IF NIGERIANS LOOK AWAY, NIGERIA MAY BECOME TODAY’S CONGO TOMORROW

Yes, there are two Congos, both the DRC of Kinshasha and the Republic of Congo Brazzaville; the countries were formerly known as Zaire before colonization until Belgium and France split it into two respectively; at the moment, they are both suffering. But the one you hear about in the news if at all the news is out there, is the DRC with the capital in Kinshasha. With no assumptions, DRC is the richest country in the world regarding mineral resources.

Unlike Nigeria, a country with a small land mass, not even among the top 10 countries in Africa in terms of land mass but has the largest population and one of the most educated individuals globally.

The DRC is the second largest country in Africa in terms of Land Mass, and the country with one of the largest populations, with a population of over 100 million people, less educated, and in extreme poverty.

A few similarities between Nigeria and DRC is the amount of rich, natural mineral resources in both lands.

Another is both countries are managed by terrible rulers with anti-people policies.

A few major differences are, that Nigeria has hope to be fixed as there are still few Freedom fighters willing to lay down their lives for the betterment of Nigeria, speaking up and standing up for the people of Nigeria. Some of these people are Omoyele Sowore, Seun Kuti, Femi Falana, Inibehe Effioing, the TIB Group, and a few others who are constantly holding the Government accountable, playing the opposition role in its politics.

However, this is not the case in Congo, in Congo, there are no longer known freedom fighters. The Congolese people that ought to have stood up in mass for their freedom fighters, looked away when they were arrested, looked away when they were wrongly accused, and also looked away when they were killed. Today, no other Patrice Lumumba in Congo, no more likes of Simon Kimbangu, William Sheppard (Not Congolese, but was the one who investigated, and documented the atrocities committed by the Belgium king Leopold) to speak up for the people of Congo.

The only hope left for Congo to get true liberation is if a country like Nigeria and other African countries, stand up for Congo, and to do this you ought to have fixed and secure your own home. But with the way things are going in a country like Nigeria, a country with one of the largest crude depots in the world but selling its fuel at the most expensive price in the world among other OPEC countries, a country despite its huge mineral resources, is in the top list of the poverty capital of the world. Nigeria may become another Congo if Nigerians also choose to look away whilst those speaking up positively are being persecuted wrongly.

BY OMOTADE ISAAC ADEKUNLE