NIGERIA 2019, GOING FORWARD... BUT TO WHERE?

2019 NIGERIA, GOING FORWARD…BUT, TO WHERE?

By

Chris Paul Otaigbe

April 6, 2018. 11.53am -2.47pm

From our Churches, Mosques and all over the social media, the campaign and desperation to mobilize and galvanize every Nigerian to get their Voter’s Card has reached an all-time high.

The objective: To VOTE OUT BUHARI come 2019 Presidential Election and secondly, all the Liars and Looters of our collective wealth who are currently in government.

Considering the fanfare and the euphoria that welcomed Mohammadu Buhari into office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this OBSESSION betrays the love we all had for him at the eve of the 2015 Presidential Elections.

As a Buharist, myself, three years down the line, I can finally agree with you that Buhari may not be fit to run for a second Term as President of this country come 2019. For the simple reasons of his: unstable health, age and insufficient intellectual stamina required for that office, particularly as it concerns managing the complexities and complications of the Nigerian peculiar context. His mismanagement of the uncommon goodwill he got from Nigerian especially in the area of tackling corruption, insecurity and the ethnic challenge has rendered him a ‘No-No’ for the highest office in our Land.

However, despite this sad record, Nigerians should be grateful to him that his attempt, however, FEEBLE, has enable and EMBOLDENED the CAMP of the CORRUPT in our country to REMOVE THEIR MASK and of course, come out in full force to deal his administration a blow he may never recover from.

Unlike the Goodluck Jonathan era, where we were all determined to VOTE anything (even a Goat or Cow, literally and figuratively speaking) just to get rid of a President we believed was ‘CLUELESS’ and CORRUPT, Nigerians are more circumspect today. Yes, we no longer want a Buhari to lead us. But that does not mean we would allow our desperation make us fall just anything or anyone who may be leveraging on Buhari’s failings or misrule to play the Saint on us. Yes, Buhari is no longer an OPTION, but that does not make an Obasanjo the man to make sense to us. Neither does it make Jonathan a saint nor does it give a clean bill of ‘VOTEable’ health to an Abubakar Atiku. Not just because they belong to the old order, since common sense and good leadership knows no age, race or creed. But because, they belong to the group of very FEW Nigerians who have taken so much from our country and taken for a ride for so long! In the twilight of the Jonathan years, the APC coalition made so much sense with a near incorruptible Buhari as the arrowhead powered by the indefatigable Bola Ahmed Tinubu that found rhetorical expression in an articulate mouthpiece in the personality of Lai Mohammed. Together, they presented a front that made the people believe they were going to form a government that would be on the side of the people. Today, we now know better. We were willing to concede the club of the corrupt elements of PDP decampees in the Party. ‘After all, every Nigerian is corrupt’, we consoled ourselves.

Today, we now realize that if you get into power through corruption, no matter how saintly you are, your government would be corrupt. One way or another!

So, today, we are wise enough not to settle for just anyone who would come telling us how corrupt Buhari’s government is or how hypocritical the administration has become. Vilifying Buhari is no longer the ticket to win the hearts of Nigerians to accept a political agenda.

Predictably, the Buhari failure has led to an explosion of parties, movements and platforms just to unseat the APC government and grab power. That for me, is where it all ends: Get rid of Buhari and grab Power! Period!!

The question, then, who is/are the option(s) on the table?

Before we go into that area, let us look at what we need as a people and as a nation today?

Our major source of revenue is Crude Oil. Today, the world is moving away from Oil and entering into the realm of renewable energy. The World Bank has said it would no longer fund fossil fuel based projects in 2020, Norway Sweden and virtually all of Europe are shutting down on fossil fuel fired automobiles and industrial Plants. The Asian continent is also not left behind in the race to reach a renewable energy powered world in A FEW YEARS TIME!

This means while we are battling with Tokunbo cars and glowing in our ability to buy ‘tear rubber’, ‘cha-cha’ cars, the rest of the world would be riding Gas powered, battery and water-driven vehicles and industrial Plants. It means our Oil would be returned to us to ‘drink’ as we like. On a serious note, it means there would be no money to share again among the Politicians any longer. Fortunately and unfortunately, we got Gas… and we got it in abundant measure. Fortunately, it is our Resource. Unfortunately, it would be managed by the same demons and devils that have run our Crude Oil aground.

