Japheth Omojuwa: Why they keep blackmailing me

While one gets knocked for articles that expose the mess, there is always silence on the part of those who write comments as above because they believe ignoring same would mean more would come. But we are not praise singers.

When I write articles like this one and I read comments like “All Omojuwa has done is rant and insult the government and criticize the country…What has he done to help?” I used to be concerned about a few things. I used to wonder whether writing about Nigeria and exposing the seamy side was worth the effort and time. I sometimes go out of my way to write articles like this that at least look to celebrate the little results. While one gets knocked for articles that expose the mess, there is always silence on the part of those who write comments as above because they believe ignoring same would mean more would come. But we are not praise singers.
The job of a writer is to shine the light on an issue or phenomenon. In a sane country, writing about a government institution brings that institution to the consciousness of the public and the government. You would expect that by exposing the shame and mess that is our airport in Lagos, it would mean improved services. Don’t expect too much. Exposing these seamy realities come at a cost; threats via email, threats even via comments and tweets on social media but the gains are immense. My recent trip to Lagos came with extraordinary lessons.

I met a young woman with 2 children who insisted she wanted me to mentor her children as a Godfather. Now that was something but I had to know more. She said she didn’t want to raise cowards, that she wanted children that’d not be afraid of speaking their minds or daring the status quo. I met several young men who wanted to be mentored and guided by my humble self. The experience was nothing but humbling. I met mothers who told me how much they were proud to know I am Nigerian. I met young ladies who insisted on giving me hugs. I was willing to receive them. I have even more stories but all of these point to one thing; there are real people who care about what ordinary people like myself do. If this does not inspire us to do more, nothing will.

One cannot expect people who feed off the system to watch folks like myself expose the mess that is the system without throwing shots and blackmail on our path. It is impossible to look away from the genuine love shown by fellow Nigerians. Lagos was a re-birth for me. I touched love. God bless every soul who showed me love in Lagos.

So yes, those who hate our guts for speaking out can look to reserve more energy because they will have a lot to do. There will be no stopping until we begin to see our country run like a civilized society. People like myself will NEVER be able to keep quiet in the face of mediocrity that is passed off as service delivery in Nigeria. Of a truth, nothing has been done yet because if what I experienced at the Murtala Mohammed so called International Airport is anything to go by, the mess that is our country is still very far from being cleaned up. If that does not make you shameless upon seeing it, it is because you are probably shame itself.
Bring on the blackmails and the hating, when one is done experiencing the love from real people affected by one’s work, one may decide to acknowledge a few haters. Until then, you can always hate better.