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The Rains are Here Again! By Joshua Ocheja
The rains are here again and might just be the dawn of a beautiful beginning for Nigeria, a great nation blessed with good people.
This special season avails to us basic necessities of life manifest in water and food at little or no cost, a season when dry bones shall rise again for our great nation. Yes this is April the fourth month of the year 2009, a year of extra ordinary achievements for Nigeria and Nigerians, The year that opened a new vista in our existence.
I patiently waited for this period of the year to write this piece and as God will have it, it’s actually raining outside. Thoughts flew and attacked themselves within the confine of my mind as to what the future holds for Nigeria. I rationalized, envisaged and concluded within my self that something good is about to happen.
Reading the newspapers has become a part of me that I do not envy in recent times due to the fact I am confronted with a barrage of ill feelings and emotional discontentment from Nigerians for Nigeria whenever I go through the papers.
A lot was said, has been said and is still been said about every government policy, every act of bravery or cowardice exhibited by either a government functionary or a top business executive.
Paramount is the re brand Nigeria campaign launched by the honorable minister of information and communications, Professor Dora Akunyili.
Oh that I wished it would rain down on me, was the solution to the bullets of grumbling that greeted the launch of the campaign, some questioned the rationale behind the re brand campaign and I began to wonder in my thoughts.
In my probing mind I wanted to come to terms with this stark reality, I wanted to put my sociological skills to use and as such I dusted old lecture notes, handouts on social movement, I equally consulted old school mates that were proponents of change all in my quest to proffer a solution as to why Nigerians have lost faith in Nigeria.
The outcome of my ponderings and research did not provide me with that which I yearned for. I was confused. So confused that tears trickled down my face, I never wanted to be in such depressing mood but all I have read in the papers about the re brand campaign did not help me in any positive way.
At last I resigned to faith and sat in the solitude of the four walls of my room and could not help but reminisce about the Nigeria of my dreams. Words outplayed each other; theories fought for relevance, all in my crowded and depressed mind and I unconsciously began to recite...Arise oh compatriots!! Nigeria calls obey to serve our fathers land!! With love and strength and faith, the labor of our leaders past shall never be in vain… Then I saw this blurred symbol I could not place or interpret in lucid terms.
I saw a black shield with two white stripes that come together, like the letter Y that looks somewhat a representation of the two main rivers flowing through Nigeria: the Benue River and the Niger River. There was also a shield that resembles Nigeria's good earth with two horses on each side imitating dignity. Gradually I became interested in this symbol that was playing in my mind. An eagle was standing on top the black shield guarded by the two horses, immediately I remembered the strength of the eagle in the kingdom of birds. I thought that was all until I saw green and white bands on the top of the shield reminding me of the rich agricultural land of an inspiring country with yellow Costus Spectabilis flowers at the base.
This symbol further compounded my worries as I tried hard to construct it to make sense or rather provide the much needed answers I yearned for. Mind you I still rhymed while all these were playing in my mind. Immediately I paused and I began to see clearly like I was watching a movie shot on celluloid camera.
Suddenly there was this realization that I encountered the Nigerian coat of arm! Oh my God I could not believe that I could not place the coat of arm of my country at first sight. I buried my head in shame and realized I was not in tune with the realities facing my country.
Gradually answers began surfacing, then I remembered the recent attacks and disenchantment displayed by Nigerians towards the re brand campaign.
The above clearly illustrate that though we live in Nigeria and are Nigerians, we have refused to let go the mistakes of our past. We are quick to draw references from events that have no direct benefit to our tomorrow. Ironically the average Nigeria believes every government policy is destined for the trash bin. Believing in our selves is the first step to greatness.
Yes just like it took a while for me to comprehend the coat of arm, I know it will take a while before Nigerian begin to see light in the re brand campaign.
We owe this great nation its continued existence, the labor of our leaders past shall never be in vain. We must lend credence to government and its policies not just the re brand project. We need to have at the back of our minds that should we fail as a nation, it’s simply because we refused to believe in Nigeria. Guess what? Everyone will bury his or her head in shame! Because we have failed as a nation blessed with great people with high intellectual abilities, but have channeled these abilities the negative way, by way of discrediting every government policies on the pages of newspapers, homes and offices.
The re brand project is more fundamental than any physical infrastructural development in the sense that if we have all roads tarred and 24 hours electricity supply stable, that will not change the perception foreigners have about Nigeria. Though good enough for our comfort but it will not bring in foreign investors that will consolidate on these feats because we have the whole world labeling Nigerians as criminals, an unsafe place for investment and the likes. So what social amenities we put on ground will not impress anyone outside. We may benefit from it but sincerely it won’t get us out of the woods.
What will and can get us out of the woods is as government is making efforts to improve on these facilities we as Nigerians have a part to play too by making conscious efforts to change our attitude to complement government.
I have learnt that we take delight in been heard and for you to be heard you just have to be a critic that seizes the slight opportunity to run the country down on the pages of newspapers and internet sites.
The time is now for us to pick up our hoes and cutlasses and begin to examine our collective conscience, actions and inactions. We must begin the task of planting seeds of a functional state, better standard of living and a generational shift from the clutch of disappointments and tribulations in this season that the rains are here again.
Manner will not fall from heaven. The key to our great future lies in the hands of every Nigerian, not Professor Dora Akunyili or her ministry. Not until we begin to change the way we feel about our country we will not get to the promise land.
Lending credence to the re brand project is the first step in the right direction, and then good leadership and the likes we yearn for will naturally fall into place.
We all want the Nigeria of our dreams, a Nigeria where Nigerians will start believing in themselves and the country, instead of running the nation down with unpleasant complements, a Nigeria where we can hold our passport anywhere in the world without fear of harassment and intimidation.
All these will be possible if we join hands together and re brand the country for the good of our tomorrow and benefit of the unborn generation.
We are on the part to greatness in this country. Nigeria belongs to all of us and such its success, is ours likewise failure. All hand must be on deck to ensure that the re brand project is a huge success.
I have seen the Nigeria of my dreams! What about you?
Nigeria Good people….. Great Nation…..
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