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My first inclination when the story of Ngozi and Olufemi’s supersized pay broke was to ignore it. Worst things have happened, I told myself. And worst things are still happening even as we debate. I wasn’t sure if Nigerians have reached the tipping point when they would no longer take our peculiar mess anymore. I asked myself if the Ngozi/Olufemi scandalous pay is our own answer to Janet/Justin wardrobe malfunction moment? I studied the movement and concluded that the least I could do was to support it, even if it simply adds to the heap of indictments already accumulated.

Obviously, I went through the emotions most frustrated Nigerians go through. I asked myself, which constitution am I defending in the first place? The one that Chris Uba, Tafa Balogun and Justice Nnaji have taken to the dogs several times or is there another? Is the constitution not the one that President Obasanjo shows no regard to each time he opens his mouth? I asked myself, which constitution are we talking about, really? The one that Abdulsalami Abubakar and his boys wrote and forced us to accept after we have won elections without setting our eyes on the constitution? Many times, I told myself, it is all a farce.

To begin with, I say President Obasanjo even though I believe his party rigged the election of 2003. I find myself challenging the legitimacy of the president and the legality of the constitution. And when I let myself go, I do find myself challenging the very notion of Nigeria in which the citizens had no say in the structure of their government and the very union that brought them together. As usual, it takes me to that very starting point – the National Conference.

Getting back to Ngozi. It still baffles me that she believed she could join Obasanjo’s government and make an impact. That optimism amazes me more than any aspect of the debate going on now. For Ngozi to think that she could redirect a government of kleptomaniacs that is swimming in corruption and headed by an arrogant bamboozler beats me. If nothing else, Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha have proven that when the head is rotten, it is useless joining the folly, hoping to reform from within. What has proven to work, as in the case of Republic of Georgia and in Haiti is a complete pull down of the façade.

I am satisfied that irrespective of where the money came from, irrespective of the sacrifices they are making, and irrespective of their expertise, that Ngozi/Olufemi’s pay is at least unlawful. That is the reason why I keep listening to the argument that we should start from somewhere. That we should start from Ngozi and Olufemi. I also listen because I want to know if really we are waking up to our duties. I listen because I have a litany of concerns we need to look at as soon as we say goodbye to Ngozi and Olufemi.

For those who subscribe to the increment approach, I say, the least you can demand for is an enforceable Freedom of Information Act. It is the right place to begin. We need to know the assets of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Abubakar Atiku, Police Inspector General, Tafa Balogun, and every other government official out there. We need to have easy access to such information. We need to know how much taxes Atiku paid last year, how much money Obasanjo spends each year traveling abroad. We need to know how much NNPC makes in a year, who got the contracts to maintain the refineries, and where Aninieh dumped over 300 billion Naira his ministry said it spent repairing Nigerian roads in just four years.

I have argued on this page that Nigeria needs urgent structural reforms that would ensure the institution of law and order. I have tried to promote the pursuance of the big picture with the hope that when repositioned it would guarantee the readjustment of smaller issues. But being who we are, we continue to concern ourselves with minor issues at the periphery. On and on, we see the detrimental consequence of such approach. And pathetically, we search for solution from the same microscopic prism.

I have called on Nigerian citizens to be informed and involved in the activities of their home country. Many are. But many more are unconcerned until something big befalls them. What is needed from Nigerians is constant engagement with all the elements that influence the direction of our country. It means a consistent search for an encompassing solution that would stand the test of time. It requires from Nigerians huge sacrifices and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone. It is a full-time responsibility that cannot be achieved through a part-time citizenship.

My friends, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Ngozi could still be a blessing, if and only if, we have the courage to look beyond her. If not, it would just be another exercise in futility.