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Nigerians Are A Lot of Things, But Failure We Are Not By D. Akinsanya Juliuson NIGERIANS ARE A LOT OF THINGS, BUT FAILURE WE ARE NOT Many believe in the saying that "perception is reality." People might end up saying if President Obasanjo's administration is perceived as a failure, then Nigeria is perceived as a failure. And if Nigeria is perceived as a failure, then President Obasanjo himself is perceived as a failure. Nigeria and we (Nigerians) are a lot of things to a lot of people, but one thing we are not is a failure. Great leaders can take mediocre institutions and make them great. Poor leaders can denigrate the quality of a great institution. I believe there are three interrelated components of leadership. The first is strategic leadership; the second, operational leadership and the third human leadership. To ensure our government take the right strategic path, our government must develop a statement of its vision, values and goals. Nigerian government's vision should be to enrich its citizen's lives and to be the African Union's most sort after nation. Our government's vision should identify what businesses they are in and why they are in them. They should be able to stand up and say that "We enrich our citizen's lives; that should be the privilege of the government they are in. Our government should be very clear about whom they are - A government of the people. They should be very clear about what they want to be - African Leader. It's obvious that President Obasanjo does not want to be second, but first. Our government's statement of values should define our culture. It should look for team players; look for people who are citizen - focused, look for practitioners, experts, dedicated Nigerians, and look for people who embody its style and people who will go extra mile to enhance its reputation. Being a responsible government shouldn't be a luxury for our government. At every opportunity, our leaders i.e. government should communicate their worthy goals to the citizens of Nigeria. Nigerian government's vision, values and goals statements should ensure our government has the right big picture. Without an operational leadership getting the big picture right counts for little, and that's the bottom line. WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID IN TIMES OF DANGER It's been said that, if we have the power to change nothing else, we can change our mind. By change, I don't mean waffle around; rather, I mean to adapt to necessity, to learn quickly and to go from a less creative state to a more creative one. We are learning. One of the things we are learning is that our learning process is without an end. Always, there is going to be more to understand. This, presumably, is why some people retreat into the world of academia, never to emerge. We can spend a lifetime studying just one topic, yet still never safely say we know all there is to know. That's clearly not an option in our current situation. But we can (and should) study just a little more before we jump to any conclusion. When imbecility and folly are laid low a powerful people will regard the liberty they have lost. The Lord says; don't be upset when someone becomes rich, when his wealth grows even greater; he can not take it with him when he dies; his wealth will not go with him to the grave. Even if he is satisfied with this life and is praised because he is successful, he will surely join all his ancestors in death, where the darkness lasts for ever. His greatness, power, authority, arrogance, selfishness, evil mind can not save him from death; he will still die like a dog. This is a year that evil mobs (not the innocent Nigerians), will face the wrath of God. I believe in what my heart is telling me that, that same river that brings joy to the City of God, to the sacred house of the Most High, will by God bring peace, joy, happiness and harmony to our beloved country Nigeria. No country in the world has the right to appoint a leader over us. The Lord will surely appoint His chosen leader for Nigeria. A leader the Most High has prepared his way. The Lord has stirred His chosen leader to action to fulfil His purpose and put things right. No one will hire him or bribe him to rebuild Nigeria. God will not reprimand or punish the poor, but agents of oppression, destruction and death in our midst. What needs to be said? Plenty! What needs to be done? Not a lot..yet. Let's place the emphasis on discussion not decision. Let's wait to see who says what to us. Let's expect positive developments to unfold naturally. Let's consider ourselves protected by the sincerity, integrity and honesty in our hearts. I am inviting Nigerians to give peace and magic a chance. If things seem to be going wrong, let's ask why, and look for easy ways to put them right. The mountains and hills may crumble, but the Lord's love for Nigeria will never end. For this generation's sake, He will forever keep His promise of justice and peace amongst His own children. LET'S NOT BE AFRAID OF CHANGING SLOWLY BUT..OF STANDING STILL According to Sirach; "A wise ruler will educate his people and his government will be orderly. All the officials and all the citizens will be like their ruler. An uneducated king will surely ruin his people, but a government will grow strong if its rulers are wise. The Lord sees to the government of the world and brings the right person to power at the right time. The success of that person is in the Lord's hands. The Lord is the source of the honour given to any official. A king may be alive today and dead tomorrow. When a person dies, all he then possesses is worms, flies and maggots. Pride has its beginning when a person abandons the Lord, his maker. Pride is like a fountain pouring out sin, and whoever persists in it will be filled with wickedness. That is why the Lord brought terrible punishments on some people and completely destroyed them. The Lord has overthrown kings and puts humbler people in their place. The Lord has overthrown empires and completely devastated their lands. He destroyed some so completely that they are not even remembered any more. The Creator never intended human beings to be arrogant and violent. Arrogance and injustice are hated by both the Lord and man. Injustice, arrogance and wealth cause nations to fall from power, and others then rise to take their place". Let's ask ourselves some questions; If you make something so difficult look so simple; If you have this internal fire, and internal intensity; If you let your work, intelligence, ideas, visions and wisdom speak for you; If you are a genius in your field and you have sacrificed a lot to be where and whom you are today; If you are too humble to see how great you are and you let your dreams, executions and convictions speak for you; If you are the epitome of modern day Nigerian and you want to be remembered as the nations most valuable and loyal ambassador; If you want to be remembered as a leader who rid your nation of evil mobs, character assassins, blackmailers, nepotism and tribalism. Are you a true citizen? Are you a leader? Are you a servant of the Most High? For every Nigerian with a heart, the moment has come for us to either PERISH or ADVANCE. I hope we chose the latter. We have no time to waste and right now, the only way forward is to attack corruption, tribalism, nepotism, oppression, child prostitution and character assassination with full force wherever it may be found. We have been given the opportunity to lift ourselves up and to change the face of our world especially, our continent Africa. However, our government must rid Nigeria of the mainspring of evil. Nigerians and our government need to question some desperate people's political integrity, political honesty, personal honesty and loyalty to both Nigeria and Nigerians. Let's be extremely careful not to place our confidence so much in a desperate politician, as to put a weapon in his hand which he might, in future turn upon us. We must be grateful to God for his love for Nigeria. We must fight against every deadly disease that's destroying our economy, our country's image, our generation and our country's future. We must learn to be civil to everyman as we know not who might prove our friend. We must find a way to offer support without letting the whole world know and without being disloyal to our country and our leaders. Let's be philosophical and try to support rather than apportion blame. Let's chose our moment and words very carefully. Let's appreciate the fact that mutual respect (especially for our leaders), partnership, and understanding between men and women are the best and only way. Let's not be afraid of changing slowly; but let's be afraid of standing still. D. Akinsanya Juliuson Cultural Diplomacy Practitioner and Specialist Investigator |