If I start on my way, who would know?
If I go at dawn, who would tell them the tale?
Oh! Yes, they know the time of my arrival,
They see the glamour, the fame, the wealth,
When the tyres screeched, they heard nothing,
When we ran out of gas, they knew nothing,
When we drove to and fro, they saw nothing,
If now, I step out in style, they make a hell of noise,
If I walk in gait, they run their mouths in shame –
How did he get there so quickly?
If I start on my way, who would know?
When I left at dawn, who told the tale?
Monday, February 28, 2011
CONSUMED IN DELILAH’S BREASTS
It’s not just enough to cry out for mercy, it’s probably not too much of worth it to cry over spilt milk, when the head is hewn off, the heart is punctured, the mind is disabused, and sight is blindfolded, no need disturbing the Redeemer, maybe.
Lord teach us to put our skin under control, it flexes what we make a hell of a noise about; the flesh. We are born of the skin, raised of the skin but sin of the flesh, ain’t that funny?
The more we long to please the Lord, the more sin gets a huge laugh at us. We try in our might to come out of the mess, but we are too messed up, our cloaks give us all up – filthy. Then we look for another way of escape, self righteousness, in the eyes of the undiscerning, we are the holiest of holies, the priests of this age, the keeper of the Ark... the Ark itself.
We are wrapped in evasive sanctimony, pervasive censoriousness, we fill the pews with our being, warm the chairs with our heat, clean the cathedral with our hands, shout the loudest hallelujah with our mouths, but even the huts of our hearts are filled with stench, we are dead!
But really we do not mean it; to disobey the mighty king, really we do not mean it; to eat the forbidden fruit, truly we did not plan it; to lick of the full lips, we really never prepared it; to be consumed in the full sumptuous breasts, but our eyes will never give way, our hearts will never forget those scenes, our skin will always rise when not even called, and we are broken again, we are crushed and condemned, the very things in which we find our pride, encased our flaws.
Then we learn to know that it is only by grace that we are saved, then we remember, salvation comes in no one else, but the only true God, we would not forget that our righteousness are mere filthy rags, and he who is without sin cannot even cast the stone. Yet, we must always learn to trust and obey...for to obey is better than sacrifice, but in obedience, we never get our fill, in obedience, we are always reminded that we are mere mortals dying to live a life of no more dying; still we must learn to trust and obey...
Lord teach us to put our skin under control, it flexes what we make a hell of a noise about; the flesh. We are born of the skin, raised of the skin but sin of the flesh, ain’t that funny?
The more we long to please the Lord, the more sin gets a huge laugh at us. We try in our might to come out of the mess, but we are too messed up, our cloaks give us all up – filthy. Then we look for another way of escape, self righteousness, in the eyes of the undiscerning, we are the holiest of holies, the priests of this age, the keeper of the Ark... the Ark itself.
We are wrapped in evasive sanctimony, pervasive censoriousness, we fill the pews with our being, warm the chairs with our heat, clean the cathedral with our hands, shout the loudest hallelujah with our mouths, but even the huts of our hearts are filled with stench, we are dead!
But really we do not mean it; to disobey the mighty king, really we do not mean it; to eat the forbidden fruit, truly we did not plan it; to lick of the full lips, we really never prepared it; to be consumed in the full sumptuous breasts, but our eyes will never give way, our hearts will never forget those scenes, our skin will always rise when not even called, and we are broken again, we are crushed and condemned, the very things in which we find our pride, encased our flaws.
Then we learn to know that it is only by grace that we are saved, then we remember, salvation comes in no one else, but the only true God, we would not forget that our righteousness are mere filthy rags, and he who is without sin cannot even cast the stone. Yet, we must always learn to trust and obey...for to obey is better than sacrifice, but in obedience, we never get our fill, in obedience, we are always reminded that we are mere mortals dying to live a life of no more dying; still we must learn to trust and obey...
WHAT THE FUSS?
That he was born, so what?
A million and one, they fill the row,
What hopelessness, the birth of a child,
One more pain to bear,
One more trouble to care,
That he was born so why rejoice?
Even the inns were filled to death,
In pain and stench she pitched her tent,
Oh! Wise men, your foolish quest put his life at stake,
One more to die, more to go tonight,
But your foolish search
Gave him up to the king,
Your foolish search sent mother and father away.
Let’s sit and wait,
The messiah should come,
Let’s hope and pray that he makes no delay,
But one more child, a trouble to care,
One more son, a burden to bear, -
The messiah is near.
He came and left – the messiah,
We did not know.
