British-Japanese writer and Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro could easily make Nigeria the third country that may authentically lay claim to him, for how so aptly his book, The Buried Giant, explains much of the Nigerian condition, especially prevailing conditions of the moment. By the way, why did he use giant, one of the dominant motifs long associated with Nigeria?

The Buried Giant is extremely relevant to the Nigerian condition to the extent that its main thrust enabled the couching of the title of this post.

Identifying those quick-tongued and quick-fingered Nigerians in the political arena, religious arena and in the media, who are making ancient grievances rhyme with current complaints, is the least part of one of the most urgent tasks facing Nigeria today. Developing a counter narrative founded on widespread discharge of justice and equity, and transformational development of the collective, will effectively and ultimately dissolve the emerging conditions for mayhem or war.

A wise counsellor once told his principal, then the most powerful ruler in the world, that the most effective way to shut the mouths of quick-tongued men in his domain, like their descendants are now doing in Nigeria, was to break the shackles hanging over the oppressed, and shew mercy to the poor. Imagine for a moment the kind of breeze that will blow through Nigeria if 120million persons of the estimated 205million Nigerians, all together exit the poverty cocoon?