Seun Kilanko

It’s been long since we had electricity where I stay for as long as an hour at a stretch. It’s so terrible the way it is. My mum was saying some days ago that she has some clothes to press and she was actually hoping that the electricity will be at least stable for some hours so that she could press her clothes. I’m very sure the same thing is experienced by a lot of other Nigerians in their various homes. As if we have not seen anything, ask me how come I am at home and I will tell you that our university lecturers are on strike over the failure of the federal government to meet their demand over an increment in salary and more involvement of the government in the education of its youth in tertiary institutions. I wonder if any responsible government needs to be preached to that education is one of the pillars that uphold a nation. This is so pathetic! Everything seems to be going bad in this country. Is this the country that is rich in minerals and natural resources? Then what could be the problem of this country? What is it that we are lacking?

No doubt, this is our fatherland! We have no other place to go. We could travel out of the country and start residing in the farthest place anyone can ever imagine but the fact still remains that Nigeria is our country of origin and the land where our ancestors were born. And how does it look to you to be traced back to a country that is suffering from anything anyone can imagine? No matter where you go, home will always be home. I still very much believe in the adage that says, “There is no place like home”

Looking back memory lane, there were times in this country when everything was going blissfully and good governance, economic buoyancy, people friendly policies, brilliant educational system and talk of all those good…good things were the order of the day. Then just in the period of some few years, everything has gone upside down and at an alarming rate. We now rank one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Not only that, we can now boast of having one of the worst governance anyone has ever seen, there is high rate of unemployment, shaky educational system, unstable policies and so many other nationally embarrassing achievements. Talk of a country with a tattered image home and abroad and we’ll surely raise our hands in firm recognition. This is so overwhelming and I must confess that it takes courage and endurance for us to stand all these? No! I think it takes cowardice or what do you think?

We all dream of a better Nigeria. We look forward to a day when everything will be fine about this country. Some have even lost hope and now fall back to whatever fate brings them. I don’t blame them anyway because they can’t see farther than their noses. I make bold to let you know that whatever has happened to this country so far is as a result of the input we offered to it. I need you to believe with me that whatever this country is today, maybe good or bad, is what we make out of it. In other words, it is our choice if this country is climbing the ladder of progress or rather falling into the pit of national decay. Little or no contribution is made into this country by majority of us. We all sit back, fold our arms, complain or blame those people in power for everything that happens to us and then expect things to change. It doesn’t happen that way, my friend.

We need to understand that nothing happens to this country without our consent. You may say you are not in position to make decisions as to what goes on in the country and I will tell you that that is the greatest lie you can tell yourself. Ask me how revolution started in all those great and beautiful nations today and I will tell you that it started with one person at the bottom that is so unpopular but was determined and hungry for a change. Change is a thing of the heart and not by position. All you need is determination and courage.

Start to make the change wherever you find yourself and this country will be on its way to the top again. I need to let you know that people of like minds that are tired of watching this nation go down and are ready to take action and be responsible for whatever this country becomes have already formed a forum where they meet and they will be happy to have you join them at New Naija Club and The Future Movement.

I know that as I have just poured out my mind here, you also have a lot to say about this country and how you think it can move forward. Express yourself by clicking the comments link (up this post on the right) and we will be happy to have your opinion.

This country will get better if we don’t just sit down and watch things move down the drain. Let’s stand up to action. Do you believe we can actually become one of the most desirable countries in the world?

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This entry was posted on Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 pm and is filed under Attitude, Choice, Dreams, Encouragement, Fear, Gists, Insight, Nigeria. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.