A million and one, they fill the row,
What hopelessness, the birth of a child,
One more pain to bear,
One more trouble to care,
That he was born so why rejoice?
Even the inns were filled to death,
In pain and stench she pitched her tent,
Oh! Wise men, your foolish quest put his life at stake,
One more to die, more to go tonight,
But your foolish search
Gave him up to the king,
Your foolish search sent mother and father away.
Let’s sit and wait,
The messiah should come,
Let’s hope and pray that he makes no delay,
But one more child, a trouble to care,
One more son, a burden to bear, -
The messiah is near.
He came and left – the messiah,
We did not know.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
YOU AND YOUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES
From time immemorial, God has placed man in an environment where he hopes to survive by all means. Man tries all that he can to make a reasonable life and advance a better environment via governance, thus the various forms of government evolved.
First we had the theocratic regime where we there was the leadership of men by God and law was perceived in its natural and pristine nature. Law here was divine and it was something sacred because it was believed to be something passed directly by God. A good example is the Mosaic Law.
Sometimes later, the positivists began to fault the pure and natural theory of law and as stated by Alberigo Gentili and later by Hugo Grotius that “if there was no God, law would still have existed”, the concept of law began to have a more pragmatic approach and not just the figment of imagination of some religious leaders or bigot who have used the divine theory to protect their own self interest.
Therefore we witnessed the Monarchical reigns of Kings and Queens, the Feudal system based on ownership of land, and as structured by Karl Max, we had the socialist system or communist states where there was absolute control of resources by the government. Then we had the industrial revolution which ushered in the mixed economic system, and then the Capitalist system which amongst other things emphasised that you do have a say in the matter both of governance and control of economic resources.
One beautiful feature of the capitalist economy is the privatization of businesses and individual ownership and control of resources and alongside this development is the doctrine of Democracy which is fast becoming the form of governance in this age.
In the ancient Greece, democracy required all the people to come together and individually choose those that will represent them in government. This presupposes that the representatives will not be aliens to the people or some persons who just come out of the blues. This is known as direct democracy while what we have now is basically the indirect form where we don’t even know the name of our representatives due to the population explosion of this present time.
YOU AND THE CONSTITUTION
We have emphasised democracy and simply put, it has been defined by Aristotle as “Government of the people, by the people and for the people”. A lot of people know this definition but absolutely have no understanding of its import to our system of governance.
The definition recognises and magnifies the power of an individual as an agent of the state and vice versa. This presupposes that the state gets its power and in fact footing from the individual. This also means that whatever the state is is a function of the individuals in such state.
The code of conduct and the guideline of a people is the constitution, but the question is often asked, which is supreme in a democratic setting, is it the people, the constitution or the government? This question has not been given a settled answer.
This conflict seems to be created by the constitution itself where in its S. 1 emphasises that the “constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” While in the preamble of the same constitution, it states that
“We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Having firmly and solemnly resolve, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God, dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international co-operation and understanding
And to provide for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country, on the principles of freedom, equality and justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of our people
Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution:-”
If the constitution is supreme and it cannot evolve itself without the people, doesn’t it mean the people who made it are more supreme? We choose what we want to be guided or ruled by, despite the fact that the constitution is supreme, we can change it if we want to, but the question is who are the “WE” at the introductory? Can you beat your chest to say you are, either directly (representing people) or indirectly (by your vote)? Do you really have a say in this matter.
WHAT CAN THE STATE DO FOR YOU?
Most times, people walk around town like orphans whose parents have left them a great deal of wealth in a will without their knowledge, but because they do not know that the will exists or even when they know, they do not know the content of the will, they are being treated like slaves by the trustees.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 is a beautiful piece despite its various shortcomings and in fact the constitution can do a whole lot of stuffs for the citizens who make use of its provisions.
The Chapter 1 part II of the constitution provides for the Legislature-whose main function is to make laws that will govern the people, the Executive-who executes and administers the laws made to govern the people and the Judicature-who interpret the laws made to protect the interest of the people for whom the law is made.
Also, the whole of Chapter IV provides for the fundamental human rights of every citizen which includes but is not limited to right to life, freedom of speech, movement, freedom to hold property, freedom to reside anywhere in Nigeria, right to vote and be voted for etc.
Once any of such rights is trampled upon, the individual can seek recourse in the courts of law, they are the inalienable rights of the citizen. A lot of court cases have upheld the rights of citizens; a very good example is the case of Odumegwu Ojukwu v. Governor of Lagos State where the court held that Ojukwu had a right as a Nigerian to hold property anywhere in the country.
