Nigerians, Wake Up From Sleep

WeekendSalvo@ITREALMS:

The maverick entertainer and self-styled area father, Charley Boy coined the phrase, ‘Our Mumu Don Do’ last year. The ideology, according to him, was to galvanize docile Nigerians to rise up from their comfort zone and begin to show more interest in the issues of governance as it affects them. He aired jingles on television and radio and granted several interviews in the newspapers. He and his associates even when on road shows and carried placards to demonstrate against some of the rots in the system! For these he was maligned and bruised, physically and mentally.  Months into that campaign, some may argue that not much have changed.

One may not totally agree with the way and manner Charley Boy goes about his businesses, but one thing you cannot take away from him is the fact that he is bold and courageous. At a time when the morale was at an all-time low, he took the giant step of canvassing for better governance and jolting the presidency even at the risk of his own life and those of his associates. How many of us can do likewise? We complain each day about leadership and yet we do nothing concrete. Can you eat an omelette without first frying an egg? Many of us are not happy with the seeming ineptitude in the system but are just too fearful of doing anything meaningful about it, forgetting that nothing good comes easy.

When you know the truth, then you are free from the shackles of ignorance. Are you passionate about your country? Do you want to see this nation great again? Now is the time for us to wake up from sleep and participate more actively in national affairs. We cannot afford to be lukewarm. There is no better time than this to make the difference. For instance, after over a year of agitation, the government is finally nursing the idea of commencing a sort of ‘restructuring’ the way they deemed it fit. We have always advocated that the process of building our future is a continuum. It cannot be carried out by a single political party in one swoop. All Nigerians have roles and inputs to make as responsible citizens. I want to re-iterate that there is no way the reports of the last confab can just be throw into the bin, all because it was championed by the opposition party. I also have issues with the last administration; but, surely, there are some recommendations in that reports that are very useful to us at this point. Do we really need another committee to fashion out the way forward for us? We are just moving round in circles.

The call for restructuring has been on for some time now. The agitation became so heated last year that the government inaugurated the El-Rufai committee to make recommendations. And now that the committee in its own wisdom has made public its submissions, one wonders how they would be viewed by all, considering that there was no collective bye-in by the major stakeholders like other political parties, civil societies, ethnic nationalities, etc. Would the other groups readily agree to all their submissions? So which is the way forward?

Mediocrity breeds retrogression. Pretence is sheer self-deceit. We all know the problem with Nigeria. Are we honest enough to confront them head-long? Our old brigade politicians know the problems and the solutions. But are they ready and willing to do the needful? Are we ready to compel them to do the needful? No movement, no motion. 

Those who wish well for this nation, beyond selfish interest, know that proper restructuring is the way to go. We will not move forward if we continue to play ethnic and religious cards rather than facing the substance. It is time for us all to be wise and not allow ourselves to be used and dumped like before. It is all about our future, our happiness, our children’s future. 

My fellow countrymen and women rise and be active players in the affairs of your country. Do not just sit and watch. Together we can build a better and truly progressive nation.

*Courtesy: Monsignor Gabriel Osu, is the Director of Communication, Archdiocese of Lagos.

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