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Happy birthday to you, Nigeria but you are still a nation in distress. If the citizens of Nigeria think that the way to resolve the impasse in Nigeria after 47 years is to sweep problems under the carpet, then we have a long way to go.
This essay is not about indicting our nation, a lot of us have done so well in the past. The essay is about the character needed to finally resolve, insight, provoke both real and imagined thoughtful, problems in Nigeria that need no infusion of borrowed money from IMF and Paris club. We all agree Nigerians already understand the mountains of problem facing the nation. Even some believe that they have solutions to the problems. Whatever solutions that were tendered in the past were myopic at best and a way of siphoning funds at least. To solve Nigeria’s problem, we must rebuild both individual and our nation’s character.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858 – 1919) says, "Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike." Character is what a nation and an individual are in the dark. So far, our nation’s character and the characters of the engines that drive it, the leaders are suspect. We have each individually and corporately destroyed Nigeria through fuzzy logic and imprudent character. It is time for each of us to accept our contributions to and the responsibilities for Nigeria’s delinquency.
Fellow citizens, our nation is now 47–years old but she is still crawling. If we had exercised good character and believed in each other’s ability without imposing artificial constraint of federal character, Nigeria would have been, by now, morally fit for life. Where has our corporate and individual character lead the nation? In an attempt to artificially make a society just, we make known 419ers ambassadors in areas where the character of a nation is blatantly nicked. Let us now point to few character flaws in an attempt to correct them?
Character is usually a product of our genetic make up. Most of it is set in our DNA. The rest of it is instilled in us by our environmental interaction with the universe. Thanks to our parents because our character is formed through massive influence by our parents and mostly by what we see. Unfortunately for any nation, character has never been developed in ease and quiet. Since independence, our character has been influenced more by our environmental interactions with the universe and less by our DNA. It is only when character is developed through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened; vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
We begin this journey of character review from how we became an independent sovereign nation. To begin with, our entrance to independence was replete with character flaws. We allowed the British to forge our census in order to give political control to one section of the nation that honestly questioned its readiness for independence. Even at that, instead of getting the section morally and spiritually ready for and partake in sovereignty of Nigeria, we gave it an impression of royalty and they accepted our born to rule premise.
In 1966, Nigeria tasted her first violent change of government through a coup de’ter. Although the young officers meant well but their means of effecting changes brought us men of shady characters and men of perfidy. With coups and counter coups, we welcomed professional military men turned politicians with nefarious characters. Little did we know that their pretentious character was laden with ego, viciousness and mostly greed. Character we are told is like smoke, it oozes out when it is least expected. As soon as these men tasted power, they looked for ways to remain in office in perpetuity. Such greedy environment gave birth to looting, extra-judicial killing, armed robbery, and all the evil machinations we now observe in our society.
With the spread of illegally acquired money by the military boys, the general good natured character of the citizens was modified by the new environment. Gone are the days when a bread sellers left their bread on the road side. Buyers would purchase and leave the money in the tray. Today, however, one can be rest assured that not only will the bread be gone, the money and the tray would vanish. Hunger has modified our character and we have no second thought in doing just anything to survive. Where have we gone wrong?
Our young ladies who used to be proud of themselves and proud of maintaining the integrity of their family names now indulge in prostitution. Lack of job and access to illegal money have further erroded the character of our young ladies. Those that modified our nation’s character are still presiding over our lives and we practically have no say on issues that affect our lives. Again, I ask, where did we go wrong?
Some Nigerians in Diaspora pack their belongings once they find that their friends are in power thinking that that would be a bonanza for them. Unfortunately, the friend that used to be very pious now behaves like they are god. They suffer from amnesia because they do not recognize the friends they left behind. Even, some of those hoping to take advantage of theirs friendship in politics are themselves a product of 419. Hence, 419 interacts with a better 419, the result is potent. Where have we not gone wrong?
Our nation is in distress and we so much need a soothing lullaby. Who will give us a rendition of “Rock a bye baby on the tree top, when the wind blows the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, cradle and all.” This massive patching of our character is exactly our nation’s problem. We need to start calling a spade a spade and begin to tell ourselves the truth.
When our servant leader President says the fight against corruption is total and there are no sacred cows, which code word is this and do we believe him? The fact is that, President Yar 'Adua may be telling us the truth but citizens are no longer listening because leaders after leaders have cried wolf, for so long such that no one believes them again. Moreover, he (Yar 'Adua) has shown us tendency to flip-flop by his pronouncement, actions and newly acquired reputation. “Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing” – Abraham Lincoln, the 16th US president (1809-1865).
The true test of the success of our nation cannot be deterined by our bloated census, the manipulated elections, the size of our mansions, the gateway to our cities, or our natural resources. No, the true test is in the kind of men our nation turns out for leadership. We have turned out the Tafawa Balewa, Ironsi, Gowon, Murtala Mohammed, Obasanjos, Shagari, Buhari, Babangida, Shonekan, Abacha, and the savant leader himself, President Yar ‘Adua and we have recycled some of them and even their children.
Some of these leaders climbed to the top on our backs. Cognizant of their own background, they refused to build the self-esteem of their fellow citizens. Worse of all, as soon as they get to the top, they completely removed the ladder so that no one else can climb up there. Is it not possible to stop ourselves, retrace our footsteps, think over our mistakes and rebuild a nation that we can be proud of as we reflect on the events of the past 47 years? As harbinger of change, I say, let the young grow and move Nigeria forward. To my nation, on this 47th year of independence, congratulations and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!. We will have no more justification to call our nation united if we allow her to go through another 47 years of dryness.
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Posted by Robot| 01.10.2007 05:51