The new Nigeria dream: Victor Obagidi
🇳🇬 *THE NEW NIGERIA DREAM* 🇳🇬
All over the world, October 1st is recognized as the day the pioneer of Africa, Nigeria gained her independence from her colonial masters with the assurance of maximizing her resources for the benefits of her citizens and to be a leading example to other African nations. However, today being October 1st 2017, the story is a different one as 'assurance' has been replaced with 'hope'. The rationale for independence has been thrown into the dustbin of history and as a matter of fact, we have successfully journeyed back to where we started, even worse because our challenges as a nation is self inflicting.
The quality of our leaders have dropped and is still dropping in geometric progression. Hence, education has been removed from our schools, light removed from our bulbs, health removed from our hospitals and safety removed from our roads. The happiness of many has been sabotaged for the benefit of few and the national cake has become a personal cake. This is the Nigeria we have today which makes celebrating our independence a forceful one because most Nigerians celebrate Nigeria not because they see reasons to do so but because they are left with no choice. This is exactly what we have successfully inherited from our fathers.
Then, the big question comes, are we going to leave the exact thing we inherited from our fathers to the next generation or what are we going to tell the next generation? Are we going to watch the coming generation go to school without being educated? Are we going to watch people die in our hospitals because there are no facilities to take care of the smallest of health challenges or watch our health centres remain unhealthy? Are we going to tell the next generation that bulbs were made to produce darkness and that light is destructive to the bulbs? Are we going to tell them that the road is not meant to be safe so we can have road safety as a profit making body? Are we going to tell them that basic fundamental Human rights in a county is just a wish and that our lands are no longer green because greener pastures are available overseas? What exactly will our stories be to the next generation? What exactly will our excuses be?
I am reminded everyday that because one man lived, many of our past leaders had the opportunity to go to school and have good education. But then, it is so unfortunate that those who benefitted from the legacy of that one man feel education should be removed from our schools. What will the next generation remember your existence for? What will they enjoy as a privilege because you lived? What will the songs in their mouths sound like? Will they be happy you lived or wish you never did?
The kind of Nigeria we inherited is our history, the Nigeria we have now is our present reality and the Nigeria we want to hand over to the next generation is our future. We must be ready to take it up from where we are now to make it better. We are being reminded of this fact every October 1st.
Therefore, I urge us as Nigerian to take up the responsibilities of building a better Nigeria. We need to understand that the failure of Nigeria is the failure of Nigerians. It's high time we looked beyond the failures of our leaders. It's high time we stopped seeing the political leaders as the only reason we are where we are. Yes, our leaders have a role to play but we also have our individual roles to play. Our combined roles as Nigerians will produce more effect than that of our political leaders. We must realize this fact so that we can start doing what we can as individuals to make Nigeria a better place. We must run with the new Nigeria dream and vision. We must collectively come together irrespective of our differences to pursue what is beneficial to all.
It's high time we began to live by a new set of values that is capable of making us better Nigerians and in turn produce the Nigeria of our dreams. I have personally found some set of values useful as proposed by Fela Durotoye and I want to share them with you:
VALUE 1: Make A Positive Impact On Everyone I Meet And Everywhere I Go.
VALUE 2: Be A Solution Provider And Not A Part Of The Problem To Be Solved.
VALUE 3: Be A Role Model Worthy Of Emulation.
VALUE 4: Be The Best In All I Do, Particularly The Things I Am Naturally Good At.
VALUE 5: Do The Right Thing At All Times Regardless Of Who Is Doing The Wrong Thing.
VALUE 6: Value Time And Make The Best Use Of It.
VALUE 7: Care And Show Respect Through My Words And Actions.
VALUE 8: Consciously Build A Great Legacy Starting Now, Today And Everyday.
VALUE 9: Live A Life Of Integrity And Honour
VALUE 10: Make My Family, My Nation And My God Proud.
It's important we commit to these set of values, living daily with the consciousness of these values with a big picture of achieving the Nigeria of our dream.
I have never had a double mind about Nigeria irrespective of her present state. I believe in Nigeria and I am certain that our limping giants will rise again.
I celebrate Nigeria and welcome you to the possibilities of the New Nigeria.
God Bless you, God bless Nigerians and God bless Nigeria.
