Setting a Dynamic Agenda for a National Dialogue by Daniel Chimezie
INTRODUCTION: THE GENESIS
It was a
redefining moment in the history of the World and Africa in particular. Our
noble heroes had fought gallantly and freed their own great nation from the
hands of White colonialists and imperialists. The era of exploitation was over
and there was a tumultuous herald of a new dawn. Men and Women took to the
streets, dancing and singing. The youngest of babies were not left out of the
celebration and the most glorious speeches in history were delivered. It was
October 1, 1960 and Nigeria had been officially declared an independent state.
The course of history was changed as nations heralded the arrival of the black
hope.
We took off on a
good note as a nation with our own people now in charge of our affairs.
Expectations and hopes were high. The people at the helm of affairs were focused
and committed to nation-building and commendations were coming from far and
near. In fact, as Federal Minister of Mines and Power in the first Republic,
Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule recalls that there was an International Development
Review Report released during the period which stated that in 15 to 20 years,
three developing countries would join the league of industrialized nations (The
Guardian, July 27, 2013). These countries were Brazil, India and Nigeria. This
as the report observed, was as a result of the quality leadership delivery in
these countries. Nigeria was the world's blue- eyed boy and Africa's emerging
economy and almost every country wanted to associate with us.
THE NATIONAL DRIFT
Unfortunately,
the atmosphere of blissful hope was to last only a while as the rudder of the
Nigerian ship suddenly began to drift. Issues that were not in our original national
agenda began to manifest. Personal and tribal interests began to replace
national interest. Nepotism started creeping in. Bribery and corruption was
fast raising its ugly head and our national values and ideals were fast being
eroded. Conflicts and controversies began to rise from everywhere slowing
efforts at developing the country.
NIGERIA: STILL A LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES
In spite of all
our mistakes in the past, I still see Nigeria as a land of opportunities as
every indicator points to this fact. For example, despite the tension created
by insecurity in the country, Nigeria has for the second time in two years
retained its position as Africa’s number one destination for Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI), according to the global FDI report released by the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (The Punch, June 27, 2013). In the
same vein, a recent report undertaken by
KPMG rated Nigeria as one of the countries sought for by foreign investors as a
result of the consistent improvement in investment yields, which are also
attributed to a cocktail of reforms put in place in recent times (Thisday,
March 17, 2013). The ranking by one of the world’s foremost audit, financial
and tax advisory firms, KPMG, placed Nigeria among the four major investment
destinations and growth areas in the world following the disappointing returns
by most of the emerging global economic powerhouses of Brazil, Russia, India
and China.
There must be
something that these foreigners are seeing that Nigerians themselves are not
seeing and that is the fact that Nigeria is a land of immense opportunities
which we must take advantage of to build a prosperous society.
WAY FORWARD
For Nigeria to
actualize its full potentials, the following suggestions should be considered.
A CASE FOR NATIONAL RECLAMATION
There must be a
way forward for Nigeria. First, we must shun pretence and admit that we are
still far away from our hopes and aspirations as a people. Then, we can make
deliberate efforts to set this country on the path of honour. We can begin by
redefining the nationhood of this country. In doing this, Nigerians must have
unity of purpose. We must abandon our primordial attachments for a new Nigerian
relationship. We must seek unity and discourage anything that promotes
disunity. We must break down every dichotomy that has held us down as a people.
Our diversity should be no cog in the wheels of progress of this country;
rather, it should be harnessed to lubricate our state machinery and give us
leverage over other nations. What we need now is the unity of marriage; such
unity that brings differences together to bring forth increase (Ojukwu, 1989).
Until the Nigerian polity is completely reconciled with itself, the quest for
national rebirth may remain a daydream.
RESOLVING THE
LEADERSHIP DEBACLE
Our progress as
a nation can be no swifter than our progress in quality leadership. We must
re-conceptualize leadership to emphasize on development rather than chaotic
politics and allow for a system that will enable us put our best foot forward.
This, of course will come to bear when we elevate meritocracy over ethnicity.
In the same
vein, the current notion of leadership as the most lucrative 'business' in
Nigeria should be expunged. In fact, we should start making efforts to make
leadership less attractive. The business of leadership is a serious one and
should be left to only serious-minded people. When this is done, it will see to
the emergence of leaders that will be ready to build for posterity and not
breathlessly scouting for personal gains.
THE ROLE OF THE CITIZENRY
The problem with
Nigeria has not all been about failed leadership but also of bad followership.
In fact, it is said that bad followers make a bad leader. Nigerians should
recognize that the task of building a great nation is a collective
responsibility and should not be left to any one individual or group. The usual
posture of 'looking the other way round' adopted by most Nigerians on issues
bordering on the advancement of this country should be dispelled. It is the
thundering followers that constitute the power of the masquerade.
THE CATALYTIC
ROLE OF YOUTHS IN NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
Not much
progress can be made in the quest for nation-building if the youths are not
integrated into the scheme and this is where citizen-based groups like the
Project Change Initiative (PCI) come in. PCI is an initiative pioneered by my
friend, Obele Gospel and I and other like-minded young people that is heavily
involved in advocacy and sensitisation of the Nigerian youth (from secondary
schools to tertiary institutions) to be concerned with 21st century
cultural thinking of value creation by locating and utilizing opportunities and
maximizing talents than becoming infested with the get-rich-quick syndrome in
society. The basis of this advocacy is that amassing wealth only satisfies an
individual’s self-interest but value creation is the 21st century
cultural pattern that does not only guarantee wealth but most importantly
enhances the life of other individuals, organisations, nations and the World in
the manner that Bill Gates has done with Microsoft Inc. and Larry Page with
Google Inc.
REVIVING OUR VALUE SYSTEM
We must resuscitate our value system which is
anchored on integrity, hardwork and enterprise. In this regard, I suggest that
this should be entrenched as a constitutional role of our traditional
institution. This would be a sure way out of the menace of corruption and
general inefficiency.
We thank God for
the new wave of awareness and enthusiasm that is being created in the mind of
Nigerians at the moment by agencies including the National Orientation Agency
(NOA). We urge the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to join the NOA to do
more in this regard. This is quite strategic for us as it is said that the
recognition of a problem is a basic step in solving such a problem.
CONCLUSION: NIGERIA - THE WORLD POWER-IN-WAITING
We should not
dissipate so much energy on the past because we cannot buy it back. We should
forgive ourselves and redirect our attention to build a new Nigeria. The quest for national development is not a
sprint but a marathon. In the quest to move forward as a people, we must be
ready to endure many twists and turns and be ready to make individual
sacrifices for this country. It was President John Fitzgerald Kennedy who said
'ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your
country.' As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, each of us should carve out
our own small piece of Nigeria in our workplace, home, church, mosque and make
it the ideal of our dreams. By doing this, the sum of our individual efforts
will add up to the Nigeria of our dreams. Yes, we can! Day by day, everything I
see around me makes me believe Nigeria is the World power in-waiting. When a
man decides to embark on a worthy venture, the gods would necessarily back him
up.
Daniel Chimezie is a student, Author, Social
Commentator and Co-Pilot, Project Change Initiative (PCI).
