerians, despite their protestations to the contrary believe that Nigeria is a shithole. Majority of Nigerians who are ranting about Trump’s statement on social media are either living overseas, have their children living overseas, have dual citizenship, have investments overseas or are seriously praying to travel overseas one day with the hope of never returning to Nigeria again. Nigerians played the American Diversity Visa Lottery for several years until they exhausted the quota numbers allotted to the country and were subsequently placed on the list of countries ineligible to apply by the US Immigration authorities. While it lasted, some Smart Alec quickly turned it into a profitable venture by setting up business centres to help prospective applicants file their application papers. These are the same set of people who flock churches, mosques, prayer houses, shrines e.t.c and engage in all sorts of spiritual gymnastics in order to secure an American visa. We view anything foreign as superior to anything local therefore those who have been privileged to travel outside the shores of Nigeria are seen as superior homo sapiens which makes many of them possess a superiority complex and an entitlement mentality.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cup final hero Aubameyang has Arsenal dreaming of a brighter future

 Cup final hero Aubameyang has Arsenal dreaming of a brighter future Two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw Arsenal come from behind to beat  Chelsea  2-1 at Wembley and ensured they did not suffer the embarrassment of missing out on European football next season for the first time in 25 years. They can now plan for the 2020-21 campaign - which gets underway in just 42 days time - safe in the knowledge that they will have   Europa League   revenue coming their way. Europe’s second tier competition may not bring with it the riches of the  Champions League , but it can still bring in a decent amount of money - as the £35 million Arsenal pocketed from their run to the 2019 final proved. And for Mikel Arteta that extra money could be vital as he looks to reshape a squad that - despite this victory - is in desperate need a rebuild. What Arteta as done since walking through the doors at the Emirates Stadium has been extraordinary. It is ...
2019: Vote out leaders without capacity for good governance - Prophet El-Buba - A Jos-based clergy, Prophet Isa El-Buba, has revealed what Nigerians should do corrupt politicians in 2019 - He asked Nigerians to vote out leaders without capacity for good governance in 2019 - El-Buba said that Nigeria has abundant resources that God has given to the people with intellect that could be tapped for the betterment of all A Jos-based pastor, prophet Isa El-Buba of the Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries International (EBOMI), has called on Nigerian electorate to vote out political leaders that do not have the mental capacity to provide good governance for Nigerians in the 2019 general elections. Independent reports that prophet El-buba, in an interview with newsmen at his EBOMI praying towers in Jos to mark the end of his one-month prayer and fasting for the y...