Why won't we all Stowaway?

 I am really worried about increasing cases of people stowing away. The

other day it was the case of a 14 -  year old who was reported to have said that he was tired of Nigeria and I was really nonplussed.

A 14 year old! How come?

Recently too, it was reported that an Asian Crew killed two Nigerian Stowaways off a Japanese Vessel.

Murder is murder, but how did we get here?

It is not that people have not been Stowing away. No.

It is an age old practice. Should we encourage it? No.

Should it stop there? No.

We can do something but how did we get there?

It is a relic of our colonial past. 

Very often we say, we are blessed. Are we not?

We are, in more ways than one.

Our natural resources are top notch, not forgetting our weather.

The missing link is our collective desire to make home, home.

Collectively, we have been brainwashed to believe that Nigeria is irredeemable.

How many Nigerians do not dream of making abroad, home?

Very few.

Starting from cartoons. Our Educational System that lays little or no emphasis on our culture, we sow this Stowaway monster in our selves.

Even our leaders, with all the unaccountable lucre at their command do not believe in Nigeria.

It is so bad that Party disagreements are taken abroad for resolution. Whatever happened to Idanre Hills, Obudu cattle ranch and Yankari Game reserve?

Our missing fortunes are embedded in our culture.

We need to rejig our Educational System to cure ourselves of this Stowaway Culture.

Let every Local government, think of agricultural production anchored on schools and our teeming youths.

Two things will happen. More food and more belief in ourselves.

A hungry man is an angry man. Give him food and you get his attention.

From agriculture can spring Industries based on food processing.

Employment would result and youth restiveness would have been curtailed and rural Industrialization would begin.

That way our food import would be reduced and our exchange rate better.

Two things that draw Nigerians abroad are hunger and unemployment. Agriculture can address these two challenges and above all restore belief in ourselves.

Our food culture is draining our reserves. Foreign grains and easy to prepare food.

Our Garri is peerless. We should promote it and export it.

Let cultural festivals return and let our rebirth begin.