JEFFMODERN

The first weapon of democracy as many know is the vote, but the greatest weapon of life is knowledge. Knowledge to discern good from bad, to do what is right, to lead with the fear of God, and knowledge to know when to stop.

Zoning which is not supposed to be in the first place, has suddenly started gaining grounds and becoming an issue in Nigeria. In couple of months to come, Nigeria will clock 50, this tells anyone that this country has passed the age of being used as a guinea pig for certain things. The reality here is that the zoning arrangement has always been for the PDP and her dwellers, it absolutely has nothing to do with the many Nigerians whose soul daily craves for a credible president in whom the true dividends of democracy can be felt.

My aim here, is not to speak in favour or against any political party, but to let many Nigerians know that the year 2011 has been set aside by God to reverse the imbalance, injustice, iniquity and inequality that for long being existing in Nigeria.

The pioneer president of the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), Dr. Felix Tudlor, was quoted as saying “…If you look at the history of Nigeria, the North has ruled for over 30 years. The South has not ruled up to 20 years”. To candidly analyse this statement, I think Dr. Felix Tudlor, before speaking of equality and justice, did not consider how many years the South East geopolitical zone has ruled. On this note, I consider his argument as biased, cloned and not of the general interest of Nigerians.

I have said this before and will not stop saying it until I see a changed nation. Nigeria people do not care where the president is coming from or how long a certain geopolitical zone has ruled, if they are been presented with a president with vision, one who can restore the lost glory, one whose true target will see to the unemployment and corruption that has crippled this nation for long, one who will truly revisit and bring to end the electricity issue, sports and many other things that makes a developing country developed. These and more are the many neglected problems of Nigeria, and whose answers don’t come through zoning but by building a system that allows the vote of Nigerians to count.

This question is not new to many Nigerians, however, the recent happenings in the country has resulted in the reincarnation of such a question. Was Nigeria as a nation meant to be a collection of people with diverse languages, culture and heritage ? Was it the initiation of God or just a few individuals who feel they have the power to do and undo, sat down in a round table, plan, assemble these people of different dialects and call them “Nigerians” ?

The Nigeria that I have known and read about all through my growing days is not a monarchical country where one person sits at the top and dictates all through, Nigeria like every other country’s of the world has her own constitution that bind the people together and a rule of law that works and that the people believe in. Please do not have a misconception of this material as its aim is not to inspire confidence to nation breakers but just an instrument to refresh the mind of Nigerians.

What do you say of a country whose president has been missing for over three(3) months, only for the people to hear that he’s back (through the back door according to some political analyst) in the country yesterday (25^th Feb.2010), and not even the vice president (Now acting president) has set his eyes on him ?

What do you say of a country that produces over a million graduates every year but not up to 10% of these graduates are employed ? A nation that call her own offsprings “half baked and unemployable”. A nation where God fatherism prevails. A nation you have to be the son of the minister for you to get a job. A nation where ethnicity, religious crisis, level one corruption, cynicism, forces of kidnapping, is the order of the day. A nation that has crude oil, sunlight, coal etc but the people always sleep and wake without electric power supply. A nation where there is nothing like a blessed gift of innocence. A nation where lying is the only way to become a hero.

What is it, that you call this type of nation ? Is it a nation whose light of oneness is still shinning bright or one that is heading towards destruction ? No matter what the rightful answer to these unanswered questions is, one thing is sure, there is no weapon in this world that is capable of silencing the people of Nigeria.

If am only given an opportunity to say just a few words, what I do say will be that people have the rightful ability to earn life and have it to the fullest, the ability to live comfortably with a great level of liberty, as the citizen of a nation.

Democracy for long maintains the proper but impracticable definition of government of the people by the people and for the people. This government of the people by the people and for the people is divided into two parts, one part harbours the leaders and the other part the followers. The role of the followers in this government is to abide by the country’s constitution, rules and regulations, while the role of the leaders on the other hand is to make sure that followers live an above average life.

Since 1960 till date, all we have seen is the raping of the Nigeria’s constitution by our leaders while the followers bears the abominable pregnancy and suffers it all the way. What do you say of a leader who electrify his pockets instead of electrifying his nation; A leader who educates his home instead of educating the nation; A leader who built good roads in his room instead of building good roads in his nation; A leader who amends the constitution to sooth a second/third term agenda; A leader who renders political speeches instead of rendering political hand/help.

What is it you call this type of leaders? I call them constitutional rapist, political armed robbers, electoral prostitutes, economic kidnappers, educational murderer, leaders with hazy dreams and smoky visions, just name them.

It is high time our leaders quit playing with Nigerian people, we and our country has outgrown this kind of treatment and situation. Do they need to be told that this is the twenty-first century, haven’t we suffered enough, don’t this nation deserve to be better than America or China today, don’t they know that by level of right and liberty, every citizen of this nation ought to be receiving salary from the coffers of the Nigeria’s government whether working or not working.

I have just one advice for this guys that call themselves Nigeria leaders, give chance for change to come in (give chance for a new blood to lead at least, for once).

The secret of every successful man is embedded in his goals, they want the world to remember them for one thing or the other. Abraham Lincoln was tagged one of the worlds failures or losers, but today they pride his name above many other human names. Same goes for Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela, Luther King Jr., Micheal Jackson, you name the rest.

