It’s like quarter to D-Day in Nigeria, we are so close to 25/2 and all still seems quite hazy.
I am not physically on ground in the country but I am very much around and quite familiar with the state of the Nation. I am constantly in touch with my people.
As much as I love my people, I am quite worried about how quite a number of issues are handled.
I am a Christian but I am quite worried that when I try to discuss serious political issues with many of my brothers and sisters in Nigeria, rather than face the stack realities, they are always quick to tell me ‘we have committed everything into the hands of God and we know He will do it for us’
I am a very strong believer but I am aware that God always works in partnership with men (male and female).
Many of our people are not picking up their PVCs and they are convinced that God will release them from the oppression of the mindless ruling class.
I hold online high powered political meetings regularly and I sample the views of many ordinary people from time to time. Many call me on telephone simply because Nigeria has turned many Nigerians into beggars. Most of them are very capable, hard working individuals that I have known for a very long time, but they are now a shadow of themselves, pauperised by their Country.
In the last 8 years, insecurity has virtually crippled Nigeria. I say Nigeria looks the other way while her people are slaughtered, put in bondage by bandits. Looks like nobody in government really cares.
It’s been eight tortuous years for our people and the closer we get to the presidential election the more pain is being inflicted, no money in circulation. Looks like 90 per cent of our people have not sighted the new Naira notes, fuel scarcity, a common feature in Nigeria, is biting harder. Cost of living, I have been reliably informed has jumped by about 100 per cent.
In spite of all the bad News, quite a number of us have refused to give up. In spite of the gloomy picture leading some to a prophecy of doom over Nigeria, we still believe Nigeria can be salvaged.
We are not talking about any microwave mentality. It’s all about a well articulated scheme that will progressively turn things around, with all of us determined to be part of the change.
We however need to kick start the process with 25/2!
It is gratifying to note that there are encouraging moves in this direction in Nigeria. New alignments like never before seen in Nigeria. People coming together not on the basis of religion or ethnic consideration or the size of their bank account but for the love of a dying Nation.
People really determined to rescue Nigeria through the ballot box. These people are not money bags, they are not people with an extremely questionable past.
One cannot but wish to support a group of politicians in Nigeria whose plan is to offer honest and competent leadership in turning the country around, a group that emphasises the shift of our attention from consumption to production by running a production-centred economy. A group of politicians whose plan is to restructure the polity through effective legal and institutional reforms. A group that promises to leapfrog Nigeria into the 4th Industrial Revolution.
It is indeed the 11th hour in Nigeria’s political space but there’s still a lot of last minute running around we can all do to encourage ourselves to get things done properly. Not to allow worn out, tired politicians to continue to pull wool over the eyes of our people.
We need an agile, well packaged individual to coordinate our forward march to a New Nigeria. A leader who is equipped enough for the monumental assignment but still ready to learn from and work with like minded Nigerians drawn from all over the country and the Diaspora.
I keep asking myself how much monetary wealth did our founding fathers of Nigeria’s political space have. Was it their financial wealth that endeared them to the people? Awolowo, Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello got into politics at a relatively young age. They were rich in ideas, with excellent physical and mental capacity to give what it takes to function at the optimal level.
For what my grandchildren would say is a ‘humongous’ assignment ahead of us as a country, we cannot afford to make any political mistake at this point in time as that will be too costly. It is so important to face the stack realities of the 2020s in Nigeria and join hands to make what some greedy Nigerians would call impossible possible. What has never happened before in Nigeria, is in my view, set in the pipeline and we can all be part of the Bloodless revolution through the ballot box.
Pastor Femi Idowu is a communications consultant based in London.
He was one time Political Editor NTA Ibadan (1978) and also Bureau Chief , NTA News Ibadan
