The Atrocities of Hope

 

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Nigeria is dealing with a level of disorderliness that is neither compatible with functionality nor with long life. Our problems did not start today; they have been with us for as long as we have existed as a country. But just like a disorder left untreated, our problem has incapacitated us, and the rate of deterioration is currently becoming alarming.

The long-term survival of our country is no longer as assured as it used to be. We are on a slippery slope with nothing to hold on to.

This book attempts to answer the 'what', 'why', 'who', and 'what is next' of our problems. As is always the case when truths are discussed, be ready to be offended.

But if you are open-minded enough to be offended and not switch off and open-minded enough to be offended and keep reading – you might learn one or two things at the end of this book.

Read an Excerpt

I was standing on a walkway on my university campus on one sunny day in 2003 with a group of classmates, and the issue of Nigeria and patriotism came up. I can remember one of my classmates telling the other about patriotism and how we are not as patriotic as the Americans are about their country. The other one felt offended and told the first to ‘Speak for yourself; I am a patriot. I love Nigeria!’ I have always been a realist with a touch of cynicism, and I already had an excellent grasp of patriotism as seen abroad—a clear contrast to what I saw in my compatriots—so I chuckled as these two classmates of mine went at each other. They paused and focused on me; they asked what amused me. I responded that our friend’s claim on patriotism was amusing. I told him that he was not patriotic to Nigeria and that he was only patriotic to what he was personally gaining from the system. He was from a state where medical students were getting a level fourteen officer’s salary as monthly allowances and were also on the petroleum companies’ scholarships—some of them on two scholarships at the same time—while the other classmate was from another state where citizens rarely get a yearly bursary of 5,000 naira from their government, and they do not have access to scholarships either. I told my ‘patriotic’ classmate that Nigeria is an orphan state and that nobody bothers about an orphan if there is nothing to gain from him. He said I sounded like an ass, then walked away from us. The other classmate laughed and asked, ‘Where are you getting all this from?’ ‘It was just a thought,’ I told him. I added that I was just about to get to the good part.

About the Author:

Michael, a self-described realist with a touch of cynicism, is a UK-based, Nigerian-trained psychiatrist and the author of The Atrocities of Hope: An Analysis of the 'Nigeria Problem.'

Michael's lived experience in Nigeria, his inquisitive mind, and his ability to pull back and observe despite being involved combine well with his skills as a mental health expert to create this work.

Michael is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians, the Faculty of Psychiatry, and is an affiliate member of the Royal College of Psychiatry. He plies his trade as a psychiatrist in the Northwest of England. He describes himself as a member of a speciality that helps you in the fight against your worst enemy: yourself.

Michael is a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a neighbour, a member of the public, a lover of music, and a lover of movies and books.

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Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779626762
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