There are hundreds of people out there who live a life without a purpose, as they say, its the worst thing that could happen to any man, it even supersede death. When I walk around and see men without a dream, without a goal, without a plan for his existence, I see an unfruitful tree, a barren woman, an uncompleted structure, I see a life experiencing suffering and awaiting death.

When I here people say that the difference between a rich man and a poor man is information, I always smile and disagree with the ideology. The main difference between one who is rich to one who is poor is their ability to utilize at least, 45% of the functional part of their brains. Many individual out there utilize less than 2% of their brain and leave a huge part lying dormant/idle.

Look, God has never and will never forsake any of his creatures, it is you who allow yourself to be priced by the negative forces of nature. Remember, God says that his plan for us are of good and not of evil. People has failed to become what God planned for them, simply because they always want to become what God has planned for another person. Listen carefully my friend, there is a unique potential in the inside of every existing man and unless you avail your brain the liberty to think freely and avoid the loaded bandwagon of what the majority believe or think, you may not be remembered for anything, now I ask you:

Do you lay claim to liberal education?

Do you want global acclaim and honur to be lavished on you?

Do you wish to become a model to be aspired for?

Do you want people to institute a chair for you in the world of excellence?

Do you wish that people hold for you an undeniable attention?

If you answer “yes” to these questions, I suggest you start saying what you want to be remembered for and start making plans for that. Good luck

Ask twenty married couples what they feel about marriage, whether they will advice the young ones to venture into it or not, 15 out of the 20 response you get will be, marriage is 20% heaven but 80% hell and so, I will never advice any young man mostly to venture into such an over-used and rumpled union.

On the other hand, the young unmarried ones see this from a very different perspective, marriage to them is the way you make it. If not made right, it turns out to be sour and unloving, if made right, it becomes a blessing full of riches and happiness, only then will it be a good thing and those involved obtaineth favour from God.

As the finding goes, a lot of people out there, married and unmarried, has finally concluded and are proposing or suggesting that the best way out of marriage palaver is a “CONTRACT MARRIAGE”.

For the sake of those who do not know what a contract marriage is all about, a contract marriage allows a man and a woman to come together as husband and wife by law, on a stipulated period of an agreed years, after which if the marriage is found interesting by both parties, the contract is extended, otherwise, it ends there and the issues if any, goes to the man while the woman sees them only on visit. This, is contract marriage. This, is what people are proposing.

WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS?

Who is a Nigerian you may ask? A Nigerian is one whose personality and definition encompasses the citizen of a country. A Nigerian is one who in the midst of difficulties, devices a way out; One who is fearless, determined and always aspires to reach the top; One whose adoration to God is in truth and in spirit; One who lay claim to liberal education; Who wants global acclaim and honour to be lavished on him; Who wish to become a model to be aspired to; Who want people to institute a chair for him in the world of excellence. Who wish that people hold for him an undeniable attention. These and lot more are what characterises a true Nigerian.

You were not born a Caucasoid, a Mongoloid, an Australoid,  you were born a Negroid for a purpose. You were not born an American, a British, a German, a Russian or a Chinese, you were born a Nigerian for a purpose, and until you discover the purpose for which you were born a Nigerian, you cannot  be able to make a difference and rescue Nigeria. Until you realise that no matter how accommodating and pleasing a foreign land may seem, you must one day return to your country, you cannot realise the need to make Nigeria pleasing and comforting. Everyone of us, man, woman, boy, girl, all have a moral obligation to make Nigeria a paradise on earth.

A white man or woman in America did not bribe God before he/she was born an American, likewise you, a black man or woman in Nigeria did not bribe God before you were born a Nigerian. Your stories are singular but your destinies are shared. You need to figure out what make your situation different. Stop trying to get an opportunity to leave your country because you think is not comforting and that many things seem not to be working out fine, that’s the ordinary reason you were born a Nigerian. To make a change, to use the gift God has given you to make a difference,  to use your present opportunity and change one thing you like not about your country.

It takes only a determined, willing and challenged heart to figure out what the problem of his country is and quickly proffer a solution that could change the rhythm. Do not be divorced from reality, that decision you are about to make could be your only chance to change the status quo.

Over the years, the youth of this country has always been tagged “The future leaders of tomorrow”, however, my question is: Does this tomorrow never comes?

Mark Hansen said: “Don’t wait until everything is just right, it will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confidence and more and more successful”.

Deducibly, we need not wait any longer for food, clothe, shelter, even employment to be put down on our tables by our government since it has been visibly shown that they are not ready, willing and capable of providing us with this needs. We have to stand up firm and take control of our own situations. When you allow somebody to define you, you may get what you are not, so in order to get a better image of what you are and what you stand for, you need to define yourself and allow people the chance analyze or even believe.

We give them power, courage and the chance. I tell you what you do not know, without we the youth, these guys have nothing and are nothing. Without our assistance, they cannot rig elections, they cannot aid kidnapping, they cannot cause religious troubles, they cannot take money from the coffers of government, they cannot do a whole lot of things. Don’t you know that?

So I think its time for us to stand out and watch them, it is time to begin challenging the current status quos, it is high time we start telling them to get their own kids to do violence and many more. Lets please put into use today the power that God has put into our hand this very day. I await great comments as to the agreement of this piece and how we can further move forward. Cheers.