If you have ever woken up in the morning, or come home tired and dusty after a long day, and gone to open the tap just to realise: there went the last drops of water from the pipeline, you might understand why I always remember to thank God for running water whenever I take a hot shower.
There are many things we take for granted in life and we seem often not to value things until we lose them. Living without running water is possible if you can carry water from a well, hopefully not too far from your house. You can bathe with a bucket of water pouring it over yourself, while trying to make sure you get all the shampoo out of your hair. You can also cook as long as you have some what clean water from that well, and as long as people don't dig any pit toilets around the well. Humans are highly flexible and adjust rather quick to new surroundings in order to survive. It doesn't make you happier if you complain, and by the way, don't forget: "blessed are the flexible, for they shall not break".
There are many things we take for granted in life and we seem often not to value things until we lose them. Living without running water is possible if you can carry water from a well, hopefully not too far from your house. You can bathe with a bucket of water pouring it over yourself, while trying to make sure you get all the shampoo out of your hair. You can also cook as long as you have some what clean water from that well, and as long as people don't dig any pit toilets around the well. Humans are highly flexible and adjust rather quick to new surroundings in order to survive. It doesn't make you happier if you complain, and by the way, don't forget: "blessed are the flexible, for they shall not break".
They say that Nigerians are experts in the act to 'smile and suffer'. That means they do complain, they do say lots of things about their leaders and how they think their country should be ruled. But then, when it comes to making a change and trying to put justice and order in place the courageous critical voices often softens into an understanding smile. We are Nigerians after all so we are used to suffer. This is poverty in a nutshell! You can't make any change to your situation unless you are willing to take a risk and act differently. But then what do you expect a single mother with three kids to feed, who needs fuel to run her little hairsaloon and make ends meet, what do you expect her to do when prices of fuel run as high as 400 N/litre (about 2$)? No I can't really blame her for not leading a demonstration out on the streets of Lagos in protest.
When I stayed at University of Lagos last month there were riots and students locked the entrance and exit for all staff, students and any person who normally has access to the campus. We didn't leave the office until late evening when one of the gates had been opened. The student hostels had been out of electricity for several days, and when electricity finally comes it normally goes off after a few hours. Because the Nigerian National Electric Power Authority (abbreviated NEPA, used to jokingly stand for Never Expect Power Again) has not learnt their lesson from decades of electric supply, how to use their resources in order to provide according to its population's need. And with a government that doesn't seize the chance to learn how to build oil refineries though the opportunity to do so has been offered several times over the years, I guess the influence of well functioning, efficient organizations haven't been too persistent.
Imagine, thousands of students in a building without electricity trying to study, that also means, no electricity for the water pump, so no running water for the toilets (sha!) and no shower in the morning. AC is not to talk about because there was none in the first place, but no fan even(!) in this humidity with about 35 degree celcius. It became a health issue with risk of cholera and other diseases spreading. And a warning should go to the students, don't come to the hospital on campus cause they don't have water either.
I can't tell we have the right to destroy our environment or fight authorities but when our leaders have the money, or at least have the authority to make sure a sustainable solution is put in place, and still they don't do it, then I must admit we do have a right, why not call it an obligation, to say 'something is wrong here and whoever is seated on that authority should either move or use it well'. The students, no matter how right they were, had to leave the campus that week. The school authorities ordered police forces to make sure every demonstrant left the campus. Girls packed their things and left quickly, thanking God the police only hit their butts lightly with their guns rather than raped them (which not seems to be uncommon here). The campus remained silent for several weeks, just recently were the students told school will resume on the 2nd of May.
I can't tell we have the right to destroy our environment or fight authorities but when our leaders have the money, or at least have the authority to make sure a sustainable solution is put in place, and still they don't do it, then I must admit we do have a right, why not call it an obligation, to say 'something is wrong here and whoever is seated on that authority should either move or use it well'. The students, no matter how right they were, had to leave the campus that week. The school authorities ordered police forces to make sure every demonstrant left the campus. Girls packed their things and left quickly, thanking God the police only hit their butts lightly with their guns rather than raped them (which not seems to be uncommon here). The campus remained silent for several weeks, just recently were the students told school will resume on the 2nd of May.
It is easy for me to condemn the police force, or more, the authority at the university, I am a foreign white student I can't join the protests any way. Well, I don't want to be a smiling suffering Nigerian. So, I too want to join those students with all my strength and help them shout 'water is a necessity stop spending our money carelessly!!!'. I might not know where to start, just like the single mother with her three kids waiting for hours in line to buy fuel to use for her small generator to run her business, but I know when I get influence myself one day and my words become louder and stronger and have more authority then they have today, then I will make sure to use my position well to let justice rule. Sounds easy when all change starts tomorrow, so I will do it today I decided, I will start my anti-corruption-no-more-fuel-scarcity movement today... Hm, I guess it is a bit ambitous but I'll figure out a way how to fight those giants, even if it might take time. And in the meantime I'll thank God for my running water.
