FOR NIGERIA AT 61, IT’S LAFIYA DOLE, PEACE BY FORCE

By FEMI ADESINA

Nigeria is 61 years old as an Independent country. And so what? What’s the big deal about it? That is what some people will say, arguing that all we have seen is flag independence, and no true emancipation for the citizens.

There’s a big deal about every landmark or milestone we reach in life, because we may as well not have made it to that point. We could have fallen by the wayside, or vanished like smoke. The world owes nobody a living. Not individuals, not countries. That is why the Good Book enjoins us to number our days, “that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12).

The cynic, sceptic or scoffer may say what is there to celebrate about Nigeria, with all its troubles. A country yet to realize its potentials at 61, an adult condemned to a perpetual life of crawling. They will mention the negatives: massive insecurity, insurrection agitations, millions of jobless youths, struggling economy, humongous corrupt acts, and others, which have all characterized national life.

Yes, you can dwell so much on the storm, that you never get to enjoy the rainfall and its soothing effects. Nigeria is also the land of a resurgent economy, with the indices looking up and promising to get better. It is a country where stealing has become corruption and graft is being robustly fought, and it is a polity that is wiping out enemies of its soul, cleaning up the forests, cities, towns taken over by terrorists and bandits, with the prospect of restoring peace at the shortest possible time. It is the land of renaissance in infrastructure: rail, roads, bridges, airports, and others.

Sadly, some people do not want peace for Nigeria. They do not only promote but celebrate rupture of tranquility, repose or serenity. They are glad when our troops suffer reversals on the battlefield. When they make advances, giving enemies of our country bloody noses, they pretend not to see. But when bombs go off, killing and maiming innocent people, when bandits sack villages, or invade schools and abduct students, they quickly shout ‘security architecture,’ and alleged incompetence. They trumpet negatives, and close their eyes to positives. And in the blind search for power and relevance, they even subterraneanly bankroll terrorists.

Some others, with giant sized grudges against the polity, plot to dismember it. But I ask: who does not have one grievance or the other against Nigeria? Is there any ethnic group that does not have one angst or the other? But if we have worries or perturbation, is then the next option a pulling down of the roof? Do we crash the superstructure? Do we turn the country into a tailspin, simply because we are disaffected? Do we break the eggs of the chicken, because the bird upended our medicine pot?

As we celebrate Nigeria at 61, I join William Cowper, who said, “England, with all thy faults, I love thee still; my country.” Nigeria, with all thy faults, I love thee still; my country.

I don’t know how it is with you, if you are a frequent traveler. The best I enjoy a foreign land is one week, after which I begin to miss good, old Nigeria. The smell. The flora. The fauna. The cuisine. The sense and sensibility. I pray I never get sentenced or consigned to life abroad, wittingly or unwittingly. Nigeria, with all thy faults, I love thee still; my country.

Lack of peace seems to be the greatest bane of Nigeria today, despite wonderful showing in many other areas. Peace has turned tail, and fled. But I venture to say that with the resolve of good people, and the commitment of government, Nigeria will yet know peace. If the country unravels, as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said recently, we shall all be losers. Nobody gains. Nigeria will, therefore, have peace. It must have peace. As the Hausa phrase goes, it is Lafiya Dole. Peace by Force. We must have it, and we will get it. And we don’t have to necessarily spill blood for it. It is the enemies of peace that will lose and must lose out.

A country of about 200 million people, troubled by a sprinkling. Will they succeed? Never. We fought a war of unity, in which about two million people perished. Did we do all that, only to eventually allow ourselves to be splintered by people with blinkered ideologies? Never! Nigeria will have peace, and must have peace, even as she turns 61. It’s Lafiya Dole. Peace by Force. And I say again, we can achieve it without bloodletting, if some forces let reason prevail.

I am happy that the Good Book supports me. “Now, may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians, 3:16). Peace by Force. Lafiya Dole. Even the Holy Bible supports it. Peace at all times, and in every way. We will have it. The higher powers back it. Therefore, there’s no room for caterwauling, endless wailings on what has not been done, ignoring the lot that has been accomplished. Nigeria will have peace. By Force. That is my prayer for the country at 61. Amen.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

There is nothing that is done with force that ushers in peace
So lafiya dole is an irony at best.

