The Nigeria of my dreams...

My people, I hail oh! I hope we had a splendid weekend? It's another Monday and the hustle continues for most of us... but God dey sha. :))

Today, I am going to be discussing on a topic that is very dear to all Nigerians irrespective of our beliefs, cultures or tribes. We all know the current situation of the country and how it's been getting worse with each passing day. The newspapers carry headlines that will make even the heartless weep, the government is still playing the blame game, our youths (who by the way ought to be the future of our country) are going haywire, adults are clueless on how to raise their kids, the economy is in disarray, the country as a whole is in total confusion... I could go on and on but I guess we already have a clear picture of what I'm on about. It is indeed very sad and if care is not taken, I'm afraid the worst is yet to come

 I remember as a child how safe and peaceful Nigeria was, how happy I was when I was reminded by my teachers that I was "the future" of my country, how even as a little kid, I looked forward to that day when I could contribute my own quota to the society but now... Our youths are looking for the fastest way out of the country, they will denounce their citizenship at the "drop of a hat", those who are left behind indulge in crimes such as Kidnapping, Robbery, Murder... It has become a country where there is no more value for Human life. We now have terrorism, bombings, assassination... It's amazing how these evils became a part of our society so suddenly. However, there is one thing that hasn't changed since I was a kid; our love for prayers. Nigerians can pray!!!! I mean, if prayer was all that was needed to be done to make our country a better place; that would have happened a long time ago. Unfortunately, it will take much more than prayers to deliver us from our current predicament

 We can all decide to play the blame game but ultimately the truth is, to have the Nigeria of our dreams; we ALL have to work for it. The government alone isn't capable of solving the current problems in the country. After all, the kidnapping and murder of our citizens are carried out by our own citizens. These people aren't ghosts, they are fathers, uncles, neighbors, sisters, friends.... they are Nigerians! The government has its role to play but we also have ours... It is in everyone's interest to restore Nigeria's past glory, if not for us; at least for our children, grand children, nieces, nephews... etc. Sitting around and complaining of how bad the situation is, hasn't solved the problems and I can assure it won't

Let's start from the basics, from the beginning, from our identity, from our pledge;

Pledge
I pledge to Nigeria my country
To be faithful, loyal and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honor and glory
So help me God

If we could all just act out what our pledge says, wouldn't more than half of our problems be solved? The other day, I was watching a TV program which showed that most of our citizens do not know how to recite the pledge and this cuts across board (adults and children). I wasn't surprised because if we could recite it and understand what it means and act on it, we won't have some of the problems around today. Some may say that knowing how to recite a pledge doesn't guarantee putting it into practice, I agree. However, how about reciting the pledge every morning after our prayers or before we start work/school? Remember I mentioned that we are a praying country, so let's recite the pledge as often as we pray. Once we've done that often enough, some of the words may get stuck in our memory such that they'll put us in check when we are about to do something evil.

Imagine the Pledge recited at EVERY government meeting, function, gathering... With time, it'll be a reminder to our leaders on how this country should be run. I know this may sound as a "long shot" to some people but what do we have to lose if we try? Let us not be deceived, the problem of Nigeria is every Nigerians' problem. We have no other country to call home, you can acquire other passports/citizenships but that doesn't change the fact that you are a Nigerian. When" push comes to shove", home remains the best place ever. It is wise for us to remember that and start working on repairing what is left of our country.

I bet most of us aren't aware that Nigeria has a motto; I bet some of our leaders don't even know what it is.... How can we act on something that we don't know?

Nigeria's Motto
Peace and Unity, Strength and Progress

So if I were to write an essay of the Nigeria of my dreams, it will be something like this;
 A country that has Peace and Unity, filled with faithful and loyal people ready to serve the country with all their strength... However, the change starts with me...

I have started the change by writing this post, I will continue by reciting my pledge and acting on it, I will sustain it by treating my fellow Nigerian with respect and dignity. At the end of the day we are all Nigerians; Muslim, Christian, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa,... and no one is better than the other!

Stay Strong!