Up Super Eagles! Up Manchester United! Up Omotola! Up God!!!... Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the afore-going the right order? I mean, isn't that slang used for champions? (Oh yeah, chalk me right up there with the champions!)... Like when a person or group of people do you proud and you are impressed with their genius? Grumble all you want about the Super Eagles making my list of champions, but I'm sure I need not remind you that they are the reigning champions of Africa... *raises finger*... hold on, hold on, even if they weren't the reigning champions of Africa (yeah, I just had to repeat that *wink*), they'ld still make my list, because from when I was a wee child, the Super Eagles have always been my champions who always win and never loose no matter who they face, even if it's the Samba boys or the Spaniards (Don't even try to think about Sunday's match now!)... (Well, this is not to say I've not had my rude awakening, over the years, I'll just like to hold on to that part of my childhood, thank you. Since I can no longer build sand castles with utter concentration , or play “SUWE” like I'm in a job interview *nostalgic sigh*).
God forbid that I get side-tracked from the holy indignation that birthed this post. Oh yes, I want to know why there's even anything like “Up NEPA!” From where I stand, I don't see anything up about NEPA (if you like, call it PHCN, IJKL, even MNOP, I can't be bothered, NEPA is NEPA, and will always be NEPA, sue me!)... I know this is a Nigerian tradition and is solidly embedded in our culture (that's not as serious as it sounds o. Don't go and give a speech about the “Traditions and Cultures of Nigeria” and go and be sprouting this hulabaloo from your mouth o! Ehn-Ehn)..., and I didn't use to be so averse to this “tradition”, but now, I am righteously miffed. We are continually, until God knows when, faced with an epileptic power supply (great thanks to our governmentsssss)..., and the company to whom has been entrusted the responsibility of the distribution of this “epilepsy” decides to restore power to a street after 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months (oh yeah, I've heard of that alright)...of power outage, and there are uproars of “Up NEPA”! “Up NEPA!” “Yeeeeeeee, NEPA! NEPA!”...Will you just shove it! What is up about the situation??? What is up about having no power for 3 weeks??? What is up about the NEPA??? (I'm mentally screaming now).
Now, I'm not saying there's no cause to be happy that there's light again, I'm just saying there is no cause to champion NEPA for that (of course, I'm mentally calmer now)... The situation of power supply in this country leaves nothing to be desired, is not worth celebrating, and should absolutely, under no circumstance, be celebrated! There is a need for us Nigerians to stop celebrating failure and mediocrity (sounds familiar yeah?)... Even if for now, we aren't doing anything about it (which is absolutely not to say I am satisfied with things this way. Another issue for another day anyway)..., we ought not to champion their cause. Every shout of “Up NEPA” is a declaration of satisfaction and assent to the status of power and every other thing that is failing or has failed in this country.
I'm reminded of a NEPA staff who by his own testimony used to get off on these shouts of “Up NEPA”, and resorted to appeasing his ego and boredom by turning on and off the switch, just to hear the people in the neighborhood of that station shout “Up NEPA”. He would switch it off, plug in his earphones, and immediately walk off to avoid hearing the groans, grunts, and most importantly the curses (hey people, have you noticed that the curses have subsided considerably, almost stopped totally??? Personally, I can't remember the last time I heard anything like that)..., and then come back later, remove his earphones, press the switch to restore power and stay to revel in the hailings!
I'm sure you're thinking that story to be very absurd and unbelievable. But of course, it is absurd and absolutely not true! You smart asses... It was simply a joke... Hey, hold your hisses, I was just trying to create a kind of comic relief in the face of the electricity tragedy and all other tragedies in our country!
Nevertheless, can we just remove the smirks off their faces by showing indifference and stop hailing them: that is, if they like, they should give us light, and if they wish to hold it as well, they can. At least, even the “poor man” has included providing light for himself in his list of necessities, and has adjusted to it. May God continue to help the Citizen's Government, that provides everything for himself, from Education, Food, Water, Shelter, Electricity, right up to Security, through the help of God. Government of the people, for the people, and definitely by the people. Now who says we do not practice true DEMOCRACY! Any Democracy truer than this has gone round the bend.
However, it is of utmost importance to note that, in all my mentions of NEPA, I do not in any way refer to the staff of the POWER HOLDING COMPANY OF NIGERIA, since they are in no way responsible for the generation and maintainance of Power Supply in this country, but simply Distribution. And as they can only work with what is made available to them, NEPA here refers to the Government!
Conclusively, let me say this. The “Up NEPA” bit is sort of a joke really, and it will be fool-hardy of me to think I can write it out of our “TRADITIONS” handout, or that it'll change anything, it's just fun anyway... BUT... every other thing is no joke. The situation in this country isn't any funny, no matter how laughable things might get at times (Oh, we've surely been given a lot to laugh about amidst our shedding of tears and blood) ... There's hardly anything “UP” about anything... *deep and long sigh*
Nevertheless, GOD BLESS NIGERIA!
My name is Omotola!
