THE DEMAND OF DEMOCRACY

Today, we live in a world where the major system of government that can reliably deliver desirable dividends to the populace is “democracy”. Democracy, a system of government that is of the people, by the people and for the people…This simply implies that, it is a selfless service that is out-rightly ‘others-centred’. It requires selflessness and self-sacrifice.
The process of consolidating democracy in our country saw the emergence of several politicians with selfish intentions, visions, social agenda and political programmes. This explains why we have not been enjoying the expected benefits of democracy even after about 11years of consistent democratic leadership in the nation. One can say that we have barely seen a true leader we can call a statesman, because our leaders are not leaders but rulers ruling with their rods of corruption.
How can we achieve true sustainable development, increasing nation-building and see the desired change or transformation? This question resonates in the heart of everyone seeking for a change.
50 troubled years have passed, we are still wading in the sea of confusion, increasing rate of corruption, abject poverty, youth unemployment, poor health system, bad transportation system, poor education system, miasmic economy, homelessness, epileptic or erratic power supply and socio-cultural integration almost in a dreadful state, a bizarre cynosure as we witness intermittent intra-tribal and religious mayhem in the Northern part of the country, with ungodly kidnapping which has become youth employment innovation in the Eastern part of the country. These pose serious threats to our existence and make our survival as a nation more difficult. A revolution might be inevitable to achieve some of the dreams of our fathers. After all, J.F. Kennedy (35th President of the U.S.A.) once said many years ago that, “Those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable.” The reason for the agitations, emancipations, quakes and crises in the Niger Delta. Also, the intermittent religious and intra-tribal clashes in the North.
We have paraded and seen more of political liars and rulers as leaders; people who lied and deceived us to power with their countless points agenda, with little or no achievement as a proof to ascertain their customary lies and deceptions (which have become national polity in governance). They left the nation impoverished and systematically looted the national treasury of which they refer to as “national cake”, thereby becoming richer than ever imagined. No wonder they had refused to declare their personal assets.
The demand of true democracy is truth, nothing more; that we begin to say the truth, nothing but the truth – “…for we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.” 2Corinthians 13:8b.

“Democracy demands that the truth should be told always and that charlatans and saints should be called by their proper names.”
Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

They thought killing Dele Giwa, Ken Saro Wiwa and other notable journalists who stood for the truth is killing truth. They only succeeded in killing lies forgetting that truth will always prevail.
Jack Kemp said, “Democracy without morality is impossible.” Where is the morality of truth, honest, sincerity, justice, equity and freedom in our nation?
Disunity and lies are the bane of our national polity.
Gerald R. Ford (38th President of the U.S.A.) noted few decades ago that, “Truth is the glue that holds government together.” Truth in politics, nation governance and public service is not just calling a spade a spade, but walking and working one’s talk always. It is to fulfill all the promises made during political manifestoes and campaigns. It is to deliver sustainable development, meets the needs of the electorates and considerably improve the standard of living of the citizenry. It is for all public leaders to have a sense of accountability and as well to hold them accountable. It is for justice and equity to become the cause of the orders. It is to sacrificially love other humanity just as you love yourself. It is to always walk in absolute fear of God. These are what true democracy that will deliver needed results demands.
This was what our founding fathers conceived that enabled them to serve our Motherland faithfully, selflessly and sacrificially.
Have you ever taken time to meditate on our national anthem and pledge, especially, the second stanza of the anthem?

“O God of creation,
Direct our noble cause
Guide thou our leaders right;
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honest till to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace
And justice shall reign.”

Alas! More than 60%Nigerians cannot recite the first stanza of the National Anthem perfectly not to imagine the second stanza.
You can see that for our nation to really achieve development, attain great heights among others in the world and build her walls with abiding peace and justice; TRUTH is indispensable and UNITY is unavoidable. Both the young and the old, male and female…all must adopt the principle of truth and unite as one entity.
This is a clarion call to all that we should begin to assume our post and take a stand on truth, and hold each other hands-in-hands to lift high the banner of our nation among the nations of the world.
As 2011 general elections knock at our national door, I call on all and sundry to look for credible leaders and vote for truth not for political party. Your vote is your voice of truth; you cannot afford to be disenfranchised by standing indifferently. The success of this coming election will determine our next phase as a nation and you hold a stake to its success.
Consequently, as we all begin to promote and celebrate truth, hope is re-liven in us and I tell you, change we will see. Alfred E. Smith said many decades ago that, “All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.” This is not just only a fact, it is very true. To many skeptics who believe the resurgence of military administration is what we need for transformation in our nation, I urge you to realize the need for the continuity of democracy.
Hereby, I see a new United People of Nigeria; I see a new sovereign free states standing united as one entity rise high as the King of Africa; her people bounded by brotherly love, love towards one another across our diverse ethnicity.
I see a new United People of Nigeria; a new nation where the sons and daughters of the Islamic adherents play together in peace with the sons and daughters of Christians on liberty or unity playgrounds.
I see a new United People of Nigeria; a new country where resilient, entrepreneurial and high-spirited brothers from the Niger-Delta join their fellow brothers in the East in genuine brotherhood to establish an unparallel economy we can be proud of.
I see a new United People of Nigeria; a new country where the languages we speak matter not and the differing faiths we practice become insignificant to nationhood, but the beauty of our unity despite our diversity guides our paths daily and informs our national mindsets of which we package and sell to the world.
It’s time to build a nation you and I can be proud of; a nation we dream for our children and children’s children, a place they can call their home.
I am still as hopeful as ever before now.

