This article was written by my school father (Taofeek Ajibola Lawal). Feel free to comment. Most of the sayings of our fathers are not just philosophical; they are as well scientific. Our fathers do say whatever an elderly person would see while sitting, a younger folk may not be able to see even if he climbs to the top of a very tall tree. When the late Sage, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, was interviewed by the Press shortly after the criminal annulment of the freest election ever conducted in Nigeria, the Owelle of Onitsha had said: “This was not the Nigeria we fought for”. He then added that the unexampled arrogant display of power was going to do a terrible blow to the then fragile unity of the country. By June this year, it will be 22 years when those words of wisdom were uttered by one of those that were in the best position to utter them. Even those who were responsible for that mutiny against their fatherland needed no soothsayer to tell them that no pillar of unity could be stronger than the one they had selfishly demolished then.
An inventory of the number of lives as well as the number of private and public properties that were lost to the aftermath of that annulment would only remind one of the wound of heart which that event had brought to many Nigerians. It is mind-sickening. Many illustrious sons and daughters of the country, including the winner of that election himself, were wasted like good-for-nothing garbage stuffs. But, with each day passing, through a plus-one-minus-one mathematical equation, we all add one day to our days on earth and at the same time close the gap between us and our grave by one day. Those who kill and those who are killed will surely be assembled before their Lord one day; the day when wealth, power and position will be useless and meaningless. Quite painfully, some of the masterminds of the heinous crime against the nation have now assumed the status of elder statesmen, while some have, for long, been presiding over the same democratic structure they so vehemently opposed and frontally attacked.
I have the following questions for the political class; the elite ; and the authorities of our military
institutions:
1. What offence have we the masses of Nigeria committed that they have refused to forgive us?
2. Is there a Nigerian that is more Nigerian than other Nigerians?
3. Do we all not have equal stake in the affairs of our jointly owned country? and
4. Is it ever equitable that our own fathers were servants to their fathers; we are now their own servants; and our children will still be servants to their own children?
In a country so richly blessed, why is the condition of the majority so bad that quite numberless Nigerians go to bed almost every night under empty belly? Violent crime rate is steeply rising; the nation is enveloped in perpetual fear owing to insecurity North and South of the country; high profile corruption pervades the land; food is being taken away from the table of many while many cannot afford to put their children in school. Some sponsored foreign economic analysts can sit down in their comfort zone and continue to roll out fallacious statistics about the state of Nigerian economy, but Nigerians who are the owners of the economy know where the shoe pinches.
Just like the Great Zik of Africa had predicted, Nigeria has ever since remained a flock in search of the right shepherd. The country has continued to be handed over (like baton in a relay race) from one “accidental public servant” to another; and so the ship of the nation is on a directionless journey, heading to nowhere. The spirits of June 12 appear to be very adamant, calling for the atonement of the blood of the innocent ones which was unjustly shed.
As the nation warms up for another destiny-changing exercise, it is hoped all stakeholders will hold the interest of the country higher in their mind than their own selfish interest. Those who have either annulled or rigged elections in the past are all alive today to witness the devastating effects of their destructive actions; and the spirits of the victims of their acts of injustice will never allow them to be at peace. The issue on ground is not about being a Muslim or Christian; it is never about being from the North or South; neither is it being a member of the PDP, APC or APGA. It is about Nigeria. If at this 21st Century, and with all our bitter political experience, some people still believe in voting on the strength of religious and ethno-tribal sentiments, let them go ahead and do it. We are all in the same boat together and I do not think anyone can beat his chest to have any safety net in the event of the boat sinking (God forbid). Instead of taking advantage of our numerical strength and leverage on our cultural diversity to reposition our dear country on the map of international politics and economics, discordant tunes of war and division are what we keep singing all about. Bearing upon our antecedents as a people, Nigerians are not behaving like good students of history. If we cannot learn from war-turn countries like Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Ukraine and others, why can’t we reflect on our own civil war which left a lot of children fatherless; a lot of fathers childless; and a lot of wives husband-less?
If some people ever believe that they will have better pay-off from a break-up, or that without them, Nigeria will not be, let those people find out what has become of countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Southern Sudan who are all products of secession.
And, the earlier we come off our usual over-exaggerated religious thinking, that God will deliver us, the better. This is one of our weaknesses over the years for which the political class has been having a field day each time they change our decision at the polls. They know that an average Nigerian will never say ‘No’ when his right is trampled upon; he will rather resign himself to fate, expecting God to come and liberate him. The truth of the matter is that at every opportunity to elect our leaders, Nigerians themselves are the holders of the ace; and if we either use it wrongly or we allow our decision to be upturned by desperate politicians, then we should have no one to blame but ourselves. It is absolute stupidity for somebody to keep tackling a problem using the same old approach and then expect a new result. God has never, and will never, come to the rescue of a people who themselves are not ready to have their condition changed for the better. God bless Nigeria Taofeek Ajibola Lawal (MBA, MMP and MSc.), a Nigerian, writes from the Purchasing & Supply Chain Department of the Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom 
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