Even when this is done, it is with hushed tone in one of the boring late night mini news programs. It needs repeating that if an ambassador who is the chief public image maker of that banana republic paid to take control of things like this does not care, you know I don’t give a damn. I will in place of the constant barrage about how every Nigerian suffered unmentionable hardship over the coverage of what clearly is common practice by some lazy ass Nigerians in Houston, who sleep, wake and eat with one thing in mind… fraud, keep suggesting that those who are obviously too disturbed by that report should immediately take CNN to court and let the rest of us be. I can’t be wrong to think that it is not too late to begin the process of legal filing if only to teach those ‘unfair’ media outlets a hard rock lesson that there are el’Nigerians lawyers who are peeved and will not stand by while their spotless country is being made the scapegoat of criminal enterprise in the entire solar system.

This thing with CNN being spun out of control and over hyped with rocket speed is no different from how other countries who eventually learned or are learning from that experience to make their countries better, have been treated. Such that no need exists to want the sky to come crashing down on account of the negative mention in the news as if we are talking of mother Theresa here and with CNN setting these criminals up just to make all el’Nigerian look bad, how naïve. African Americans when asked what’s happening, always come back with: not much or nothing new and so it is with el’Nigeria, nothing new. It’s same ol, same ol. Ladies and gents, the country in focus is the same country that constantly shoots itself on the foot with her many anti citizens’ actions like the daily killings of motorists by the black uniformed bandits called police in their language to suffice which equally sends wrong vibes to international media for example. Did any of these patriotic hackers pause to find out why those they disparage with hateful intensity on the false insinuation of not loving everything about el’Nigeria decided to treat that country in abstract? I guess not. Then let me search to know what country would be as selfish and overtly crude with policies that milk one area within her territory dry while neglecting the welfare and security of the inhabitants of that same area ala Niger Delta – Eastern Region? CNN, they better believe know all these things too.

It is my opinion now and always that every country gets dissed (disrespected) by the media it all depends on that country’s peculiar vices. Mexico, China, Columbia and many more have all seen their share of bad press. Unless we are now saying that we are strangers to the daily splatters of Mexico’s image across every major TV stations in the U.S. on account of illegal aliens. In the eighties also, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong etc were the bastion of TV coverage relating to pirated music and movies and this knowledge was not borne from a relocation to those countries, it was from the same CNN that it came to our delight. Eburu ozu onye ọzọ, shey? Loosely this means a stranger’s corpse being of no consequence to selfish people of course. Perhaps these bọbọs forgot that a country called Columbia for instance has always been associated with drugs, cocaine, on point. And when they add the Italian and Russian mobs whose killing extortions and drugs was blown open on guess what, TV, they may begin to see why the need for them to calm down already jo is badly in want. To make Nigeria stand out as the only country on the receiving end of bad publicity of the western press is a little unfair to these other countries that endured the same press missiles.

It is also not true that el’Nigeria’s lack of money is why it gets no respect rather their bane is attitude, duh. Those with youthful exuberance whenever the true picture of el’Nigeria is painted are counseled to focus inward for their pain to fade away. Had these folks locked hands earlier with attentive writers to send befitting embarrassing messages to politicians with untoward pedigree instead of the defense of every administration with repetitious failures, the dynamism associated with their writings would have paid dividends that could have had a forty plus year old country without a clue reoriented and reorganized. But they snoozed with their free passes to people that even a bonehead knows belong in prison. Over two years ago, I longed to know that one thing that is good about el’Nigeria and have been waiting ever since. With every article, they forget with eloquent convenience to share those things that are superlative about their country without letting those who has been there, done that enjoy their siesta. For the same reason medical practitioners are discouraged from performing surgery on a family member with life threatening ailment, to avoid emotion that could result in unnecessary mistake; that the people too sentimental about el’Nigeria are asked to back off to let the ones with in-built shock resistance saunter on. They have to know that el’Nigeria as presently constituted stand to corrupt even the Pope and anyone with the naivety that things will get better will only be circumambulating, running in circles. In a country that ceased to reward honest hard work long, long and very long time ago, it is easy to find people engaging in activities as documented by CNN.

And to suggest with any inference to sugarcoat the truth for the only purpose of seeing the egos of the patriots stroked will be a disservice to el’Nigerians that still retain appetite for the truth. Let the whole and nothing but the total truth be told if only to shock the patriots back to reality that would arouse their thinking faculties to know that tunes which only praise failures whose questionable accidental stumble to wealth is actionable, does not pay. This is not intelligence, but plain commonsense. To have also used the Jews, Italians and other countries that are happily united in comparison to a country as divided as el’Nigeria is equivalent to saying that garri and gworo are one, the same and opposite. Not so. These other countries’ unity were not divine inventions, sound government policies that gives protection and equitable distribution of things to all citizens made theirs a united one not the thoughtless backward idiotic policies that emanated under the threat of dane guns by holders of elementary six certificates some of you drool over.

