Green is for growth and development.

Green is for freshness and innovation.

I am Green, and Green is Nigeria.

Untamed, like an unbroken horse.

Wild, strong with great potential.

Valuable now, an envisaged asset on the racecourse.

Endowed with uncommon beauty.

Resilient like the iroko in a storm,

Lesser trees snap, or are uprooted.

Nigeria has remained undaunted

In the wake of her numerous challenges.

There is hope:

In form of the child playing ball with a spoilt orange,

In form of the woman that feeds her children when food is scarce,

In form of the man that strives to fend for his family.

The Nigerian Spirit just never gives up.

I know there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.

We can only work and pray.

May our Eagle soar again.

She may be wounded now, but she’ll heal.

She will once more fly boldly against the clear blue sky.

The Green, and the White, and the Green.

TO HAIL, OR TO WAIL?

Freedom of speech and expression is the hallmark of democratic societies all over the world. A virile opposition is the true test of democracy. Divergent views are expected in any normal community. No two people are alike.

Even in the best of democracies, the opposition still exists. It exists not only in the form of the opposing party; it also exists in the form of pressure groups, civil liberties’ organizations, human rights’ organizations and concerned individuals who are aggrieved at the way the government is being run.

A vibrant opposition speaks for the group of people that have been sidelined or neglected by the ruling party. The duty of the opposition is to draw public attention to pitfalls and to keep the excesses of the government in check by raising a public outcry against constitutional breaches, unfair treatment and recklessness.

Therefore, it can be said that the opposition helps democracy to thrive. Any government that suppresses the opposition, either through the mulling and censorship of the press, the monitoring of social media accounts or the harassment and intimidation of people with contrary opinions, is tending towards dictatorship. The silencing of the opposition has no place in a democracy.

Having reached the 17^th year of uninterrupted democracy, Nigerians are more politically aware than ever. In the build-up towards the 2015 general elections, there was massive campaigning on all platforms. This was probably the most engaging campaign ever experienced in terms of the media used, and also the outreach. There was heightened participation in political discussions and arguments. Virtually everyone formed a political opinion.

The elections have come and gone. The new administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari has clocked its first hundred days in office. A lot of expectations are hinged on his numerous campaign promises. To some, he is the best thing to happen to Nigeria since independence. To others, he comes across as someone who is overwhelmed by the demands of the office. However, the onus of whether he succeeds or not, depends on you and I.

When the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, referred to the opposition as the “Wailing Wailers”, he was simply unprofessional in his conduct. Never before have we seen a Presidency that is always on the offensive or engaged in so much damage control. A presidential spokesman is supposed to dwell on issues. No matter how hard anyone tries, it is impossible to wish the opposition away, except of course, you are Kim Jong Un of North Korea.

Some people have accorded the demi-god status to President Buhari. He is the one who must not be questioned, queried or criticized. Everywhere you turn, it seems like there is always a handful of them ready to shout you down with chants of “Sai Buhari! Sai Baba!” To them, he is the panacea for everything from power failure to full-blown AIDS. Just bring up a problem, they would tell you that Buhari would fix it. He is continuously praised for what he has not done, or what he will do. I am still yet to see what he is doing.

The thing that is wrong with this type of thinking is that those that practice it refuse to demand for their rights. They refuse to question their leaders, or hold them accountable to their campaign promises. They forget the reason why their leaders were elected. Since their leaders can do no wrong, they are content with the crumbs been flung their way.

Now, to the issue of “wailing”. The “wailers”, by their antagonistic attitude, keep the government on their toes. They draw attention to issues that the supporters of the ruling party have conveniently chosen to overlook. They highlight the excesses of the government and its institutions. They beam the searchlight on anomalies in the system.

Blind followership and hero-worship of our politicians is very injurious to our democracy. We should always remember that our politicians are there to serve us. It shouldn’t be us serving our politicians. Honey-coated words will not spur them into action. Telling it as it is would.

Demand for the very best, for it is your right. You deserve nothing less.