Happy 50th Anniversary to everyone both at home and in diaspora.

God Bless Nigeria! God Bless Us All!!

A NATION IN SEARCH OF CHANGE

On latitude 4ºN to 14ºN of the equator
Longitude 3ºE to 15ºE of the meridian,
Spheres the grandest of all freed-shares,
Adorned with transcendent beauty,
Treasures and resources overflowing
Like milk and honey in Canaan;
Crowning him “the Giant of Africa” –
The largest cluster of Negro in the world.

Fifty years of turbulent, painful expedition has gone;
Led by different consortia of unscrupulous,
Corrupt, self-centred, nefarious tyrants.
Most of those who witnessed
The outset of the ultimate search for a real change
Will wonder how long it will take a nation
Blessed with all necessary primary tools needed
To truly discover the desirable change.

Lemme say, they have discovered some things:
They discovered prejudice, hatred and selfishness;
Greed, corruption, intolerance, bribery, state-theft;
Kidnapping, glorified lying, homelessness, insecurity;
Religious crises, intra-tribal wars, social unrest, retro-development…
Half a century has come and gone,
Here we are still searching for the misplaced change,
With no clue to finding it.

Fortunately, the golden year will witness
Another extravagant process of leadership shift of the present consortium.
What will be the fate of our generation and those yet unborn?
That is, the aftermath of 2011 National general election
Will determine the next phase of our strategic search.

This golden independence anniversary celebration is with mixed feelings:
Feelings of thanksgiving and worship to the Sovereign God,
For sustaining us despite the evil discoveries…
Feelings of distress, agonies, travails, cries, umbrage and disappointment.
Distress from indigenous slavery; agonies and cries of the innocent blood,
Maiming, destructions and kidnapping due to intolerance, insecurity and prejudice;
Umbrage and disappointment because of bad leadership and our retrogressions…

Feelings of hope, hope for an abiding change.
Hope that we can still discover unity
Regardless our different faith, beliefs and practices;
Regardless our tongues and culture.

Hope that we can truly achieve sustainable development
And build a nation we can be proud of,
Redeeming our lost image for our children and those yet unborn.
Hope that genuine leaders with good and selfless intentions and visions,
Who will depict true statesmen will emerge.
Hope that we will for the first time
Conduct a non-controversial free and fair, peaceful election
By 2011 with accountability.

Hereby, we will all converge sooner than envisaged
At our confluence to celebrate
The dawn of a change, a new beginning, a new United People of Nigeria.
Together we stand and change for the best,
Divided we fall and disintegrate for the worst.

Change we believe;
Change is possible
And change we will achieve/get.

God Bless Nigeria! God Bless Us All!!

NIGERIA SPEAKS

They said I can’t cry, but I cried;
They said I can’t move, but I moved;
They said I can’t fight, but I fought and won;
I won and INDEPENDENCE was my reward.
They said I can’t stand, but I stood tall to become the PRIDE OF AFRICA.
They said I can’t run, but I ran to survive.
I have been running for 50 years now,
Passing on the baton from one generation to another.
I was born with a vision of unity and faith, peace and progress;
Joined together in a connection with three resilient cords;
Forged at inception in the furnace of freedom, justice and truth;
Led in the direction of brotherhood and patriotism;
But, alas! Swayed by greed and nepotism
That breeds insatiable corruption;
And trusted in the illusion of pains;
I am Nigeria.

These raised a tension of separation,
An insurrection towards disintegration;
A digression that caused a national or federal dilapidation.
Yes, I am Nigeria.

My diversity is not equipoise to division,
It’s a divine design of beauty that generations will celebrate.
Though, the journey so far may call for sober reflection,
Rather than extravagant celebrations and attractions.
I will mention a suggestion,
Motion re-direction,
An illustration beyond imagination –
First, adoration to “Awimayehun”, the One that has the final say;
For His protection as a nation despite the turbulent past race.
Then, to consider the only option for a hopeful succession,
Makes the imitation of Christ indispensable.
This is communication of love.
Through communication of love,
Intuition of hope will be re-awaken in us,
Appreciable proportion of desirable change we shall get.
A golden rule everyone must allow to rule.

