Oh our dear country, desire of all nations and the pride of all! There is a pervasive belief that Nigeria is the giant of Africa; but an overweight giant becomes a burden on itself. With an overwhelming population of at least 170 million people, it is a shame that we haven’t harnessed and utilized the humongous resources at our disposal. Going back to historical antecedents, Nigeria was the darling of the world – economically, politically, culturally etc., however, in the words of Dare Art Alade – she has become a shadow of herself.
Nigeria as we knew it, didn’t experience grotesque and gruesome situations like Boko Haram, Badoo (assassin group), kidnapping, and other similar vices; also, Nigeria was not as corrupt as it is today. Nigeria enjoyed relative peace, unity, and to a reasonable extent, reduced discrimination and malfeasance.
The situation that Nigeria is facing today emanated from the foundation, that is – self. The situation is like having intellectuals in a bus and giving a mad man the keys to drive; it is definitely headed for the brick wall. We neglected our collective responsibilities, and like a popular saying goes – “if the foundation be destroyed what shall the righteous do?”
It is not until you are made a king before you begin to act like one. Everyone is a leader; therefore, a pertinent question that comes to mind is – HOW DO YOU LEAD? Do you lead with the interest of people in mind or you apply a nonchalant style of leadership.
The derailing leadership situation in Nigeria makes me to ask the salient question – Where is Nigeria headed to? Fourteen years and counting, Nigeria still ranks high in the corruption index of the world – according to Forbes. Nigeria is blessed with a good number of competent and experienced individuals who can improve the overall aesthetics of the country. This crop of individuals would be ready to fight for the interests of the people and make us great again; other nations will see Nigeria as a perfect example to follow.
The utmost concern for the writer of this piece is in the religious sector – churches and mosques. Most of these churches and mosques are profit oriented rather than focusing on its raison d’etre (its purpose for existence). Churches and Mosques are meant to build us up, get us prepared and enriched with important leadership qualities we will need to be able impart and change our world. It has rather morphed into a den of thieves and rapacious individuals who are more concerned with their self-serving agendas rather than our collective patrimony – they are LADDERS and not leaders.
Where is Nigeria headed to? This is a question that will continue to linger until our extant social, economic, and political policies are strengthened and implemented.
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