|
The Unfinished Kerfuffle: Ekiti Rerun Insults Rebranding By Segun Imohiosen
“Wisdom is the ability to learn from other people’s mistakes but you don’t have to experience the same thing” Les Brown.
There is a piquant note of caution in the words of the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on the recent uproar in Ekiti rerun to the government that must not be treated with contempt. He said: “The Federal Government should better watch it. We have reached a stage when the line is drawn across the sand in preparation for battle to be launched in a few years’ time, and the battle ground is Ekiti State. The result must be free, clear and honest. All vices must be terminated and anything short of that will lead to chaos”. I fear the language of the elders because they do not talk in a vacuum but through experience. If it does not come to pass in the morning, at the long run, I fear it may take place at night. I will appeal to those endowed with power to look keenly into this matter and not handle what is happening in Ekiti with kid’s glove as the word spoken by the sage cannot be for fun. We should realise that the awareness is becoming keener and it will not always be business as usual.
‘Expectation shows up in behaviour’ as I learnt. I understand that you have to make your mind up for a radical change in life to become what you dreamed. What you want to become or see happen can only be made possible if you throw your entire life into it. Learning at the feet of the likes of Myles Monroe, E.A. Adeboye, Les Brown, Mike Murdock, David Oyedepo, Matthew Ashimolowo of the “Winning Ways” fame and a host of other great teachers of our time was good because it opened one up to appreciate life from different perspectives by virtue of the experiences of these people. Dreams can not be killed if the dreamer believes totally in the dream and in his own ability to realise this dreams. As people of a common destiny, we must become our ‘dream’ for this nation. Nigeria has so much at stake and can not afford to miss it now; the world is watching.
This piece may appear unsettling to those who hate to hear the truth and are ashamed when the truth stares at them right in the eyes. That is really not the intention for this but to create a yearning for a rethink that will birth order and legitimacy in the polity. That a few of us have an opportunity to be in control, we must learn to hear the truth said about us so as to make the change that can better us and by extension our future and that of those who are under our custody. The show of shame exhibited in Ekiti in recent time has only come to proof that we are still playing in the Dark Ages without recourse to the new way of life we are set to toe as it is. Only God knows so far how much has gone into rebranding today, but the essence of rebranding as far as I am concerned and to other observers particularly with regards to the Ekiti rerun saga has come to show that we are either not yet ready for rebranding, to be rebranded or that the actors in the rerun have decided to make a mockery of the entire course on rebranding. I wonder what the Chief Rebrander is saying about all of this.
Ghana election was not too distant, but we all saw maturity displayed by those people who fled their country for greener pasture some years ago due to the socio-political and economic imbroglio and depression their country experienced. ‘Ghana-must-go’ was the slogan at one time. The story has so far changed; they have no reason to go anywhere from their country again as Ghana is settled, repositioned both politically and economically-making impact internationally. Meanwhile that same country has today become home, business domain and holiday resort to so many Nigerians. That we are called the giant of Africa but living contrary to this nomenclature by this display of rawness and naiveté will not earn us the respect we deserve as the most populous black nation on the face of the earth and in the comity of nations.
The spirit of rebranding is very welcomed despite the disenchantment of some group of people within and in the Diaspora. They can not be blamed for their apathy; so many people are tired of ‘Waiting for Godot’, after all they are flesh and blood. A lot of Nigerians feel raped and violated by the system and as they can not fight the system they resigned to fate. Without my knowing it, I have found myself holding brief for Nigeria so many times because I believe in it. In fact recently I was challenged online and by some who traced me and wanted to know why I am ever so passionate about the country in my articles. The crux of the matter for me is that there is no other place to go except Nigeria. All I do is in the spirit of patriotism for my country and the passion I have for what I do. I am too convinced that in spite of what is going on today, Nigeria will not die. Those who said they are tired of Nigeria and its crop of leadership will not be totally blamed or condemned for their stand; the decision was as a result of experience and time. Why some believe that Nigerian government coupled with its leadership have failed and disappointed them is based on the pain that came over time through promises made but not kept. These people are not asking too much from their country - just power (electricity), good roads, functional health care system, and a few other infrastructures that could just be taking for granted in any sane nation and nothing more. With this in place, for so many, rebranding has already started and yielding dividends. For some, if there was just one point agenda that is addressing power and it is realisable and achievable in the four years and another one in another four years, rebranding is on course. And not this show of shame that is anti-rebranding in Ekiti. The people are aware that the entire kerfuffle is not in any way in favour of the poor masses but still to further reposition some people within the system to further continue their uncouth enterprise.
