STRIKER: The Task

IN 1986, Obafemi Awolowo said “As long as Nigerians remain what they are, nothing clean, principled or ethical and idealistic can work with them. And Nigerians will remain what they are, unless the evils which now dominate their hearts, at all levels and in all sectors of our politics, business and governmental activities are exorcised.

But I venture to say that they will not be exorcised, and indeed they will be firmly entrenched, unless God Himself imbues a vast majority of us with a revolutionary change of attitude to life and politics or, unless the dialectic processes which have been at work for some twenty years now, perforce, make us perceive the abominable filth that abound in our society, to the end that an inexorable abhorrence of it will be quickened in our hearts and impel us to make drastic changes for the better.”

These words of the Avatar is not only worthy repeating endlessly to Nigerians, it is indeed the deepest, instructive prognosis upon which all patriotic citizens hoping, praying, willing and ready to work on the rebirth of Nigeria should ponder for agenda-setting.

Awolowo was no longer bothered about Nigeria’s noxious political/power elites, as consequential in the distasteful equation as they are. His lens was upon “a vast majority of us…,” “at all levels and in all sectors of our politics, business and governmental activities…,” and “the abominable filth that abound in our society.” That was 37 Years ago; and Nigeria and Nigerians were a saintly society and people compared to today’s appalling realities because, sadly, Nigerians have not only remained what we were, we have degenerated monstrously since then. As of today, the country seems to have been completely surrendered – by a largely iniquitous citizenry – to ignominy, corruption and vice.

The sage, however, had not given up on Nigeria, hinging his hope for its deliverance on “unless God Himself…” and “unless the dialectical process that have been at work…” Simply put: prayers and work. We have to pray fervently for divine favours for the attainment of a revolutionary change of attitude to life and politics by the majority while putting in the full work of re-engineering ourselves and delivering the country from evil. Those are the tasks.

Although our autocratic and irredeemable political elite delight in lip-servicing the phrase “the change begins with you”, the fact remains the fact nevertheless; as Mahatma Ghandi more succinctly put it “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” Redemption and prosperity for Nigeria begins from the individual to the organisation; onwards to the society. The good works that need to be done cannot be done by people who are not good in themselves. When Martin Luther King Jnr said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that; hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that,” he emphatically clarified the impossibility of a people that are not in good standing building an upright society.

Being upright in Nigeria today puts an upright citizen in danger amidst the majority that are nothing but simply disoriented, depraved and passionately endeared to misconduct. Being patriotic to the country beyond all partisan divides puts a citizen in grave danger, and being objective as a citizen imbued with clear, deep, strategic thinking puts one in measureless risk. To be courageous enough to speak out the truth or act in good conscience in line of remedying any social error is deadly risk. However, these are tasks and risks we must begin to joyfully embrace, having sufficiently purified ourselves. There are no saints, we are all sinners but we must be sinners seeking redemption, personally and socially; the difference in the world today being not really about contending ideas and ideologies but between those who care and those who don’t care – about humanity and humanism.

Nigerians must not “remain what they are.” Like Murtala Muhammed said ever since, “It is time to reflect, rethink and to act” such that we can embrace clean, principled, ethical and idealistic visions for our society as to build a new nation of equal rights and justice – Federal Republic of Nigeria – in honour of our Founding Fathers and the benefit of our posterity. From the individual to the organisation and the actions that must be initiated, let the change and the task begin.

• The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not represent the opinions or views of OSUN DEFENDER.