Very often these two words are used interchangeably, even by those who ordinarily should have a better understanding of their different connotations and denotations. But this article is not an exercise in semantics so why is the difference of so much importance?

Put simply everyone needs a roof over their heads but more importantly a roof they can lay claim to for at least 99 years (the legal limit for house or land ownership after which a new deed or lease is required by law, otherwise the said land or house becomes government property.

But the case for couples who often proceed to the status of parents is even more pressing or as our friends in management would put it, urgent and important. ‘Important’ because owning one’s house makes a home a true sanctuary, after all the word sanctuary definitely implies ‘rest of mind’. In today’s Nigeria no tenant can truly say he or she has ‘rest of mind’. If the landlord is not increasing the tenancy rate the neighbours are a vicinity nuisance. ‘Urgent’ because the further the couple postpones this all-important action the more the rest of mind tarries on the horizon and the more their quality of living is compromised.

If you’re in your twenties and above you probably already feel a sense of frustration by merely entertaining the thought of government coming to the rescue of young couples seeking home ownership.

The policies are either unfriendly or the structures hostile or the players mercantile and selfish. So what is independence without freedom? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Our answer is not as depressing as the question, thankfully!

YES, there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel!

But we each have a role to play. As the highly sensitive and gifted entertainer, Michael Jackson said, ‘If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at the man in the mirror…” Indeed, we each need to start with ourselves.

Are you a caretaker full of a million rough tactics engineered to delay service delivery to tenants who’ve fully paid their bills; are you an estate agent who constantly hikes the lease in favour of corporate tenants and foreigners with hard currency to make the Naira-wielding local buyer lie prostrate; are you a landlord who does not think of other streams of income and therefore thrives on perennial increase in lease and sale value to pay his personal bills; are you (and this is the most important!) are you a young couple that’s yet to embrace a savings habit despite the huge income you command? If you can’t change the players in the property sector of the building industry, at least you can change your own habits.

There’s no avatar coming to control the elements in favour of wanabe home-owners. One sure way to independence with freedom is a bold and tenacious savings habit. Forget the inflation argument! There will always be inflation. ‘Yesterday’ will always be a missed memory, even though it was intolerable when it was also a ‘today’. Use the symbolic opportunity of this independence anniversary to reappraise your personal independence? Ask colleagues who are now home-owners for their success secrets. Chances are three out of five practiced the famous, yet unpopular law of DELAYED GRATIFICATION. Save, plan, build or buy.

Throw in the full weight of the law of attraction and sooner than later you too will experience independence with freedom.

Have a wonderful independence anniversary and don’t join those who spend this period focusing on what our leaders have done wrong…quietly focus on what you need to do.

Above all, pop the champagne…or whatever your savings habit allows you to pop J

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