The Tragedy of the Nigerian Individual

I get angry every time I see this and I swear i have cringed every time I see this picture and I apologize for assaulting our sensibilities and I will delete tonite because I am still cringing and you cannot unsee what you have seen, but a friend brought it to my attention.

1) the photographer needs to be shot for allowing that boy drink that water like that, that is a crime in itself

2) this is insipid stupidity and a default from laziness or any sense of wisdom or just plain ignorance, so hard to understand since this is a rural setting where there should be more native sense. Any fool knows that if this is they only water source, you must restrain yourself and boil the water thoroughly, seeve it and let it settle for hours before scooping the water off the top to drink, the same applies even if you got the water from a clean “ulee” (igbo for a native water well) second to that there are tablets you can put in water to remove bacteria but that is me talking from America

3) let no dreamer deceiving you into believing piped water is simple to provide, Pipe Bourne water delivery is an aspiration and it will take Nigeria a generation of concentrated capital intensive investments and planning before public or private utility companies will be able to deliver pipe born water to remote rural communities. 

4) water is scarce and hard to find sometimes almost like drilling miles deep to strike water just like and as complicated as digging an oil well, Saudi Arabia Imports water and many desert states of America like Texas have water restrictions to conserve water, it’s a growing crises.

5) besides waiting for government where are indigenous leaders and officials and what are they doing, can’t one build a well to be used by all, is there no man of means who can build one or install protections there, if an indigene cannot be motivated to do something in his village, why would the federal government, this is a failure of tribal leaders and L.G.A. chairmen and indigenous governors, it is YOU, not the government

6) this can only happen in the laziest communities waiting for handouts and government, this can never happen in any igbo community believe me, a philanthropist will open his well or borehole to they community, who will nevertheless still tax themselves to penury and to the point of embarrassment from harassment to gather funds to build a communal borehole like in my village, how can you wait for government for your life.

 I am tired of some Nigerians oh

By Terhemba Osuji