HOW DID WE GET HERE ?: THE MIRROR NIGERIA HELD UP TO ME ……..ENGR. ADEROGBA TAIWO A.

Life has a way of teaching you lessons where you least expect them. A few days ago, on that terrible stretch of road linking Nasarawa to the fringes of Benue. A road we all grit our teeth and pass but all I see is a mirror Nigeria held up at me And what stared back was not just bad roads or bad leaders. It was us.

It was how we cut our nose to spite our face when we think no one is watching.

It forced me to ask the question that has been ringing in my head since:
“HOW DID WE GET HERE?”

THE OCCURRENCE
We were all stuck. The only way out of that bad portion had been completely blocked. Not by a breakdown. Not by an accident.
But by a truck laden with cows, hides and other goods parked deliberately across the only path small vehicles could squeeze through.
I thought to myself: when one finger touches oil, it soils the others. How self-centered can we be?
If your vehicle develops fault, that one is understandable. But to block the whole road because “na only Hausa people dey repair this road for weeks”?
That is not just cutting off your nose. That is burning down the house because the roof is leaking.

The driver’s reason broke me even more:

“Mu muka kasance muna gyaran wannan hanya, amma wasu mutane suna bin ta gefe. Saboda haka na toshe ta domin mu duka mu zauna anan mu gyara ta tare.”

Translation: We’ve been the ones repairing the road and some people are taking shortcuts. I blocked it so we can all stay here and repair it together.

The passengers descended on him like a ton of bricks. Pressure mounted. Eventually, he moved the truck. But I wasn’t done.

After the dust settled, I walked up to him.

Taiwo: Malam?
Malam: Na’am?
Taiwo: Me’nini sunanka
Malam: Sunana Nafiu Bala
Taiwo: Ni Abdul-Gaffar ne

Man to man. Muslim to Muslim. I told him I understood the pain of _sowing where others reap_. But as Muslims, we don’t blow hot and cold. We don’t do good and then hold the community to ransom for it.

Our reward is with ALLAH alone.

Then I asked him the question that dropped the pin:
“Nafiu, how much of that Sallah you went to observe do you think Allah will accept, when you deliberately held people hostage for 3 good hours with your truck?”
He hung his head. “Allahu Alam.”

He was ashamed.
He apologized.
He asked me to beg others on his behalf.

MY LESSON
In those 10 minutes, Nigeria showed me her true face.

We are a people who want to eat our cake and have it.
We kill the goose that lays the golden egg_ and then cry that there are no eggs.
We pray with clean hands on Friday, and on Monday we pour sand into the garri and hope God won’t see.

And the painful truth hit me: Maybe we truly deserve the kind of leaders we have.
A system where he who pays the piper calls the tune.
Where power, connection, and “na our person” is the currency, not competence.

It took me back to the day I had to vacate my seat on the Lagos State NYSC Camp Project. Hours before our 1-year milestone. Handed over to another person.
Why?
Maybe for being young.
For refusing to cut corners.
For calling a spade a spade.
For setting a standard and not bowing to pressure.
They called it “EGO”.

But I walked away with my head up. Because name is better than money.
Seats are temporary.

E te jeje.
Ile nyo.
Take life gently.
One day, we will all drop the mic and leave the stage

To the politicians who treat every critic like an enemy: one day that seat will get cold. And you will have to sit on the same bench with that person you denied a councilorship, chairmanship, or job because they had the guts to tell you the truth to your face.
The person you feared would outshine you after risking their money to contribute to put you in power because they believe in your aspirations and supporting you will boast their chance of getting a better Nigeria than perceived but reluctantly grow hatred for afterwards.

Igba die laye ooooo ore wa.
Life is short.
When it’s time to go, no convoy, no DSS, no siren will stop the knock.

What will remain is how we treated each other on the road.
Whether we chose one for all or all for one.

Nafiu and I parted as brothers. I pray Allah accepts his repentance and his prayers.
I pray Allah mends us as a people.

TAKE HOME :
Until we fix the man in the mirror no government can fix our roads.

Thank you all
God bless IBARAPA LAND
God bless OYO STATE
God bless NIGERIA