My worry has always been the impression we create of ourselves before the international community. Nigeria has so much at stake at this point in time of its history and especially by virtue of its vision for 2020 and our expectation as a nation. If the thinking is how to become economic viable and be respected among the nations of the world, it may be very difficult and unachievable if certain cogent and viable factors are not considered in terms of its socio-political leaning that plays a fundamental role in how we are perceived in the international scene. It is not my desire to raise the ugly issues at Ekiti on the rerun because the media has done more than enough reportage on it both locally and foreign. But my challenge is that if these things are taking as do-or-die as it is, then we are yet to be ready for that change that rebranding is crusading. Sometime we justify the claim of the observers and commentators who are wont to saying that we are a nation that keeps recycling the same group of people in government through our attitude in election.
What happened in Ekiti may look like the regular but we should be very careful that it does not degenerate. In a situation where there are hues and cry and discontent among the people and the people believe that the turn out at the poll was neither a true reflection of the election nor in tune with the figures declared can create an imbalance that may affect all of us. What the nation is toying with at this time bespeaks of the kind of trouble that could throw the entire country into commotion. We live as Peter Drucker said in a time of change, complexity and competition. It is important we embark on the change that will better Nigeria. We have reasonably enjoyed the hand of the Almighty in this country considering where we are coming from and our history. But it appears we are not learning but taking the grace of God for granted.
I encountered some member of the academia researching on rebranding who had contact with some of my published articles on this subject and part of the things I told them is that rebranding is generally another way to explain better what SERVICOM was positioned to do in government but to take rebranding through all spheres - the grassroots and the top or better still from those at the top to the people at the grass root. Not just merely by the dislocation of semantics but in the true sense of rebranding that cuts across the three tiers of government, federal, states and local government and even through the executive, the legislative and the judiciary and to the people, no one must be left out. The rebranding project is to revisit in a more benign way what Buhari and Idiagbon junta was set out to achieve in those days. The WAR AGAINST INDISCIPLINE (WAI) project was created to inculcate order into the system at all levels. That experience seemed only a few years ago. Nigeria was the better for it that time; we were all eye witnesses. We queued up for everything and nobody was ever left out. So, orderliness was the purpose of all of that. If it must be reiterated for all to know that the core of rebranding Professor Dora Akunyili is promoting is just ORDERLINESS. Will you say orderliness was given a place in Ekiti rerun? What is happening to us? I leave that to you to fill in.
John Donne, the lord of the metaphysical once said that “no man is an island”. On this note it will not be out of place if the government planned a retreat in governance and invite the likes of Pastor E.A. Adeboye, John Maxwell, Dr. Myles Monroe, Les Brown, Bishop David Oyedepo, Mike Murdock, Sheik Gumi and others in that category that have been invited by different government of other countries of the world to advise and encourage them on governance to do same in Nigeria. To borrow a wandering leaf from the nations of the world that have done this is not out of place. It is possible some things are being taking for granted and these people specially endowed by God can open their eyes to it. After all, in the multitude of counsellors, there is safety; you can not know it all. If these motivators are bettering lives of corporate people and government of different nations, it will not be out of place for Nigeria to benefit from their ‘gifting’.
This country can not afford to be thrown into the kind of chaos experienced by some of our African brothers. The aftermath of such will be too horrendous for Nigeria to bear. We are not an ordinary nation but one ‘chosen’ country endowed by God to be showcased for greatness globally. It is so unfortunate that many of us are not aware of this fact and as such we are playing to the gallery. That we have enjoyed relative peace in spite of all our challenges as a nation must not be handled cheaply, it is therefore good for us to learn to do this in the spirit of rebranding. They say “charity begins at home; it is only when you have excess you take abroad”. Nigeria, Great Nation, Good People.
Segun Imohiosen writes from Abuja |