his write-up is, derived from reactions I got from the first titled "Love Nigeria Mba, Leave Nigeria no way." Almost all the reactions were unanimous in the presentation of common obstacles militating against a massive return home to defend the Nigerian nation - from itself. They would want to come for other reasons and not for love of country. Nonetheless, for another kind of love - ethnic based love. If the part of a whole is loved, then eventually, the love would spread. None showed any love for country before self. Every one loved self - unabashedly. All were unanimous in the condemnation of Nigeria, which they likened to, a giant with a clay foot.

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All were nostalgic about the good old days of yore when Nigeria earned less but lived well; when ten tins of milk cost one naira in Nigeria and a cup of garri sold for nothing. They reminisced a period in time when the Nigeria railways operated optimally and the Post and Telegraph did its part. They reminisced the days when civil servants retired with out stupendous wealth, content that they were the proud parents of Dr. this and that, and Engineer you know whom. Most have school-going kids and a growing family whom they are not prepared to leave behind in any foreign land for the harsh realities that follow the uncertainties of the Nigerian land space. All appreciated the need to return home to fight for a shirt in defense of motherland from itself. Paradoxically, all declined the offer. Here are some of their reasons.

One was emphatic of his good life abroad where at least, he could enjoy such life's basic amenities as frequent supply of electricity and good transportation net work. What is the essence of life if it is wasted simply for love of a country that cared less about your personal and collective well-being? "Only when I'm ready to die should I contemplate going to Nigeria to take a shirt in that fight of yours, to make her whole." "Lookia", he concluded, "if I died in this your struggle to save Nigeria, nobody will remember me. No body would remember my family. I would merely end up as a number in the statistics. No member of the Nigerian thieving elite will be there for my family - nuclear and extended."

Said another: "how can I die for a country that does nothing to prevent the daily carnage on its pot-hole ridden roads. Nigeria is good. Nevertheless, it kills its people .Crime is on the rise, with those in uniform forming the bedrock of most of the crimes committed. A good parent does not kill his child. A good parent does not see his child go hungry. A good parent who cannot afford a car buys a good bicycle for his child. A good parent provides his child with good and quality education to the best of his abilities. A good parent would rather die than see his child fall sick or die. A good parent takes every preemptive and preventive measure to shield his child from harm's way.

A good parent cares for the housing need of his children and does anything possible to ensure that there is always a roof over his child's head, even at adulthood. Life is a symbiotic thing. The good parent takes care of his child and the child takes care of a good parent in each other's iinevitable times of need. Nigeria and its leaders are bad. A good parent does not disinherit his children who have toiled tirelessly to preserve the family wealth and resource. Tell me, Mr. Poet without borders, on a scale of 1-10 how would you grade Nigeria performance in any of those areas I have observed. It will be willful blindness for me to return to your country. I cannot wait for the prediction of the American NIC to happen before I contemplate returning to whatever part of the carcass I eventually would find myself in, you know it no matter how skillfully you tried to mask. It is only a question of time, Mr. Poet without borders."

"In Nigeria, politicians rig elections. The best candidate never wins. Only those with connections and deep pockets win elections. When people attain position through crooked ways, they do everything crooked to maintain their position. They legislate laws crookedly. They execute laws of the land crookedly and the results most of the time are a spewed out are as crooked as a crooked finished product. Because of this, the mass of the people suffer. At least, in the foreign land where I live, I have a voters' card. I could vote and I and could be voted for in a usually transparent election." Said another, in a trenchant dismissive tone.

"Living outside Nigeria even in the neighboring Republic of Benin gives the average Nigerian a sense of comfort." Said Biodun. "Electricity supply in the Republic of Benin is 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. In all, I lead a quality life that Nigeria my place of birth could not offer me. There are no signs out there in the horizon that my country Nigeria is any time soon, willing to prepare such a ground for me or millions of its citizenry. It hurts me so much that, if there is a war today between the country where I live and Nigeria, I will think very hard before I fight on the side of Nigeria. No, I will fight against Nigeria. It is a bad as that. Nigeria is a failed state. Gi'me a break, there are many negative indices there to prove me right."

After reading all the reactions, which came in torrents, I replied some and deleted some. I was cold and introspective for a while. I was taken aback that none understood that the topic that provoked their comments was an innocuous clarion call to arms, to save motherland, to save Nigeria from imminent collapse. Or could it be that I was not clear enough in the presentation of my case. It could also mean that those who did not respond were in the majority or that they understood the plank of that essay. What if they be in the minority? Doomed if they are doomed if they are not. It is the devil's alternative. That lootocrats have seized Nigeria by the groins and that it needed more than talk, talk and talk that led to nowhere at least as of this time, to liberate Nigeria. That if this struggle is left to the few willing on ground zero, that most will wake up one day to discover that that country they talked so much about has gone under. Killed by inaction. Killed by knowing what to do but could not do it. That none saw the mess in Nigeria as reason to volunteer to fight made me sober. That one of them could not wait for the élan pa was even more sobering. All are in support of what the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is doing.

