NIGERIA'S DATE WITH SUCCESS

NIGERIA OWES AFRICA SUCCESS

Much has never been given to nobody for nothing, just as increase never satiates whoever loves abundance. Much is endowed and staked on Nigeria to become a pivot of support, distribution of success and source of pride to all Africa. Though it’s true that it’s never over until it’s over, but Nigeria is faltering for now: and the process of correction cannot be postponed indefinitely, because a people “cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading today”.

Nigeria’s economic success is a historical inevitability wrapped in the crepe of “practical one Nigeria” as an inexorable platform. The functionality of “practical one Nigeria” must begin with defeating the choke-hold of ethnic holier-than-thou finger wagging: the tyranny of pitting tribe against tribe, religion against religion, culture against culture, prejudice against prejudice to the point of almost criminalizing ethnic diversity to elicit differential sensibilities. All for the purpose of entrenching “we-and-them” mindset to divide, confuse and conquer. We must enlist shared sensibilities that will encourage common trust to glue our communities and society together. This will help develop a common pattern of response and approach to our common problem: In the midst of our differences is the power of having a formidable nation where every region does not have same everything but rather a nation where the weaknesses of one region is stood in, complimented and supplemented by the strengths of the other region(s), creating a nation deficit in no trait. That is why there is strength in diversity: We can and will build a new modern Nigeria, where no person(s) claim any higher liberty of citizenship and meritocracy is the legal tender. As Nigeria’s success incubates, we must not forget the nooks and crevices of our communities where one senses, sees, and feels the dire and indelible, though normalized, daily effects of misery, dissent and sorrow on the society. Where one is constantly confronted with the symptoms and pathologies that reminds you to continue to remember the throngs of mismanagement, ineptitude and thievery you cannot forget even in a hurry and even if you dare to– trauma. As the saying goes: He who fails to plan, plans to fail. In light of this understanding, we must all continue to remember that our path forward must be forged in absence of all members of the since-independence leadership class, their cronies and prodigies and any person(s) cut out from that yarn. As improbable as that may sound, we must avoid mixing old and new wine, if we need a new zest, a new and progressive path for the national polity: we must endeavor to study that war and politics so that our children will read poetry, history and music. Hope is Coming to Nigeria.

Obi Orakwue is a Research Scientist, Author (Writer), Business Consultant, Statecraft Specialist and Geopolitical Strategist.NIGERI