By Tony Ubani
Nigeria, no doubt, remains the giant of Africa in the eyes of the world. It is only those who have been to Nigeria that wonder if indeed it is the same Nigeria they love and respect so much that is living on its shadow.

The problems of Nigeria are as simple as A B C D, yet, it has become almost impossible for the leaders to provide the solution to the simple problems. One comedian said that none of Nigeria’s former and present leaders would get closer to the gates of heaven.

Reason is that they have disobeyed God who said let there be light and there was light. But not in Nigeria. We have no roads, no water; unemployment is soaring and many unemployed youths are channeling their energy into armed robbery, kidnapping and suicide bombing.

Before now, we only saw these atrocities on movies and or heard them on news bulletins. Now, we are living with them. We have been privileged to see even smaller countries without the type of natural resources Nigeria has making better progress than the crawling Giant. The countries that we helped liberate are the ones telling us to wake up. Countries that we gave electricity to are enjoying 24-hour steady power supply, while ours blinks and disappears thereby turning our dear country to a haven for Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese products. Now even Afghanistan products especially on generators are here with us.

All hope is not lost. There is still one country that Nigeria is better than. Mozambique. The country hosting the on-going All Africa Games. Mozambique.

Yes, Nigeria is better than Mozambique and it feels good to say so although they shouldn’t be among African countries one could compare with Nigeria. This country gained independence in 1975. It was the scene of an intense civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992.

Countries and athletes and officials and Journalists who are here for the Games are gnashing their teeth trying to cope with the intense hardship prevalent in this place. Transportation is difficult thereby making people, women and children to climb onto open vans like pick-ups and others meant to convey animals and products.

A Nigerian journalist after enduring the heat attempted one of the open buses and was left with a waist problem. He is currently being attended to by Nigerian medics. Women jumped into the vans before him. Not even in the era of Molues in Lagos have I seen such hardship. A Nigerian athlete who could not believe the situation exclaimed; “I’m happy to see a Country that Nigeria is better than! Should we celebrate or pop champagne that we are better than Mozambique?