Femi talking rubbish as usual

Sorry for those wey go kpai for this cause. It's not worth it

Mtchewwww. Waiting concern we wey dey abroad?

Zombies, Oya come and read your dead OGA story

Gaskiya! There's no lie. Every element that want to cause division in this country will have no rest. Be it from South EAST or North EAST.

PEACE by Force. Lafiya Dole.

Peace by force? Peace you have not been able to achieve since 2009 when the government murdered abubakar Yusuf extra judicially that led to the unending war with boko haram?

Peace that you cannot achieve by supporting foreign herdsmen to kill Nigerians in their ancestral land. Peace you have been unable to achieve since you forced easterners to take up arms against the state through extra judicial murder of ipob members?

Every single problem of insecurity bedeviling Nigeria today was and is caused by the Nigerian government.
Until the government employs a honest approach by prosecuting sponsors of bokoharam and Fulani herdsmen, dialogue with ipob and remove ethnocentrism. That is only when Nigeria can achieve true and everlasting peace.
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I no Sabi read. Abeg make person help me do voice note

We hear.

Peace by Force also means Graveyard Peace.

Nigeria at 61 without any achievement.. I pity does saying that IPOB race is not for the betterment of nde igbo. Like for IPOB share for one Nigeria.

The OP is Presidency asin Aso rock. don't tell me femi adeshina has joined Nairaland

Oga femi is that you?

Wonders shall never end

If you read that pointless novel way baba write up there that means you fit read dictionary finish in once week,Oga adeshina seff know say Naija na scam but as usual man gas fight for him belle and pocket..

Meanwhile Yabatech part-time form registeration is till ongoing and will end October 31,we are here to help make you Admission a smooth ride,if interested click the below link to get our contact..
https://www.nairaland.com/6786405/yabatech-partime-form-2021-2022

Opor

Femi Adesina is a Yoruba ba.stard fellow just because what you will eat, he is saying or writing trash in favour of undefendable adminstration of doom.

Sycophancy is a very dangerous illness. Nigeria is one of the worst creation of man. Someone should get this man's face out of Buhari's ass before the putrid smell suffocates him.

What money can not do. This guy has been seriously compromised.

Werey

Like Joe Igbokwe like femi adesina

When buhari leaves by 2023

This idiot would realize how much of a mess he has been

Even Lai Mohamed has left defending the undefendable job

Lmao

A

Donkey

Summary pls?

Abeg I no get time to read Femi epistle.

Journey of a thousand miles starts with a step

Unfortunately for Nigeria, I don't even think we are on the right path. It's like someone inside a bus from Onitsha heading to Maiduguri & expecting to arrive in Lagos.

It's a shame that the word "Dole" is even used in the first place. Dole is a very common bragging harsh words used by HausafulaniKanuri muslims to other people who are not all across the North.
Its despicable, vile, down grading and hate filled. More like telling someone that he has no option than to love you by force. This is evil. Muslims used those terms religiously while Christians don't because Jesus never taught us to force love and peace on anyone

Mtcheeew!

The ass licking chief Zombie himself.
Who expects any less from an idiot that has sold his conscience for a grain of rice.
People like this shouldn't talk about peace at all.
Or is he trying to remind us of the peace he tried to negotiate for by asking the Benue people to give their lands to those renegade herdsmen for "peace to reign in Benue".?
My consolation in all these is that "power is transient".
One day this guy would be out of power and would be relegated to the bottom of a thrash can.
But for now let him continue with this arduous task of defending rubbish.

Even while spilling the blood of the innocent in the process? Surely every man will give an account of every idle word spoken.

Peace without a doubt is highly desirable, but only when there is equity and justice in the land. You don't need to unleash the army on the innocent if you do away with nepotism and quit trying to make harmless citizens feel like second class people in their once beloved country.

presidency:
FOR NIGERIA AT 61, IT’S LAFIYA DOLE, PEACE BY FORCE

By FEMI ADESINA

Nigeria is 61 years old as an Independent country. And so what? What’s the big deal about it? That is what some people will say, arguing that all we have seen is flag independence, and no true emancipation for the citizens.

