Lanre Fatokun Something Good!
I used to love to travel.
During NYSC in Imo State, Nigeria, I cut out a map of the 27 local councils in the state, and I would tick each council area as I had course to visit them. I visited 22 in the 11 months of NYSC.
After that season, I expanded my scope and started ticking off each state of the federation, as I visited. Of the southern states of Nigeria, only Akwa-Ibom is outstanding, while i have visited about 60% of the northern states.
One could just imagine that there are Nigerians more inclined to travel than I am.
All parks and places of attraction have vanished, yet we kept travelling.
Then the roads became impassable, but we literarily drove through bush paths, while some chose to go by fright (or flight).
We have watched in disbelief as the aviation industry in Nigeria totters on the brink of collapse! The industry boss is an oil marketer anyway!
Some guys left Lagos by road a few weeks back, en route Abuja, as there were practically no flights for days! When they got to Lokoja, the rivers had taken over the Confluence City. They had to cross what was once land, by canoe.
They dutifully, determinedly and tirelessly got into another bus at the other side, en route the once glorious FCT. Everything would have been ok, except that the bus operators were kidnappers. We are still praying for divine intervention.
Since it is probably not in the news, one could only imagine how many people have suffered similar/worse fate.
Nigerians are being pushed to/through the wall, and constantly being muzzled by our reneging leadership to the unproven.
A friend opened www.punchng.com beside me, and I asked, “you want to read some bad news?”
There was no missing it that day, “INEC IS BROKE AND CANNOT PAY SALARIES”. When on earth does an electoral body become financially independent???
Desperation and hopelessness stalk the streets, knocking on doors, seeking tenement.
Where are the (wo)men who have built those admirable “proudly Nigerian” organisations?
Where are the “career analysts” we see on TV?
An uncle contested in the last Gubernatorials in Lagos state. His chances were below slim, but he has done better than those of us gifted in “much talking!”
Worse still, when we wont venture into Leadership, we condemn and shoot down those who do!
Nigerians, passionate, credible and proven, need to HELP Nigeria with their undoubtably excellent capacities.
How rich is rich enough?
Each credible Nigerian needs to personally determine his/her threshold financial level beyond which s/he will allow “the blessings” to freely trickle down.
When Lee Iacocca took over the leadership of dying Chrysler Motors, his salary was one dollar per annum (yes, $1) because his one dream was to restore the company to profitability, and then advance to market leadership. Today, thousands live on his dream.
Its only slaves who acquire forever, when they know that they will not live forever.
Judges 5:6,7
…Public roads were abandoned, travellers went by back roads,
Warriors became fat and sloppy, no fight left in them. Then you…rose up!
Will you rise up?
you, rise up!
rise up!!!
Hmmmm interesting. Each day when I look at our country,I ask myself a simple question “is leadership so hard to execute rightly in our country”. Many times I feel that every country in the whole world has their own trouble or problem and for Africa and Nigeria,ours is Leadership. What will cost Nigeria with our immense wealth to build roads,provide light and shelter yet a normal basic ammenities that even God has given us is what we pray 2God for Nigeria to bless us with….hmmm. The flood in the states are simply still lack of leadership and preparation by the govt of d states involved. Even in United States and other countries that witness flood and tsunami,there are measures put in the place in order to reduce the excesses of d flood even if dey can’t determine the actual damage it will bring. The product of our society and family is what we are seeing in our so called leaders and their leadership skills………our mindset……either right or wrong…its telling on our country as we can see already….
This is truly an indictment on us all who are cut out for leadership but have consistently sat behind dying away with all the ingenuity doing commentaries only. Its so sad to even know some have sold out to joint – bandwagon that perilled us most.
If those that fought and got independence for us have our kind of attitude towards nation building, am not sure there will be Nigeria as we do now. But we have been challenged, let us Arise O’ compatriots. Let us make a difference at least for our children.
God bless pst.Lanre.
I have to say dat yu are right Lanre, although for me personally, it has become hard to be proud or even acknowledge I am naija. Dat said, I hope and pray dat one day, d tide will truly turn. Of course, not by peop le like me who have taken d backseat I guess( unless I change my ways that is) but by people or persons raised up for a time like this…until dat happens, people like me should pray hard…dat God will send a Nehemiah…and when dat leader arises, everyone( including people like me-) can take their place and build aright. Until dat happens, I fear greatly d extent of d evil will corrupt d good ones there are. That said, while waiting, we all must fulfill a moral duty to influence for good d environment we are planted in now in our own little way., no matter how small dat influence is ..but taking it to anoother platform….now dat is a different ball game entirely….
Dear Lanre, This posting shows that you are one of the Nigeran youths who have been privileged to have a fair knowledge of Nigeria’s (our country’s) geographical setting, you are so well equipped to analyse the problems of Nigeria and profer ways out of its apparent dilemma.
The problems of Nigeria are leadership problems; partly because those who fought for independence and had clear views of their dream independent Nigeria did not have the opportunity of ruling Nigeria im,mediately following October 1, 1960: this was the beginning of the derailment of Nigeria.
Thereafter, successive leaders of the country especially at the Federal level have tended more to fend their own nests than develop the country to the point where it could play its avowed role of ‘Giant of Africa’.
Another major issue affecting the kind of leadership that has virtually wrecked the country is the fact that many well-endowed and capable potential leaders have shied away from politics, thereby leaving the less endowed ones to steer the ship of the country, little wonder then that the ship called Nigeria has continued to drift in the ocean of survival.
These are the reasons why infrastructures have continued to decay, the so-called new ones continue to be of substandard qualities, despited the huge sums of money committed to such infrastrucutres – roads, bridges etc; that is why our power supply has continued to be a mirage, that is why Nigerians have spread over the world, including less developed countries, in search of livelihood and greener pastures.
The questions is, “Who will lead Nigeria to the safe haven that would be the pride of us all?”
I join you in praying that qualified and capable Nigerians may come forward to eventually emerge as Joshua to lead Nigeria to its Canaan.
I have always loved to travel, still do.
Nigeria my beloved country, am still looking forward with expectancy to when we would rise to our full height and take our place. While I wait I’d give it my best shot at being the model I want to see everywhere I turn.
Praying your friends do turn up unharmed.