On A Manicured Patch Of Green Grass — An Oasis For A Disheveled Eagle.
The Nigerian Super Eagles wins 4–2 on penalties against South Africa's Bafana Bafana in the Semis to book their place in the finals.
It's barely been 23 hours ago when a mass protest was stages in Minna, the metropolis of Niger state, Nigeria, against rising food prices and worsening economic situation in the country, but that seems all long gone in the past now.
It's all smiles and giddy-giddy all over the place now.
I live in a different city, but I know. It's slappy handshakes and clinks of beer mugs in beer parlours populated by a majority who can barely afford it all over the country.
For the past eight months alone, fuel has tripled in price, education has gotten 300% more expensive as the government subsidy has been withdrawn, and 1 Naira equals close to 2,000 US Dollars as of today — and all these without a single penny raise in minimum wage!
For a majorly consuming economy, you don’t need a diploma in Economics to tell what that means for the well-being of an everyday ordinary Nigerian. But if you are tired, have it here — total, unimaginable hardship!
It's the worse we have had in this country since I was born.
Worse still, since the beginning of the campaign for last year's elections, the country has been utterly and pitiably divided across ethnic and tribal lines as not since the build-up to the civil war of 1967. If you have happened upon a Nigeria's space on X, you'd know this. It is immediately palpable, ugly and overwhelming.
But, for today and the next three or four ensuing days building up to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations Cup, we will be forgetting all of that.
We just beat South Africa 4-2 on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time to book our place in the finals of the continent's ultimate football tournament.
Hyped, sensitivity to domestic woes on hold, we are united against other Africa countries who seek to disrespect us, on the field and across social media — the giant takes no prisoners.
Away — even not so far away — from our burning country, our Super Eagles have found an oasis on this perfectly manicured patch of green grass in Abidjan, Cote D’IVoire, and oh… what respite it is!
When we win, it would be a real pandemonium and I hope the government seizes the opportunity to do good by his people by implementing the new and improved minimum wage structure, because one can stay on an oasis for so long — the fervour of athletic glory will wane and energies will die and we will be forced to pretend no longer.
Back to our burning country, chants of protest will take over the chants of victory.