In another of my tattles “Titlelucious Development: The Igbo Phenomenon” that appeared on BNW and kwenu on December 18th and 21st of 2004, a hint was made at the dangerous noise level that permeates every social activity in Houston but no one connected that noise and the fraud that is now causing so much raucous for the rabble rousers. In that essay, I stated;

These days I hardly attend any social functions organized by Nigerians due to the importation of unnecessary and excessive noise into what ordinarily should be fun. For instance, they utilize hours barking out names and bogus titles of inconsequential and obscure folks to my dissatisfaction. The empty show offs to impress the audience I’m guessing is part of the reason people lost focus on more important things to go after countless titles...

This was said knowing that a disturbing number of the people in review have their minds submerged in fraudulent activities. I know these things having lived there for sixteen years prior to my relocation many years ago to el’Nigeria before emigrating back to my adopted country five years ago. It is these criminals who make people that put honest day’s work look bad especially on a visit to el’Nigeria where it is not unusual for someone with no idea to question whether or not you live in the same America as the December revelers they have no idea are the same crooks on CNN.

Having thus known, I will tilt towards anyone who argued that “so long as you live in a culture that glorifies the end as justifying the means, Nigerians will continue to seek short cuts.” Fellas, no diploma in rocket science is required to figure what three squared or to the third power is and until el’Nigerians curtail or in fact stop the abuse of titles and the misplaced attention given to people with contaminating characters that jeopardize the system, things like the CNN documentary will continue to make a fool of their ‘glorious’ country. With this mindset I feel affronted that the same people with crock tears over CNN’s candid documentary, who in their overdrive mode will have no problem with no attention given to decent and responsible folks at social functions when they start spewing countless worthless titles, positions and sham diplomas of the very people their criminal lifestyles are at issue, starting with; criminal governors, politicians, corrupt contractors and credit card fraudsters. Those whose antecedents reduced the negligible image of their country are always their favored guests and godfathers to their children still they think we were born last night? At social events these folks are given choice tables where without any attempt to look embarrassed they sit looking doped with pillaged money in tow while decent professors and other professionals whose only crime is their conscious and right decision to be good citizens. A choice that set them up for the snobbish treatments they get always. When I see these things assuming it happened on a day the stomach to stick around inside is there and not one of the days the drive to hang outside takes over just to save from further damaging my eardrums, I ask myself what with these criminal lovers that they failed to appreciate people with impeccable credentials.

People do not have to dine on a dangerous soup simply because mom made it and this should be clear to anyone that can flip a light switch on. I do not know that not eating a dud has anything to do with feelings towards mom, a hop to the next kitchen should do. But allow me to plead for leniency to add another Igbo saying of wisdom that strikes at the root of the principled tenacity seen in of some of us; that of refusing to baby sit or even condone a bratish child simply for being the child’s parent. What happened to the common saying that when a finger scoops oil it inadvertent affects the rest? Since what CNN who by the way is not in the business of pleasing el’Nigeria, did has direct relationship with the aforesaid proverb making the patriots’ reaction to their investigative journalism ill informed as it did nada to elevate their country. The same question that was asked of them could be asked of media from other countries. Do they, Al Jazeera as a point of reference, always beam favorable images of the U.S.? Of course we know the answer to that, so why should CNN be any different? CNN I can tell you was mindful that in every country exists a Judas hence they avoided saying that the number of dishonest el’Nigerians is total. If you ask me, it did be said that the forty percent floated was generous given what I saw while I lived in that city so what image for acting funny are people still yakking about?

How can there not be high level of criminal activities when we all know how decent people are treated in today’s el’Nigeria where only bandits and their cronies are respected with all sorts of national awards so-called dumped at the feet? Gosh, I cannot shake Houston off my thought, please excuse the redundancy but there is absolutely no reason for someone to dole out $15,000 just for securing and decorating a hall for a lousy baby shower yet stuff like this is common in Houston! It even gets better because this is only a drop in the ocean. There have been instances also where people recklessly lavished upward of $50,000 in one night on a birthday celebration and at other times similar amount flew out the window for a Christening ceremony. It is not like we are talking of the rebirth of Jesus Christ for people with no eminence and verifiable legal source of income to spend such obscene amount for a child that may end up not believing a thing about Christianity. I explain, with every child, it is a gamble, never can predict how they will turn out – political harlots, embezzling fools, murdering nincompoops, lying alarmists and more and if you disagree, a look around el’Nigeria will convince ya.

This essay cannot end without quickly adding lest misconstruction is given that downright honest, hard working fellows with el’Nigeria background who are straightforward in both their business and private lives live in Houston. I know them, I speak with them! The problem is with the ones into this, now you have it and then you don’t hocus pocus whose number is simply mind killing. The good news is that despite the irritation of the fraudulent class who insist on getting rich at all cost or die trying, there are decent families (many) I know who through sheer dedication and honest day’s work, raised their kids well and put them through medical, engineering and other schools. These are the people we should give ovation to, they earned their respect the hard way, right way. Now, that’s the idea!

Ndubueze Godson III
biafraalways@yahoo.com