Imagine Nigeria with fully equipped, well funded schools (education system) – POSSIBLE!
Imagine Nigeria without potholes at intervals on highways – POSSIBLE!
Without traffic jams due to defiance, irresponsible leadership or above-the-law syndrome – POSSIBLE!
Without police checkpoints turning to toll gates and other checkpoint corruptions – POSSIBLE!
Without electoral violence, manipulation and mega-disenfranchisement – POSSIBLE!
Imagine Nigeria where electors vote and the votes of electorates count – POSSIBLE!
Imagine Nigeria with leaders having the fear of God and servant’s hearts – POSSIBLE!
With 400kmph metro lines in major cities and Nigerian Railways absolutely revamped – POSSIBLE!
With rural areas transformed to cities and cities to Mega-cities – POSSIBLE!
With a growing well-serviced world class economy – POSSIBLE!
With people bounded by brotherly love and united as one – POSSIBLE!
With an identity that generations yet unborn will be proud of – POSSIBLE!

All of these call out to a duo; You and I.
You and I to be the change we want to see in Nigeria;
You and I to arise and build a nation we dream for our children,
And children’s children.
You and I to begin to live for the truth, loving one another.
You and I are the hope of change in Nigeria.
You and I can make change possible in Nigeria.
No one will build Nigeria,
Nigeria will be built by Nigerians –
Nigerians like You and I!

God Bless Nigeria! God Bless You All!!
Happy 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration.

MNEMONIC OF HEART BREAK

To what will you compare these?
…rejected by the one you gave your heart;
Deceived by the one you most trusted;
Abandoned by the one you pray to spend the rest of your life with;
Cheated by the one you gave your all;
Denied by the one you most needed;
Despised by the one you most cherished.

To what will you compare these?
The agonizing pains of a heart-break;
The blast of a shattered dream;
The shame of disappointment;
The fear of a scattered future;
The headaches of sleepless nights;
The shocks from being beaten twice.

To what will you compare these?
The insecurity of sharing life with someone who doesn’t see what you are seeing;
The hurts of a haunted mind;
The depression of a hidden expressions and feelings;
The stench of failure;
The memories of regretful past actions, decisions and costly choices;
The unfairness of loving someone who doesn’t equally love you.

To what will you compare
The hopelessness of broken pieces?
Is it possible to build an edifice of hope?
Twice beating is twice shy…
How many shy will it be
When beating four times?
Better not to be beaten at all…

The Rhapsody of Freedom

The melodious cock-a-doodle-doo woke everyone up, as the sun rose over the vast pratum meadow to the east, the rustic foothills and plains of the plateaux in the North, tendering like the labyrinthine corridors glowed with golden light as if touched by an Angel or Midas from prairie.
The radiant sunrise reminded us that it was the dawn of freedom and hope – the Independence Day.
As I turned around to greet my father who had prepared to step out of the house.
He said enthusiastically with an infectious grin,
“We all dreamt of this gleeful day long ago.”
The first warm winds of spring gusted along streets and broad boulevards, calling out winter-weary residents who had pains of slavery locked up in their loins, into the daylight and allayed them. They thronged the sidewalks, strolling, linking mouths and hands together, everywhere smiling and chatting.
People hanged around in groups like village gossips, discussing on the wonderment.
The well-wishers visiting from overseas stopped at intervals, marveled,
“This is the enchanting Canaan promised in our travel guides.”
I came out to the street to observe the euphoria.
For the first time, I freely with so much confidence and pride walked through the alleys of my city.
Then, I sighed,
“Now this is a home, not a dungeon.”
I paused for a while and approached a group of onlookers who were deeply engaged in recalling the memories of the painful past.
One of them turned to me and laughed aloud.
“Thank God”, he muttered, and smiled. “There’s hope.”
The whole universe converged and stood on the soil of a neo-nation. They came to witness the ceremonious exodus of the John Bulls, and the birth and christening of a Negro-Giant, born to rise and become the Pride of Africa.
The neo-nation was called “Niger-ia”.
As we seceded from Great Britain in 1960, October 1, our first Emperor acceded to office.
I noticed unity et peace out of our outstanding diversity, such are residuum of our colonization.
It was a day of high joie de vivre; we were like men that dreamed, perhaps hallucinated. Several people never stopped asking themselves the question,
“Is this true?”
“Is it really real?”
Right there at the level of Tafawa Balewa Square, on the platform of unity, in the spirit of truth and patriotic brotherhood, and wearing an appearance or a countenance of faith; everyone chanted the anthemic songs of freedom and change.
(With sync voices) “See a change that will accentuate progress and development; a change that radiates an abiding illumination to our future.”
The atmosphere was filled with so much love; love for one another, love for our sovereign country…after the declaration…
I pondered,
“If love really means forgiveness, only God will tell if we can truly love by forgiving our Taskmasters...if we can really forgive our failed and failing fathers.”

(…Love is not which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove. O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken…Sonnet 1156, William Shakespeare).