To my fellow country men and women, it is quite a privilege to use this period of the end of a remarkably demanding year; and the beginning of a new year pregnant with so much hope and promise, to download one’s thoughts.
This may remind you of the seasonal ritual churned out from the distant and de-sensitized offices of executive and legislative emperors (strangely, the judiciary hardly partake of this hollow charade).
We have for many years read and “yinmu-ed” (wrinkled noses) at the colourless, soul-less and absent-minded admonitions, and poor attempts at lifting our sagging hopes and bruised expectations with words and thoughts assembled and distributed at the turn of every national, religious or political holidays.
Hopefully, this “eulogy” will resonate with you in a way that will touch, and perhaps, tenderize frayed anxieties, brutalized frustrations, and similar sentiments fueled by the failures and wickedness of our political class. In many ways, some of us have been betrayed by the wanton disregard of those who promised great and mighty things, but failed (and still failing) to meet even minimal expectations.
Many have abandoned any sentiments that cling to the remotest hope that the current crop of political stewardship, at different levels of governance, can “inflict” meaningful impact in areas that actually affect and advance the quality of living, safety and longevity of Nigerians.
Of course, there are countless issues that warrant our distrust of government: budgets are designed and approved with the supposed beneficiaries largely disconnected, and roundly unimpressed about their usefulness or relevance. Actions and commitment of political operators in observing, upholding and respecting the tenets and norms that sustain and deepen democracy leave the citizens wondering whether people in government are not really confused about the true purpose and meaning of public service, representative governance and elected offices.
Even as we promote loudly the determination of this current government in dealing with endemic corruption and villainy in service delivery, the citizens yet have many reasons to believe that corruption is still a powerful tender in the business of governance… There are lingering suspicions that the optics and reality of our so-called fight against corruption, indiscipline and impunity in the management of public finance and resources have not drastically differed from our admittedly inglorious recent past.
If we succumb to the over-hanging depression that surrounds our national status, we risk running several pages of instances and examples of our meaningless profligacy, unjustifiable brutalities, mind-boggling misadventures in diverse areas of our national life, political arrangements, resource management, administrative iniquities, and so on.
Just as mentally stable persons living with disabilities are best served by not interacting with them from the platform of pity, weepy sympathy, disproportionate quota system, and such imbecilic hand-outs…that imply the “disabled” are incapable of effectively using their faculties not impaired; Nigerians must confront the new year with a determination and hope to rise above the limitations and fault-lines of the shambolic democratic operators. We must resolve, and indeed strive to conduct our affairs – in private and open concourses – at a level that projects excellence, consistency, integrity and innovation.
We must acquire the taste and disposition that wait not for what the government should do to help us, or our neighbourhoods – we must take the rope-ends and pull what is necessary to build a virile, effective and sustainable neighbourhoods and communities for our benefits and that of our children.
We must, as a matter of emotional “sanctity”, avoid acts, decisions and alliances which promote corruption, intolerance, moral bankruptcy, indolence, illiteracy, and similar weakening tendencies that may or may not be displayed by operators and leaderships of our politics and public service.
Even when unfortunate situations stare you in the face, and threaten to disrupt your hopes and plans…dig deep within your personality, and draw from the limitless reserve of power the Almighty has deposited in all of us… resolve to stay the course. Remember, no one goes to war without initially counting the cost. You may need the help of others to stand the test of growth…don’t however mistake men for God. Only the Almighty is worth depending on absolutely. Not man…not a system operated by men.
I therefore wish you a clear-headed new year – for prosperity is over-rated!