There’s a big deal about every landmark or milestone we reach in life, because we may as well not have made it to that point. We could have fallen by the wayside, or vanished like smoke. The world owes nobody a living. Not individuals, not countries. That is why the Good Book enjoins us to number our days, “that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12).

The cynic, sceptic or scoffer may say what is there to celebrate about Nigeria, with all its troubles. A country yet to realize its potentials at 61, an adult condemned to a perpetual life of crawling. They will mention the negatives: massive insecurity, insurrection agitations, millions of jobless youths, struggling economy, humongous corrupt acts, and others, which have all characterized national life.

Yes, you can dwell so much on the storm, that you never get to enjoy the rainfall and its soothing effects. Nigeria is also the land of a resurgent economy, with the indices looking up and promising to get better. It is a country where stealing has become corruption and graft is being robustly fought, and it is a polity that is wiping out enemies of its soul, cleaning up the forests, cities, towns taken over by terrorists and bandits, with the prospect of restoring peace at the shortest possible time. It is the land of renaissance in infrastructure: rail, roads, bridges, airports, and others.

Sadly, some people do not want peace for Nigeria. They do not only promote but celebrate rupture of tranquility, repose or serenity. They are glad when our troops suffer reversals on the battlefield. When they make advances, giving enemies of our country bloody noses, they pretend not to see. But when bombs go off, killing and maiming innocent people, when bandits sack villages, or invade schools and abduct students, they quickly shout ‘security architecture,’ and alleged incompetence. They trumpet negatives, and close their eyes to positives. And in the blind search for power and relevance, they even subterraneanly bankroll terrorists.

Some others, with giant sized grudges against the polity, plot to dismember it. But I ask: who does not have one grievance or the other against Nigeria? Is there any ethnic group that does not have one angst or the other? But if we have worries or perturbation, is then the next option a pulling down of the roof? Do we crash the superstructure? Do we turn the country into a tailspin, simply because we are disaffected? Do we break the eggs of the chicken, because the bird upended our medicine pot?

As we celebrate Nigeria at 61, I join William Cowper, who said, “England, with all thy faults, I love thee still; my country.” Nigeria, with all thy faults, I love thee still; my country.

I don’t know how it is with you, if you are a frequent traveler. The best I enjoy a foreign land is one week, after which I begin to miss good, old Nigeria. The smell. The flora. The fauna. The cuisine. The sense and sensibility. I pray I never get sentenced or consigned to life abroad, wittingly or unwittingly. Nigeria, with all thy faults, I love thee still; my country.

Lack of peace seems to be the greatest bane of Nigeria today, despite wonderful showing in many other areas. Peace has turned tail, and fled. But I venture to say that with the resolve of good people, and the commitment of government, Nigeria will yet know peace. If the country unravels, as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said recently, we shall all be losers. Nobody gains. Nigeria will, therefore, have peace. It must have peace. As the Hausa phrase goes, it is Lafiya Dole. Peace by Force. We must have it, and we will get it. And we don’t have to necessarily spill blood for it. It is the enemies of peace that will lose and must lose out.

A country of about 200 million people, troubled by a sprinkling. Will they succeed? Never. We fought a war of unity, in which about two million people perished. Did we do all that, only to eventually allow ourselves to be splintered by people with blinkered ideologies? Never! Nigeria will have peace, and must have peace, even as she turns 61. It’s Lafiya Dole. Peace by Force. And I say again, we can achieve it without bloodletting, if some forces let reason prevail.

I am happy that the Good Book supports me. “Now, may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians, 3:16). Peace by Force. Lafiya Dole. Even the Holy Bible supports it. Peace at all times, and in every way. We will have it. The higher powers back it. Therefore, there’s no room for caterwauling, endless wailings on what has not been done, ignoring the lot that has been accomplished. Nigeria will have peace. By Force. That is my prayer for the country at 61. Amen.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

Femi, with the fact that you know Buhari is evil and you are still supporting is evil and life destroying agenda na haemorrhage go destroy your yansh.