Author: M.A. Adedoyin
Original Title: Are You Ready?
Date Published: 2, February 2015
Source: http://emergeng..com.ng/2015/02/pg-3-are-you-ready.html?m=1


Many times when people get what they fight so hard to get, they realize it's not what they want after all. Nothing good comes or stays priceless: if you get it free, someone else paid for it and, by the way, it will still be useless if you don't pay the price to obtain its full benefit.

That is why the old Nigeria has problems with maintenance; she wants everything free and she doesn't want to pay the price of maximizing the opportunities in and potentials of free gifts.

Nigeria's problem is not corruption (as terrible and destructive as it has been) and, definitely, it is not poverty because we are rich as a nation. Nigeria's problem is the lack of a national vision. "What about Vision 2020?" A national vision is not the same as a president's vision for a nation. The latter is driven by the president and appointed or selected "drivers"(leaders, ministers etc) whereas the former, that is a national vision is driven by the people. A national vision is that which has become an obsession of citizens and residents of a nation. Our national vision determines our choice of system of governance and, at any point in time, who 'steers the wheel'.

The question is: Are you willing to forget the past of Nigeria- which includes your own past or current experience in Nigeria and your past as a Nigerian - and embrace a vision for the future?

It makes us feel knowledgeable when we analyze history and quote the heroes of the ages past but what can all the analyses do for us when we don't know where we are heading as a nation. We must be willing to talk about the future we prefer and make deliberate moves, as individuals, away from the past- no matter how beautiful or how terrible it had been.

How can you pray to win elections with a primary motive and vision to "share the national cake"? Why do we complain about members of the National Assembly when in the public offices we are among those diverting potential public money into personal account? Visit the Nigerian Immigration Service Passport Centres, for example, and see how people get original passports out quickly by making extra payments not going into the government's account. Those who go the normal route are treated as secondary applicants; their files would not be treated on time because some staff of the government have found another source of income by creating a service parallel to what they were employed to do. Why do we make simple procedures complex or leave it complex after discovering a better way of doing things just because we benefit from the complexity at the expense of others and at the expense of our nation?

Are you ready? Are you ready to give up initial personal gains to permit the emergence of a new nation where everybody gains?

When we say we want things to get better in Nigeria, do we mean we are willing to play our roles and participate in the transformation of our nation? Or are we just wishing?

You said you want the present political party voted out but you are begging your child not to officiate, as a National Youth Service Corps member, in the electoral process. Are you really ready? Other people's children should officiate: if someone would be killed it should be the relative of someone else. Other people can suffer loss but not you! Instead of rising up and putting our foot on the ground that things must be done right and getting ready to provide information and any support to security agents when we can; instead of choosing to provide support or protection for people who may suffer in case things go wrong, what we are tempted to do is hide our heads in the sand like the Ostrich while everyone else sees how vulnerable we are.

Of course, a forward-thinking nation must keep evolving in processes and procedures to ensure best outcomes at every occasion. Before we get to where we are going we must keep moving. The unpalatable steps we take when things are not yet like we want it, that is what is called "Sacrifice."

If we are ready to move on; if we are not joking about not liking how Nigeria is today, we need to change certain mindsets and philosophies that seems to be found everywhere in our nation. As I have said, you and I need to be ready for the change we say we want. Otherwise, when we see it we will call it evil.

If we don't confront the way we think and do things differently we are not ready for change, we are only wishing things change. Anybody who is serious about experiencing something new must get to work doing something new. Do you expect a different result to come out of doing things the same way? That won't be wisdom.

We must first change to experience change and to maintain it.

cc: Lalasticlacla

Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion.

D story 2 much,,cnt read it,,it may make fp lyk dat,,make i jst comment

Truly having to start all over again and again instead of improving is our major setback (See Ambode of lagos still fighting to get his own direction instead of concentrate and improve things Fashola started). Its the masses that suffers the turning round about without moving forward.

abiolasogey:
D story 2 much,,cnt read it,,it may make fp lyk dat,,make i jst comment

That's why important points were emboldened or coloured.

By the way you CAN read it, just feeling too lazy to I guess .

I think developing discipline to read better stuffs than gossips and photos posts of inconsequential events is an area we need to work on sef.