The world today is uniting against Terrorism and misapplication of Religion for evil, while we are glorifying religion as an excuse to condone modern evil and corruption!

In the last 18-19 years, the axis of EVIL and CORRUPTION has widened so much, one may as well declare Nigeria as the Federal Republic of Evil and Corruption!

To worsen the matter, THERE IS NO LONGER LOVE among Nigerians and it is TOTALLY absent in places where we EXPECT them to be. Inter Church and intra church, inter and intra denominational hatred and rivalry continue to bastardize the meaning of Christianity and the message of Jesus Christ. Among the Muslims, the manner in which global terrorism has succeeded in wearing Islam as its religion has not made the message of TRUTH and LOVE a part of that faith. Yet, both Religion are founded on TRUTH, LOVE and FAITH which can NEVER be diminished by any human being.

The NEW Nigerian Leader, therefore MUST have the ability to navigate our nation through the challenges confronting our nation. He MUST have the HUMILTY, COMPASSION and the CONVINTION of his VISION to ensure FAINESS, JSUTICE and EQUITY across board.

It has nothing to do with age. Yet, age would be a great advantage and afford him the leverage to youthfully fulfil his PROMISES!

Many of the options I see today, young and middle aged, shinning lights in their own areas. I can say, with some sense of pride, that a couple of them are friends.

But the question is would they have what it takes to run a country? Like Nigeria? Some are geniuses when it comes to the economy, communications, public speaking and so forth. But being a motivational speaker does not make you an inspirational Leader.

The NEW Nigerians Leader a la President must have a HEART. Yes, a HEART!!! Not FABRICATED humility or compassion, which was what you have all around. The Senate President Bukola Saraki or Bola Tinubu or most of the Politicians or Pastors or other Religious Heads would be ‘great friends’ of the POOR and can DISPLAY some sense of humility and compassion. Between you and I we know the depth and truism of such sentiments coming from those level of personalities.

Going forward, the man who must be our PRESIDENT in 2019 and beyond MUST be within a few weeks of his tenure ensure Nigerians are NO LONGER HUNGRY! Secondly, he MUST within the same period get rid or NEUTRALIZE the Camp of the Corrupt. Thirdly, having cleaned the Augean stable, he would have stabilized the soul of the Nigerian quickly enough to TAKE ON THE WORLD on the technology turf. Within two years of being in office, he would have INDUSTRIALIZED Nigeria. By the time his tenure is coming to an end, he would have redrafted the world order to include and accept Nigeria as the RISING STAR in the comity of nations.

I can hear you say or scoff at this as a utopian dream that may never come true. Need I remind you, Kanu Nwakwo and his colleagues took the world by storm in China as the first African or black nation to win a world cup… the category is immaterial. They did not practice in the way other NORMAL nations on the earth would do. They got that glory through the FIRE BRIGADE route we have forever taken to any competition or any issue at all. The Nigerian movie industry that had died many times over, over the decades was taken over by young Nigerian men and women, with substandard movie and music materials and within a matter of years (NOT DECADES) have become the third largest movie industry in the world. With Wole Soyinka, Chimamanda Adichie and every other Nigeria who has gained global glory and who are still making waves all over the world from NOTHING, the global WINNING SPIRIT that has come to characterize and typify the Nigerian would ALWAYS MAKE IT AND WHATEVER we dream up POSSIBLE!

After all, it is not really the machine that move industrialization or make nations but the MIND of the MAN that makes the soul of the sovereignty and strength of a nation.

If a group of Nigerians, boys and girls, who were no more than back street champions in some remote, far flung neighborhood in some suburb in some State in Nigeria can take Nigeria to global recognition to wow the world with our CAN DO SPIRIT, then definitely that SPIRIT would bring that Nigerian, YOUNG or OLD to take our nation to compete and beat the most powerful of nations on this planet to BECOME THE WORLD POWER that we TRULY ARE!!!

In 2019 Nigeria, going forward, that is where we are going.

God bless you

God bless our President

God bless Nigeria

Chris Paul Otaigbe

08185591375

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