Nigerians And Self-Esteem

Nigeria is no doubt an important country
among comity of nations, judging from Its large population and abundant human and natural resources.  But judging from how foreign countries treat the citizens of this country, it portrays Nigeria and its people as primitive and inconsequential inhabitants of the world. Incidentally, Nigerians are not helping themselves to assert their ego as equal co-stakeholders of the world vis-à-vis other members of the world.
That is why today, expatriates working in Nigeria are paid about two thousand per cent wages higher than their Nigerian counterparts.  While an indigenous director in the Nigerian civil service earns less than three hundred thousand naira per month, his expartriate counterpart, serving in Nigeria is getting nothing less than two million naira as a take-home pay per month.
Ironically, most Nigerians received their university education abroad but when they returned home, they are placed on different wage level with their foreign counterparts.  A mechanic from a foreign country would earn more than a Nigerian university graduate. Pathetically, Nigerians working abroad are also treated with contempt and dishonour. They are robbed of good positions and better job opportunities.  Thus abroad, the Nigerian is dehumanized, at home, he is disregarded.
Today in Port Harcourt, there are schools for expartriate children.  In most cases, it the companies where these expartriates work that sponsor these pupils.  Half-million naira may be more than enough for an average Nigerian child to pass through primary, secondary and university education.  This opportunity is only a privilege of the expartriates and not their Nigerian counterparts.
In some States in Nigeria, people hear of free education, but how viable are these free education programmes.  A child is only allowed to go to school without paying for tuition, and we call that  free education.  The same child is expected to provide uniform, books, accommodation and feeding for himself. In some other countries, good education is a right of the child.  The government sponsors the programme for the child fully. That is, government provides not only free tuition for the pupil or student but goes further to provide adequate fund for the child’s clothing, feeding, accommodation, books and transportation.  Ironically, Nigeria is richer than most of these countries.
Today, the undignified treatment meted out to Nigerians by the white people is increasing at an alarming rate.  Nigerians are stripped naked for searching at various international airports. The Whites have even gone to the extent of spraying Nigerians with unknown chemicals while boarding commercial aeroplanes.  They equally use dogs to sniff Nigerians while boarding or alighting from the plane. The way the Whites treat Nigerians these days is so base, appearing as if animals are even more appreciated than Nigerians by the Whites.  Incidentally, the Whites feed fat from the wealth of Nigerians.
But how can one blame the whites when Nigerians themselves have not seen the need to dignify and honour themselves?  With all the huge wealth of this country, the Nigerian leadership has not even seen the need to provide a standard living welfare condition for the citizens.  To construct good roads, provide good accommodation, good educational environment, power, potable water supply, adequate healthcare delivery system, welfare scheme for the elderly and unemployed youths is a problem.  Workers are paid pittance and at retirement, workers’ terminal benefits are withheld.
Why then wouldn’t Nigerians be treated like a piece of rag by the Whites?
Abiebe wrote from Port Harcourt.

Eniata Abieba