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of pigs and airports

for some reason, it took this site ages to open today. maybe blogger.com is experiencing the same kind of inertia that i have been feeling since friday. but anyways, there's something to moan about so here i am.

so today i was reading the dailies when i stumbled upon the headline - "Swine Flu: 'We're Ready', says FG".

Now, everyone knows i'm a strong believer in the nigerian government and the fact that they do give us reason to hope. but i couldn't bear the question in my heart alone and so i read out the phrase to my colleagues in the office. surprisingly (not to me), they asked the very question on my lips...'ready for what?'. To be fair to the Federal Government, they know how not to be too specific in their bragging. this often gives them space to manoveur when it eventually becomes clear that it was yet again another empty assurance.

it brings back memories of the bird flu. all i heard at the time was that a farm in osogbo had been culled because it was suspected of having one chicken that died under mysterious circumstances (who knows if the farmers security men didn't "fap" the poor hen at night). i could have bet my skin at the time that the owner of said farm was a political opponent of the no.1 chicken farmer of the time but hey, you didn't hear that thought on this page. as far as i am concerned, the "success" of the nigerian government in controlling the spread of the bird flu lay solely in the fact that most city dwelling nigerians ate only frozen chicken imported from cotonou so it was not really beacause the government as much as lift their toes.

so, yes, the FG is right. they are indeed ready for the swine flu. ready to catch it and spread it on until it becomes an epidemic so that we can appeal to WHO for financial assistance to alleviate the suffering of the...er, you all know the rest. the remainder of the story was that 'anti swine-flu apparatus' (whatever that means) have been purchased and sent for use at the airports. i guess that the logic behind this is that pigs come in to nigeria by air so it kinda makes sense when you think about it.

so basically, another political ally has been given yet another needless contract so that the money goes round. no grudges from me. someday, someone will get this whole governance thing right. i'll just wait until there is fish flu or something (we've had bird flu and swine flu) before i'll go and join the lobbying in Abuja. just sad...

See you tommorow.

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