BEYOND INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS

Every 1st of October, we mark our independence. Independence from the British imperialists 55 years ago signified our birth as a nation. At the stroke of midnight on Oct. 1, 1960, at a racecourse outside Lagos, a crisp green and white flag was hoisted, replacing the Union Jack. As fireworks lit up the sky, tens of thousands of people roared collectively and sang the words of a new national anthem. After a century of British rule, Nigeria had become an independent nation.
That morning, the first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, gave a historic speech. "Having been accepted as an independent state, we must at once play an active part in maintaining the peace of the world and in preserving civilization," he said. "We shall not fail for want of determination."
It is 55 years down the line, and we wonder whether the current state of affairs of our nation is what the founding fathers fought for. They had great dreams for our nation, but those dreams have been eroded over time by the greed of a few, and the apathy of the majority.
We got our independence on a platter of gold- without bloodshed. Perhaps if we had fought for our independence, we would have cherished it richly.
We love to celebrate our independence, but how independent are we as a nation today? Our heavy dependence on crude-oil exports has been to our detriment. Prices are plummeting rapidly and no one wants to buy our oil. We rely on imports of a whole lot of things, even food items. Agriculture that was the mainstay of our economy is now dead. Security is in shambles.
What is there to celebrate? Infrastructure is in deplorable condition. Electric power is erratic. The transportation sector is grossly inefficient. Health services are poor. The life expectancy for the average Nigerian is about 52 years. Education is not getting the required attention. Many youths are unemployed or under-employed. These are times when our rulers are hailed for paying salaries, constructing bridges or picking their ministers. The glimmer of hope we have for a brighter future is barely there. We must not let it flicker out.
We seem to have lost focus. The whole point of becoming an independent nation was for us to have control of our resources for the good of our people. Colonialism gave way to military rule. Military gave way to a lopsided democracy- government by a chosen, untouchable few. We recycle our leaders at our expense then act surprised when we hear that they are in possession of stolen funds. Who are we deceiving?
Some people will tell us to pray for Nigeria. If I were God, I would not answer such prayers. You don’t elect idiots and expect miracles. You don’t keep quiet when leaders are misbehaving and expect that God will give them dirty slaps. God will not give us good roads or boost our economy. God does not build factories nor create employment.
The 160 million people on this soil make up Nigeria. This nation isn’t for a select few. It is not just enough to admire places like London, New York, Dubai or Tokyo. When a leader has vision, anything is possible. A couple of decades ago, Dubai was a desert. Now, it is a tourism hub. Israel, a desert country, has an irrigation system so efficient that it exports fruit. Tiny Japan that saw catastrophic devastation when atomic bombs were dropped on its territory is now the home of electronics. We are here, wallowing in the wilderness and reenacting the Israelite journey.
Some people would blame colonialism, or demons or Jonathan Goodluck for Nigeria’s woes. The person that will succeed would make plans, not excuses. While we are excusing mediocrity, begging America to buy our oil, other countries are discovering new frontiers, exploring Mars, developing cures for diseases that were once thought to be incurable and improving their infrastructure.
Nigeria has more resources than a lot of countries put together. Nigeria occupies a strategic position, has abundant land mass, vast mineral resources and rich land for agriculture. It has waterways and a coastline. In terms of manpower, Nigeria is the most populous black nation. The culture is rich. The languages are diverse. Nigeria can also boast of having some of the best brains in the world. Dr Phillip Emegwali, known as the “father of the internet”, developed the world’s fastest computer.
Nigeria has the potential to be the greatest nation on earth. The problem is that we are too complacent. We tolerate obnoxious acts from our leaders. We allow our leaders to eat all the bread and applaud when crumbs are tossed at us. We allow ourselves to be lured away from real issues. We get carried away over things that have no direct bearing on our lives.
We all need a change of attitude. We must arise to take charge of the future for the sake of the generations of unborn Nigerians. We must stand for democracy, accountability and due process. We must insist on the rule of law and due process. We should do away with religious, tribal and even political sentiments. Political parties will merge and go into oblivion, politicians would always pursue their personal interests but we the ideals we fight for and the legacy we leave would remain forever. We owe it to the coming generations to do the right thing. Nigeria is bigger than the selfish and twisted ambitions of just a few. Nigeria belongs to us all. The onus is on us to make Nigeria great. Our Eagle must soar again.

Happy Independence Day!!!



 

There’s always so much to look forward to, particularly if you are a beautiful and intelligent young girl.

You hope, you dream, you plan, you laugh and you cry. You sometimes build castles in the air.

You are expected to live a bit of your own dreams and a lot of the dreams of the people who have invested so much in you.

You are geared towards conducting yourself in a particular way, to be accepted by the society. Soon, it all rubs off on you. The line between their expectations and your dreams becomes very thin. You can hardly tell the difference.

Many a young girl has nurtured the hope that someday, she would meet Mr Right, fall in love, marry and have babies. In that exact order. While that is the normal thing, at times it doesn’t work that way. What happens when shit gets real and a girl happens to get pregnant out of wedlock?

No matter how promiscuous a girl might seem, it would never be her plan to bring up a child that would have an absentee father. In fact, people say that it’s the naïve girls that fall victims of unwanted pregnancies and unplanned parenthood. This article is not to preach at anyone, neither is it to condemn. On the contrary, this piece is to empathize with one of the most ostracized set of people on earth today- the single mothers.

One thing led to the other. You got pregnant. When he found out, he decided to be a complete asshole about it, leaving you to bear the shame alone. Apart from the shame, you have to cope with people judging you. Family and friends will most likely desert you. You can no longer be free. You cannot be seen in a church. Wherever you turn, people cast mocking glances and giggle derisively. You feel very much alone.

To make matters more complicated, the experience of pregnancy is completely new to you. Believe me, pregnancy is the worst time to be alone. So many changes are happening to your body at once. You feel ill all the time, tired and nauseous.

Here is some advice for those that might find themselves in this situation.

Learn to forgive yourself. You made a mistake. You cannot change the past, but you can make the best of your future. You must stop beating yourself up.

Learn to forgive the person that impregnated you. It is necessary so that you can move on and think about more productive things.

If the person that impregnated you is not ready to accept responsibility, let go of him. There isn’t any point of clinging to someone that is not responsible at this stage. He will only let you down.

Learn to love the baby in your womb. Regardless of the circumstances that would bring your baby into the world, he/she is a special gift.

Try to get close to people that would be sympathetic to your cause. You will need emotional support, financial support and medical support.

Avoid falling into depression. It would not help you. Rather, focus on the good and hope that things would turn out for the best.

Take care of your health, for your sake as well as the baby’s. Pay more attention to eating balanced diets. You should also take enough fluids.

You are now a mother, so you need to plan. Your baby won’t stop growing because you are not ready. You need to have the capacity to take care of your baby and yourself.

Remember, your case is not a peculiar case. You might be down but not out. You could still go on to be very successful. Don’t let go of your dreams because of this minor setback. Don’t let anyone belittle you. Hold your head high. You will come back stronger. I promise you that all this will pass.

We live and we learn. That is the whole essence of life.