Pipeline Security Officers Of Nigeria By Prince Charles Dickson

“Waiting is painful. Forgetting

is painful. But not knowing
which to do is the worse kind
of suffering”. ~ Paulo Coelho
Karl Marx said that to
conquer a nation you just
have to block the transfer of
values, morals and beliefs
between generations.
Solomon said, in the holy
books ‘The righteous man
walks in his integrity; his
children are blessed after
him.’ (Proverbs 20:7 NKJV)
Our kids are like mirrors,
they reflect what they see
and it’s hard for them to see
anything good in the larger
Nigerian society.
We live in a nation that is
increasingly become a joke,
the only comfort is that it can
be viewed as a serious joke
by a few. Taking us serious is
increasingly becoming
difficult. If we are not faced
with the serious issue of the
‘Facebook killers’, we are left
to clown about whether our
president drinks ogogoro or
kaikai.
Karl Marx was bothered
about the blocking of values,
in this week’s admonition I
am concerned about the kind
of values, morals and beliefs
that we are exposing the
current generation to… Well,
less I bore us; I would only
say before I pour out my
heart, those that have ears
let them hear or ‘they’ may
as well refer to me as ‘them’.
While many battle to see the
next day we are entertained
by a retinue of presidential
aides who not only are
privileged to see the
president but also to eat on
his table, a N2BN table a
year, off course, when Mr.
President is not fasting.
Last month it became public
knowledge what many of us
knew, that we were buying
peace, while massaging war.
It was all over the media that
billions were being paid ex-
militants as contracts to
protect pipelines. A
newspaper banner aptly
captured it ‘millionaire ex-
militants’.
Let us share these
perspectives, how do we
explain a society that justifies
such bizarre arrangement, a
Nigeria where you fill forms
for YOUwin programs, while
the real winners are militants
both repented and serving.
How do we explain a society
where you enroll for the
National Directorate for
Employment to learn a trade,
when ex-militants go to
places like Italy to study Mass
Communication and welding?
How do we rationalize a
nation where the super rich
are the same politicians that
are asking for belly belt
tightening measures yet
getting fed fat on the
collective wealth of all?
Responsible people struggling
to eek out survival; their
leaders terrorizing them with
concubines/mistress/
girlfriends and several wives,
and affluence.
How do we explain to our
children that between the
bomb-throttling Boko Haram
and government; an
argument whether or not
there is dialogue. These days,
maybe not many know that
most robbery gangs are
made up of graduates of
different classes from our
various universities.
Whatever the line of
justification, the president
has said his government is
willing and is talking with
Boko Haram. I agree, it
should, at least it talked, is
talking and paying ex-
militants. I hope they will talk
with MASSOB, hope it will
negotiate ‘kidnappers haram’
when that group registers its
business.
Most of us reading me are
members of a docile Nigerian
society, our parents
screamed at us and
threatened us, they guided
us and scolded us, we
respected them to a sizable
proportion, but we are
equally held hostage by a
growing generation that
wants the television remote
from us, they take the car
keys for those with such
luxuries. That generation will
not be bean cake.
In our Nigeria, crime pays, it
is no use overstating it, but
for how long, I know a state
that owes workers four
months salary and the
governor went-a-Germany,
looking for investors. How do
you explain the state that has
spent N2bn plus feeding her
citizens during Ramadan and
now has left the same
citizens hungry, after all
Ramadan has come and
gone?
I stand to be corrected, with
unarguable facts, Barth-
megawatt-Nnaji minister
leaves, electricity drops,
PHCN workers do
thanksgiving, Barth says he
resigned to protect Jonathan,
FG says his resignation won’t
hurt privatization. Meanwhile
NERC says immediately the
rains stop, electricity will go
with it. Just this small
confusion explains the nation
Nigeria.
All these goes on, while
pipeline security officers
collect their monies, one
wonders the job of the police,
army, navy, air force, civil
defense, STF and JTF.
I will end this essay, with this
short story; recently I was at
the barbers’ shop in the
nation’s capital grumbling as
to why I had to have a hair
cut for N500. Done with the
haircut, I noticed a skinny
character but oiled by some
misplaced wealth.
He had a special assistant or
so, at least the man had to
be, the guy was holding a
bag bulging with notes and
phones, and that special
assistant, had a personal
assistant who clutched on to
the clipper bag with some
keys.
In local parlance, ‘to cut a
long story short’, the least
each person got was about
N20,000, there were about 8
persons in the shop. After the
bazaar, he left in a very big
car like my son would say. I
asked who he was, I was
told, “you don’t know
chief …chief T.
I have not mentioned any
name, but the name starts
with a T, he was/is a
prominent pipeline security
officer, that much I knew,
did I also collect ‘my share’
or was there an urge to apply
for the post/contract of
pipeline security…? All I can
say is welcome to the Federal
Republic of Pipeline Security
Officers…the kind of change
we want is ours, a generation
is watching, whether justified
or not, only time will tell.
—
Prince Charles Dickson

#CONSENSUS 2015