It was after reading the reactions of these fellas that I began to think of the, good ol' country of mine that really would not care for its offsprings. Instinctively, I decided to crowd out the sequel to the originating piece. Thus, this one, which may seem a reversal of all that I have stood for in my untiring defense of Nigeria - a country that it appears does not give a hoot to the suffering of its people. A country whose leaders refuse to grow up and live up to minimum expectation of its loyal and near stupid citizenry.

Nigeria is burning and its leaders are busy pursuing inanities. Nigeria is burning and its elite are busy siphoning the people's commonwealth overseas. Nigeria is going. It is going and it may soon go. Nigeria's social institutions, such as hospitals and schools have, particularly in the past two years or so, been reduced to the Stone Age quality, yet its leader's fiddle. Nigeria is burning while its leaders see every outcry for restitution in the pursuit of a new path, as an affront by renegade individuals. Nigeria is overwhelmed by a cabal of individuals who are masters in debauchery and in abundant possession of a buccaneering mentality.

Now, flash back to four years ago. It was in the month of June 2005. That was, when the highly respected American National Intelligence Council (NIC) went to town with its matter of fact-findings on the state of the Nigerian nation. The institution had in its no holds bared prediction warned that Nigeria would be no more within 10 years if its leaders continued on their then methods. It noted almost with pain and trepidation then, that the country possessed in abundance, all the ingredients that are the hallmarks of a failed state. Then skeptics, most of them from the Nigerian ruling class, including the former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu went bananas. The uproar was so loud that it almost dented Nigeria/ US relations.

It was so tense, that the American government (essentially for sake of its economic life) had to issue a counter warning to the effect that Nigeria' economic and political health was sound. Having made up with the Nigerian ruling class, the US continued receiving its daily volume of crude oil supply from Nigeria. Meanwhile, the leaders of Nigeria continued their looting spree in a bizarre and complete neglect of all the recommendations of NIC. The case was first swept under the carpet, and then the case was closed or so it seemed.

Having papered over the 'little' crack, the US crude oil interest in the Gulf of Guinea region intensified. Having put out the smoldering fire, from then, what happened in Nigeria and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa became a passing internal problem with a "no go area line" boldly drawn from the bosses in Washington and the diplomats on the field obeyed. As long as oil flowed and there was equilibrium in the international oil market, nothing else, mattered for the United States.

So much so that while the US continued their search for a better life for its unborn children, the Nigerian counterpart perfected its denial of basic amenities to its citizenry and in the process mortgaged the lives of its populace, unborn. Medical facilities as epitomized by the equipment available in our general hospitals, continued their downwards spiral decline in terms availability, quality and use. Corruption wore a new look as Governors of the existing states began their competition to outdo each other in their race to stash away the peoples money. The EFCC made spirited efforts to check the decay but the government tied its hands. Some governors who were fingered, arrested voted out were soon rewarded with juicier contracts or appointment as federal ministers and chairpersons of boards of sensitive federal institutions. To the Nigerian ruling class, it was the best of times, to the average Nigerian on the street; it was the worst of times.

However, those were diplomatic niceties needed to paper over a fragile and near volatile relationship that anchored on one-sided mutual interest - that of the United States - because of crude oil. Now, realities are dawning on Nigeria. It appears that the NIC prediction is somewhere locking in the backyard. Nigeria's crude oil export has thinned down to a mere 800 barrels a day, down from an all time high of over three million barrels a day.

Thanks to the forces of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which has upped its ante in their liberating wars of attrition in the Delta. If the nation bled when oil was selling at over hundred dollars a barrel and Nigeria pumped over 3 million barrels a day into the world market (and we had plenty of money but did nothing to improve the lives of the nations' citizenry), how would the nation fair when oil is selling at half that amount (under 60 dollars per barrel) and production reduced to a mere 800 barrels per day?

This brings to mind, the MEND demand that has brought the nation to this parlous state. Why can't those who would eventually own the money any way not make concessions to MEND? The solution is simple. Give MEND its 50 per cent value of the oil extracted from their own land. Keep the remaining 50 per cent and as usual do as it pleases you (the ruling class) with the money or be prepared to have 100 per cent of nothing. Nigeria is going. It is right now on the throes and pangs of death. Pardon the tautology. It just happened that the muse is at work.

To be continued…….