🇳🇬HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!🇳🇬
*~ Victor Obagidi*
All over the world, October 1st is recognized as the day the pioneer of Africa, Nigeria gained her independence from her colonial masters with the assurance of maximizing her resources for the benefits of her citizens and to be a leading example to other African nations. However, today being October 1st 2017, the story is a different one as 'assurance' has been replaced with 'hope'. The rationale for independence has been thrown into the dustbin of history and as a matter of fact, we have successfully journeyed back to where we started, even worse because our challenges as a nation is self inflicting.
The quality of our leaders have dropped and is still dropping in geometric progression. Hence, education has been removed from our schools, light removed from our bulbs, health removed from our hospitals and safety removed from our roads. The happiness of many has been sabotaged for the benefit of few and the national cake has become a personal cake. This is the Nigeria we have today which makes celebrating our independence a forceful one because most Nigerians celebrate Nigeria not because they see reasons to do so but because they are left with no choice. This is exactly what we have successfully inherited from our fathers.
Then, the big question comes, are we going to leave the exact thing we inherited from our fathers to the next generation or what are we going to tell the next generation? Are we going to watch the coming generation go to school without being educated? Are we going to watch people die in our hospitals because there are no facilities to take care of the smallest of health challenges or watch our health centres remain unhealthy? Are we going to tell the next generation that bulbs were made to produce darkness and that light is destructive to the bulbs? Are we going to tell them that the road is not meant to be safe so we can have road safety as a profit making body? Are we going to tell them that basic fundamental Human rights in a county is just a wish and that our lands are no longer green because greener pastures are available overseas? What exactly will our stories be to the next generation? What exactly will our excuses be?
I am reminded everyday that because one man lived, many of our past leaders had the opportunity to go to school and have good education. But then, it is so unfortunate that those who benefitted from the legacy of that one man feel education should be removed from our schools. What will the next generation remember your existence for? What will they enjoy as a privilege because you lived? What will the songs in their mouths sound like? Will they be happy you lived or wish you never did?
The kind of Nigeria we inherited is our history, the Nigeria we have now is our present reality and the Nigeria we want to hand over to the next generation is our future. We must be ready to take it up from where we are now to make it better. We are being reminded of this fact every October 1st.
Therefore, I urge us as Nigerian to take up the responsibilities of building a better Nigeria. We need to understand that the failure of Nigeria is the failure of Nigerians. It's high time we looked beyond the failures of our leaders. It's high time we stopped seeing the political leaders as the only reason we are where we are. Yes, our leaders have a role to play but we also have our individual roles to play. Our combined roles as Nigerians will produce more effect than that of our political leaders. We must realize this fact so that we can start doing what we can as individuals to make Nigeria a better place. We must run with the new Nigeria dream and vision. We must collectively come together irrespective of our differences to pursue what is beneficial to all.
It's high time we began to live by a new set of values that is capable of making us better Nigerians and in turn produce the Nigeria of our dreams. I have personally found some set of values useful as proposed by Fela Durotoye and I want to share them with you:
VALUE 1: Make A Positive Impact On Everyone I Meet And Everywhere I Go.
VALUE 2: Be A Solution Provider And Not A Part Of The Problem To Be Solved.
VALUE 3: Be A Role Model Worthy Of Emulation.
VALUE 4: Be The Best In All I Do, Particularly The Things I Am Naturally Good At.
VALUE 5: Do The Right Thing At All Times Regardless Of Who Is Doing The Wrong Thing.
VALUE 6: Value Time And Make The Best Use Of It.
VALUE 7: Care And Show Respect Through My Words And Actions.
VALUE 8: Consciously Build A Great Legacy Starting Now, Today And Everyday.
VALUE 9: Live A Life Of Integrity And Honour
VALUE 10: Make My Family, My Nation And My God Proud.
It's important we commit to these set of values, living daily with the consciousness of these values with a big picture of achieving the Nigeria of our dream.
I have never had a double mind about Nigeria irrespective of her present state. I believe in Nigeria and I am certain that our limping giants will rise again.
I celebrate Nigeria and welcome you to the possibilities of the New Nigeria.
God Bless you, God bless Nigerians and God bless Nigeria.
🇳🇬HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!🇳🇬
*~ Victor Obagidi*
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