Scribbles of a Citizen

Arise Nigeria

Come around, my children. Come around and let me tell you a story. A story about the great challenges that our nation has faced. A story of the great country of Nigeria. When it all began, you may ask?

The troubles with Nigeria began, according to the late novelist Chinua Achebe, with our leadership. Also, our diversity in culture has become one of our biggest setbacks, when in reality it should have been. The troubles with Nigeria began, according to the late novelist Chinua Achebe, with our leadership. Also, our diversity in culture has become one of our biggest setbacks, when in reality it should have been our strongest selling point. This unique quality which should be an advantage has become an instrument we use against each other for selfish reasons to gain power, wealth and status.

We Nigerians have become so delusional that we now believe in this status quo rather than making conscious effort to confront the reality that as people we are all together. We rather give out blame while exempting ourselves and regions from the fact that we all contributed to why and what we are. Because my children, we must always be responsible, either of our actions or our inactions.

Nigerians must not allow the past to define us. The past is history and dwelling on the past can and will do us no good. Rather, we must use the past as a reference point towards building a future we can all be proud of. As Nigerians, we must be ready to reinvent ourselves, taking advantage of our unique problems and converting them into opportunities for our people to thrive on. Yes, we are at that point where we can no longer afford the luxury of trusting our leaders in government to make the situation better all by themselves, just as history always reminds us.

Therefore, we must become partners in this project of nation building. We must try to use what is naturally available to us, aiding our valiant spirit with technology to create the experience that will make a difference. Once we will be achieved that, we will have a system that breeds responsibility and competency. We will also have a pool of leaders good enough to keep steering the wheel of nation building.

My children, as Nigerians we must collectively accept that activism is the way to begin. It is only by being active that we can stop those who are benefitting from the current structure that promotes idleness and unpatriotic patronage in and around the corridors of power. These benefactors and their idols would fight tooth and nail not for what is right, but to maintain their grip on our collective resources. They would continually want the masses to remain occupied in the mud, blind and content, while they fleece our country.

I ask you this. Pause and look around to what is supposed to be an affordable education and you will notice how inhabitable the environment of study is. While we struggle with the high cost of education for our kids, they got their children the best teachers and schools abroad paid from the states stolen funds and upon graduation, jobs in our nation’s most revered government institutions and companies that are already waiting for them. For them, family is defined only by blood. For you, my children, family should be those of our blood as well as every single person in this country.

And as we see that this is the true state of our nation today, let us not forget who the present day crop of leaders are. These are part of a generation that enjoyed the best of all the country could afford in their youth, without sharing with those that really needed that. Free education, health care and Jobs are made available for them. Life was safe and sound enough for them to aspire towards greatness and they did.

At a tender age of 23 to 29, some became commissioners, ministers, governors and heads of states or even presidents. This same generation did not know what it meant or felt like struggling to buy a used car or Tokunbo as it is popularly called, or a used electronic set, or even used clothes as the leaders before them made all these available for them in affordable prices. They do not know what it means to struggle. Or what it means to do good for the community.

And they have blatantly refused to replicate these same things for this present generation. While in their 60s and 70s, those past “politicians” are still fighting each other for the jobs, appointments and political opportunities which they were once given. They even accuse you, my children, of being in a hurry just to keep you off their backs and away from competing for our futures.

They have perfected the tool such as ethnicity and religion, things that we should be proud of, which they use to tear the younger generation apart, turning the youths into enemies of themselves and each other. They have ensured that the youth of this generation are kept in the dark, blinded by hate and anger created by frustration and unemployment, poverty and more. They are ruining the future of this great country Nigeria.

Those that make up this older generation of leadership are supposed to have a duty not just to their relatives but to the entire nation. A duty to do good, because the country has been good to them. They owe this nation an invaluable debt that should be paid. But they have refused to. They are consumed by pure greed and lack of contentment.

It’s time my children. Time, we stand up and say enough is enough. The youths of this country must rise to the challenges of today. It’s time the youths reminded these leaders of their over- lapsed responsibilities, in case they are overtaken by age to claim ignorance or amnesia. It is time these older leaders gave back or better still retire if they lack what to give as it is looking more and more obvious, they lack the will to. Neither is the nation, or its youth are willing to wait for them to ask what they can or should do for the country. It is even more disheartening that at this time the likes of General Ibrahim Babangida (retired), supposedly the architect of a failed modern Nigeria is speaking up and telling us what to do.

First, he needs to apologize not only to you, my children, but the entire nation. And secondly, return all that he looted. Most times people say “don’t worry about the messenger, listen to the message”. I’m sorry to say but one very important lesson I have learnt is that you never seek mentorship or advice from a person who has never succeeded in what he does. You can never trust anything that comes out from that group of unpatriotic, self-serving generation whose only achievement is nothing other than failure.

 If we would go through their records, one after the other, and question what they have done for their wards or villages, not to mention their local government areas, what do you think that we would find? You would meet an empty set of failed and unfinished projects. As Nigerians, let us take the opportunity where it resides; right now, we have an open but slim window.

We are in the digital age, the age of limitless enlightenment and the age where education and information is no longer limited to the four-walls of a classroom, the age that opens the mind of any person seeking for greatness and the age of globalization. Let us take this opportunity to redefine ourselves and break free from the bindings that they put us in.

Let us free ourselves from their strong-hold while we can and while the sun still shines. We should also make it a point of duty to teach our kids to be better; to rise against people who would threaten not only their future but that of their kids and grandkids. But right now, we need to take our first step by showing our kids that we are not weak vessels, we’ve not been broken and that this is not the Nigeria that our founding fathers fought for.

We must stand up, we must to rise beyond our pettiness, we must raise our voices, and we must embrace our differences. We must cut across our religious and ethnic diversities. We must know that those same things they used to tear us apart can still be the strength in us today. We are better, we will make our kids and our grandkids proud.

Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Long live Nigeria.

“God Bless Nigeria”