One other beautiful provision for the enjoyment of the citizen is the Chapter II of the constitution which provides for the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles. This is one of the best provisions entrenched in the constitution which provides among other things that Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end Government shall as and when practicable provide
(a) Free, compulsory and universal primary education;
(b) Free secondary education;
(c) Free university education; and
(d) Free adult literacy programme
The State also shall direct its policy towards ensuring that-
(a) All citizens, without discrimination on any group whatsoever, have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment;
(b) Conditions of work are just and humane, and that there are adequate facilities for leisure and for social, religious and cultural life;
(c) The health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment are safeguarded and not endangered or abused;
(d) There are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons:
(e) There is equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex, or on any other ground whatsoever;
(f) Children, young persons and the age are protected against any exploitation whatsoever, and against moral and material neglect;
(g) Provision is made for public assistance in deserving cases or other conditions of need; and
(h) The evolution and promotion of family life is encouraged.
Someone would say why then don’t we have our students in school? Why don’t we get better pays, why is the illiteracy level so high? We have earlier claimed that every right can be instituted in the courts, then why not these ones?
S.6 (6) (c) of the same constitution has rendered the beautiful provision non-justiciable. The implication of this is that the government cannot be mandated to enforce these provisions; it is a matter of discretion. Therefore individuals cannot advance a legal claim whenever the provisions of this part of the constitution are not provided for.
To me, this implies that the government is saying one thing which is that, “the ball is in your court, these things are important but we might not be able to provide them for you, so get them yourself through your sweat and hard work” to buttress this point, didn’t the scripture tell us to take charge of not only our lives but also our community? (Genesis 1:28)
WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR THE STATE?
We have reached the heart of this paper, “YOU AND YOUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY”, but not without an understanding of a brief evolution of government and especially the Nigerian legal structure.
The word “civic” is synonymous to public, municipal, community, city etc and the word responsibility is easily understood as duties. Thus, we are talking about public duties.
From our foundational development, it is only rational to expect that if there is a government that comprises some individuals who are called the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary, and there are some basic things which the government should do and ensure for us, then we must expect to pay to maintain such programme, and we have a part in deciding who represents us or makes or implements the laws that will guide us.
Thus by the same constitution in its s.24, it states that
It shall be the duty of every citizen to -
(a) Abide by this Constitution, respect its ideals and its institutions, the National Flag, the National Anthem, the National Pledge, and legitimate authorities;
(b) Help to enhance the power, prestige and good name of Nigeria, defend Nigeria and render such national service as may be required;
(c) Respect the dignity of other citizens and the rights and legitimate interests of others and live in unity and harmony and in the spirit of common brotherhood;
(d) Make positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of the community where he resides;
(e) Render assistance to appropriate and lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order; and
(f) Declare his income honestly to appropriate and lawful agencies and pay his tax promptly.
On the first note, abiding by the constitution, the question to ask is that how many of us in fact know what is in the constitution or even have the constitution. Owing to the illiteracy level, most Nigerians care less about what is in the constitution, not knowing that that is what defines their identity as a people. If you do not know the content of a thing, how can you respect or even claim it? (Don’t forget that ignorance is not an excuse in law)
And the funny part of it is that whether we get involved in the making of these laws or not, they remain binding on us. Would it not be wise then to determine who and what is binding on you?
Most of us have “used our left hands to describe the way to our father’s house”. Ask an average Nigerian, he is sorry to be a Nigerian. Most people hate the feeling of being Nigerians basically because they feel the country has offered them nothing, but the question is what have you offered Nigeria? It is not enough to go for the national youth service, but by doing the right things to better your own life; you would have indirectly contributed something to the development of the economy. Take a look at Dangote.
How many of us yearn to truly rescue our nation from its embarrassing state? On a global scale, Nigerian is being ranked as one of the most corrupt countries, mention all forms of social vices, kidnapping, terrorism, religious crises, corrupt leaders, fraud, hacking etc, they all have a stake in Nigeria, yet we have the best brains around us untapped.
We should learn from Nehemiah who had the safety of Jerusalem as his priority that he was ready to go and protect her integrity while at the same time rebuilding its walls. Unlike most of us, he not only prayed for the good of Jerusalem in a foreign land, he took positive steps by stepping forward to rebuild. While rebuilding, he faced great opposition yet he was not the one to chicken out, you can ask Tobiah and Sanballat. The greatest allegiance you can offer a state is military service, how many of our military men offer true service in love for this nation? And those who do, what do they get in return?
