Efadel's Musings

It started as a joke. Every time we discussed Nigeria and the failures of governance, I would tell my siblings and friends, “We are serving our punishment.” When those who live in the US or UK complained about their own government issues, I would tell them, “Serve your punishment well. We are serving ours in Nigeria.” With time, I have come to realize that it is true – our leaders are a reflection of our collective selves. Every nation, every group, gets the leaders they deserve. As I write this one day to the Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Nigeria in 2019, unless a miracle happens, and we are allowed to vote with other means of identification like our International Passports or Driver’s Licenses, I have been disenfranchised. While I really would have loved to vote for the candidates of my choice, my sadness is tempered because I realise that regardless of what happens at the polls, we will be getting the leaders we deserve in Nigeria. Whatever the outcome is, we...

All the news I've consumed during the past week have got me musing: That's how someone was reported as saying that this meningitis outbreak in Nigeria is God's punishment for fornication. I had to wonder: is the fornication in Zamfara state worse than the fornication in the United States of America? The one that is unashamedly publicized in the movies, music videos, and reality TV shows? If meningitis outbreak is punishment for rampant fornication, then renowned sin cities of the world should be getting set for the outbreak of another rare disease. But as you and I know, the majority of these headquarters of prostitution are in developed countries. They have functioning research institutes and will not rest until they find vaccinations, treatments and cures for any disease that plagues their people. I've been thinking, and I agree that this current meningitis outbreak was caused by sin. Not the sin of the victims, because disease, like most misfortunes, does not ...