When some people hear the statement ‘a new Nigeria is possible’, they may be thinking whether our leaders will create another country or whether God will destroy Nigeria and create another. Absolutely NO!
The idea of a New Nigeria is not a quest for another country. It is rather a conscious reawakening of Nigerians to create and embrace progressive values, such as brotherhood, peaceful co-existence, selfless service, honesty, hard work, and nationalism, in order to change the prevailing course of events in the country. It entails a heart-whole belief in Nigeria, all-inclusive love for all Nigerians and the willingness to serve the interest of the nation at all times and in every situation.
A new Nigeria therefore entails the revival of the true values of character, humanity, and self-reliance through active leadership and followership reorientation. The new Nigeria of our dream is already in sight. This can be seen in the excitement of a mass of young Nigerians currently pushing for the actualization of that dream through their endorsement of candidates they feel are best placed to take the country to the next level.
The unity of mind among the youth of Nigeria towards the 2023 general election is quite inspirational, portraying a determination to do away with the present morass and institute a new order for the country. From the north to the south, from the east to the west, the message is the same – a new Nigeria is possible.
The dream of a new country is alive and well. The various movements for leading candidates in this election could be the seed that will birth a new nation if they coalesce. The question now is who will be the next president to drive the birthing of this new Nigeria? Some say it is Peter Obi while others point to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And yet many see former vice president Atiku Abubakar as the one best positioned to mount the saddle. Still there are those who vow that Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso is the man. As is common in such political prediction, each analyst bases his own permutation on his personal preference and the Nigeria of his dream. Their dexterous display of leadership reminds one of the tenets of developmental politics as seen in the first republic. The rot in their respective states before they came on-board was mainly under-reported. People were used to saying their states were an eyesore, but they forgot other aspects that made the states a mess. I tell you the truth, Nigeria is a great nation with great people. Nigerians are a great asset, resilient and enterprising. With rich diverse culture, creative and innovative people, I say to all Nigerians, let’s not get disillusioned about our present predicament as a nation.
We’ll soon surmount all our challenges and things will turn around for good. Let’s pick ourselves up, work harder together and lift one another up. I believe in the potential of Nigeria and that we will see greater and better days ahead. Let’s look at the brighter side of things. Let’s look at our advantages, the things working for us. For example, our huge population is an advantage. It is not for nothing that God has put us together as a nation with the largest population of black people on planet earth. Even with our risk level, foreign investors want to come to Nigeria because there is no investment one does in the country that one will not recoup one’s money. Investors are envious of the potential of Nigeria’s population and they want to come. Nigeria’s human resources potential is second to none. Many years ago, an entrepreneur came to establish a telecoms firm in Nigeria and he advertised job vacancies. He was amazed at the quality and number of applicants that applied for the few jobs advertised. You can find all kinds of quality skills in Nigeria. Honestly, I believe what Nigeria needs now is a leader with a servant heart that can rally the people around a common vision.
Some people say Nigerians prays too much. I beg to differ. We need prayers to recover our lost ground. As a matter of fact, whether you believe it or not, prayer is what is holding Nigeria together. But after prayer, we should put our hands on the plough and work harder. Our youths should believe more in working with their minds and hands instead of taking selfish paths and surfing the Internet for irrelevant things. Scams on the Internet will bring shame and disgrace to you and your family. Avoid it like a plague. The products of crime may seem sweet, but you will be caught and you will pay dearly for it. Please shun crime. A noble man eats the produce of his own sweat.
Nigerians are courageous people. They can dare where the lions tremble. Nigerians are creative and resilient. Take Nigerians to any country, they will use their imagination and creativity and start something and make a success of it. Nigerians are fashionable. You can’t miss a Nigerian in a gathering. Nigerians will stand out anywhere. Nigerians have unimaginable potential for development. What we can do right now is to continue to invest and motivate ourselves to grow instead of focusing on our challenges.
Let us be a productive people. Let us seek to help one another to overcome our individual and collective challenges. Let us help the youth to find their place, where they can give their best. This is one thing I want to solicit we do to get Nigeria out of the rot and move our nation forward. Let us help individuals to find where they can explore and maximize their strength which is their most dominant talent. I believe in this gigantic project called Nigeria. I see a Nigeria which has become the envy of the world. I see a Nigeria where electricity is working 24/7/365 without any interruption. I see a Nigeria where all roads are tarred and one can travel from one part of the country to the other seamlessly without any stress.
I see a new Nigeria where everything is working perfectly and everybody is wondering if truly this is Nigeria. Yes, it is the new Nigeria. I see a Nigeria where nobody is talking about kidnapping, armed banditry, terrorism, fraud or any of such things. I see a new Nigeria where every school age children are in school and our hospital and health centres are the bests in the world. I see lot of people coming from Europe, America, Asia, and the far East and all over Africa for medical treatment in Nigeria’s first-class health centres. I see a Nigeria receiving over many tourists every year, Nigeria airports becoming the best with people just trooping in to see the best natural tourist sites which they cannot find in any other parts of the world.
I see a new Nigeria where our political leaders request only a stipend to take care of their selves and will be okay. They say they are elected to serve the people and desire to lead a frugal lifestyle. I see a new Nigeria where political leaders are humble, serving with diligence and the fear of God. The leaders come into the streets and homes to interact and share food with the people. I see a new Nigeria where the judges deliver sound, ethical and unbiased judgement. I see a Nigeria which produces abundant food, exports them to other parts of the world and gives out foods freely to other poor African countries. I see a Nigeria where our sports men and women are sought after and winning their games and no one is talking about tribe, ethnicity or colour. I see a new Nigeria where you can become anybody based on the content of your character and diligence; a Nigeria where nobody talks about religion, where leaders and the citizens fear God and obey rules and regulations. I see a new Nigeria where no one is hurting one another and where there is love and everyone helping his neighbour.
I see a new Nigeria where everyone opens his arms and home for others to come in and eat and play. I see a new Nigeria where the young people are using their full potential. Nigerians have can do spirit, the ability to take something of little value and make it valuable. I see a new Nigeria where all the systems and structures are working. A new Nigeria where everyone strives to tell the truth and everybody is smiling and greeting anywhere they meet. Friends, I present to you a new Nigeria that I see and desire in our lifetime.
The angels are still in the whirlwinds. Thank you for allowing me to share my candid thought about a new Nigeria with you today. You are not born to suffer; there is a seed of greatness in you. You have two choices to make. You can continue bemoaning your fate on how life has been unfair to you or take action firmly on how to change your circumstance. The choice is yours. And you have just two days to make that choice, precisely this Saturday 25th Februaray 2023.
