09 Jan 2009 |
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Participation and solidarity, the key to Change in Nigeria A friend once pointed out that in the beer parlours you will find many who know all the solutions to the problems of Nigeria. The cause of no small wonder is why they fail to implement these solutions, once the effect of the beer has cleared from their eyes. This is because they don't understand the principle of participation. Solving the problem of this country is for them the prerogative of those in government. They do not understand that they are obliged to participate in whatever way they can. Every Nigerian is called to participate in the development of this nation. And it begins by continually striving to educate himself, to know and follow developments in his own area of interest and work. The effort to work better is the beginning of this participation - no one is exempted from this duty. Furthermore, in order to make the leap into an industrialised and prosperous nation, individual effort can only go so far - even though an individual may have sweeping presidential powers and lots of good intention. We need to work together. This is solidarity! It is only through solidarity that we can dismantle the structures of injustice and ensure the rule of law. The rule of law is the ideal for any society, since ruler and subject are all guided and controlled by the law. In the spirit of solidarity, let he who has more than he needs share with his neighbour; let the employers see in their employees brothers and value them (above the immediate profit they derive from their labour), putting into practise the principle that people must be superior to profit. Authentic liberation from the slavery of backwardness in this country begins when men of goodwill strive to have the utmost respect for the human person. Every Nigerian should ask himself "what is the value of a fellow Nigerian to me?" Recognition of the nature of the human person is imperative. This respect is borne of the fact that man is made in the image of his Creator. Man is a rational being capable of self-determination (I am recommending this last line to those who perpetrated the mass murder in Jos a few weeks ago). All men are created equal; no one is more or less of a person. We are all equal and each person's rights must be firmly safeguarded by the law. These rights include the right to life, to religious freedom, private property and education. Let those who believe in coveting government monies entrusted to their care into private property and moving them to Swiss accounts desist from this. Stolen money can never be legitimized and causes incredible suffering to all. Those who will not will pay for their crimes either here or in the other world. Money legitimately obtained and invested in the nation's economy provides jobs, yielding even more. Let us all try to cultivate the virtues: truthfulness, love for freedom justice, peace and togetherness, necessary for a successful nation. We must all decide to live in solidarity with one another, joining hands to defeat structures of evil erected by men without conscience.
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