STRIKER: Be Up And Doing
THERE is a resounding homily among progressives and radical activists: “Do not agonise, organise!” Young, patriotic Nigerians, however many or few, now have to take this counsel seriously considering the depressing level of resignation and helplessness among citizens.
Because of the innate and boundless energy of young Nigerians, collective sense of resignation have now opened up into a channel of self-help engagements – in illegitimate and criminal ventures – by a huge number of those not running away from the country, which further escalates an already grave insecurity situation.
We seem to have come to a pass where problems that have solutions in organised actions are either handed over to God to resolve or simply ignored out of helpless disposition, whereas every single, negative individual act of self-help continues to compound the social problems and emboldens the ruling elites who are the authors of the national problems to brazenly continue in their careless, self-centred policies and programmes of naked exploitation and oppression.
Addressing and resolving complex national problems that affect the lives of almost all citizens cannot be an individual act, however heroic: it requires concerted and organised responses and actions. However intractable the problems seem to be, we should remember these two wise sayings: “there is no problem without solution,” and “the journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.” Confucius said “The man who moved mountain begins by carrying away small stones,” and Nelson Mandela capped it all with a counsel rooted in great experience, “there is no easy road to freedom.”
Some basic reality we must settle down to, therefore, are: we should stop expecting prayers, fasting, God and the gods to do for us what we should do by ourselves; we should never expect to get out of the mess in a hurry knowing it was not also created in a day; we cannot get out of the mess by keeping the same mindset and attitude that allowed us get into the mess in the first place; individual triumphs, criminal or legitimate, in a nation that is in deep conflict and dying, are no achievement; resort to self-help, mostly through criminal exploits, however temporarily rewarding for the perpetrators, are roads to personal and social perdition; no matter your profession, once your country is organised in such a way that the system makes the country a death trap and renders almost all legitimate productive enterprise difficult, if not impossible, then your first duty as a citizen is to contribute your patriotic quota to redeeming your country.
In same vein, it should be clear to us that the whole citizens of a country do not need to rise up and be involved in its social redemption project for it to succeed. Recall that Jesus, the Christ, started alone, and then with 12 disciples; and that the Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) started likewise with few ardent disciples; and the two great religions are where they are today.
Stop agonising; start organising is a great, liberating piece of advice. In various communities, in schools, worship places, work places, trades places, relaxation places, start organising! When there is an interest and desire to personally make a change from self-help to collective solutions and actions, other things will follow and fall in place, including the knowledge of the deep roots of the problems and lasting solutions to them, as well as the activities needed, from the smallest to the biggest.
There is life beyond General Elections and beyond the tenure of any Governor or President. The promises versus the realities of 8 Years of “Change” and “Next Level” should have thought Nigerians to stop hoping on any “renewed hope” by same of the same merchants of calamity. The task of making Nigeria into a great, prosperous nation has little or nothing to do with electing a president, governors and lawmakers periodically. If it was not clear before, it should be clear by now!
A paradigm shift from present mindset and attitude, a deep desire to get together for collective solutions to collective problems, will open in-depth truths about the root causes of the problems, the lasting solutions, the ways and the means, and the steps that will lead us home to genuinely securing our rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in a free, just and mighty Federal Republic of Nigeria that will not only be a giant of Africa but a giant in the world; a nation we will be proud to hand over to our children and their children.
The opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author. It does not represent the editorial position or opinion of OSUN DEFENDER.