We are not being asked to go and join the military, but the little we can do to create a new Nigeria, are we faithful in it? The rebranding process has been on for a while but has yielded no real meaningful results why? You cannot get a New Nigeria by mere rebranding, if you rebrand a product without changing or updating its content, you have probably done little or nothing at all than a waste of resources and time. The best way to evolve a new Nigeria is through re-orientation such as this, which is expected to have a ripple effect.
It is a farce talking about brotherhood in such a country like Nigeria with a multi ethnic structure. Nigeria is although termed a secular state, but the various religions especially with the Sharia in the North, the multi-religion in the south and all, religious crisis has occurred more than political crisis in this country, and even most political crisis have religious roots.
Until we remove the borders of ethnicity and we have a pragmatic approach to accepting that we are one Nigeria, forgetting the age-long idea of “state of origin” which some people may never have visited in their lives, we may not have a peaceful economy. Take a look at the zoning problem which is always a crucial matter whenever an election is up-coming. We cannot easily forget the Kano riot, and the Nigerian civil war which till today leaves an indelible mark on Nigerians especially the Ibos who move about with every sense of suspicion and insecurity.
There seems to be no security of lives and property, and then we shout government. Who is the government? We are, because we choose or refuse to choose those who should lead us.
Take a cursory look at the present situation in Cote D’ Ivoire, Nigerians are not safe at all, tons of Nigerians get killed in smaller countries and the government, – we do nothing about it. We should not be quick to forget the situation in Liberia under Charles Taylor, who killed our brothers, yet we were the first to offer him asylum, even Laurent Gbagbo too has been offered asylum. Uhm!
The fourth point is a duty we owe to the community and also to ourselves. The slavery mentality which our forefathers once had has been transferred from generation to generation, and we see ourselves as things in exchange for money or wealth. We witness prostitution, rituals etc. The white men had taught us that a black man is very strong, therefore, he can only do hard jobs, he will be very good as a farmer, a labourer or a bricklayer, they taught us that we do not have the intelligence to run things, and be good administrators, they told us a lie.
Prior to independence we saw that the white men refused to bring a university into our land so that we can never advance in intelligence, people had to travel abroad or to nearby Ghana to further their education. Once our people got educated, their eyes were opened (but in the good and the bad way – like Peter and Adam) and they had the courage and the zeal to fight more for the independence we now have.
Thereafter, we started having schools around but we had lost the value of education. Our students only go to school to learn to read, write and pass exams, and no knowledge is passed. Even the present age lecturers are people who are in dire need of meeting ends meet. We do not have educated fellows anymore, what we have bred is a bunch of hungry literate fellows.
When we go to school and come back with no value in us, we are not as good as the way we went into school the first time. There must be a transformation. If we can not learn to do away with the slavery mentality and see ourselves more as problem solvers rather than mere graduates, our society will not be better for it, and we can never be rich. Don’t forget money answers to value.
Apart from using our money or the value that we are endowed with, one power available to both the wretched and the rich in the country is the power to vote. It is the duty of every individual to vote i.e to choose the person he wants to represent him in governance. The painful thing is that like Esau most of us have sold our birthrights for a morsel of food (Gen 25:27-34) and the end result of this is calamity, because even God hates those who sell their birthrights, He sees them as immoral and godless (Heb 12:16). It is usually said in a democratic setting that “a people deserve the kind of leaders they have”-you chose what you have.
Also, it is our duty as citizens to help the law enforcement agents in arresting offenders. Although, most people run away from this point basically because when they turn in offenders, they might not get the adequate security they deserve from the law enforcement agents. But most of us have not even tried at all but we depend only on what somebody earlier said. Whatever you need to do, wisdom is principal, ask God for direction. It is not untrue that a lot of people have lost their lives on the verge of doing the community good.
We also owe the public a percentage of what we earned from it. It is required that whatever income one receives either as an individual or a company, should be subjected to tax by the appropriate authority. The reason behind this is to fund further projects and provide certain infrastructure for the maintenance of the community. Tax is a form by which government raises revenue from the income of members of the community.
The Nigerian community has not been dutiful in this respect as we are a people who always want to hold back all that we have made or earned. People who hold back what is not theirs are described as thieves (Malachi 3:8). We want to hold back our offerings, tithes and now tax. Even Jesus demonstrated that payment of tax is a lawful and rightful thing for every citizen to engage in (Matthew 17:25-27). When we refuse to pay our tax, then we should not be heard complaining that the government has not done anything for us. Don’t forget we are the government, what you pay is what you get.
It is important to state that non payment of tax or filing or returns to the appropriate quarters may amount to a criminal offence which is punishable under the law. This is different from reducing tax liability or making use of incentives to reduce tax liability, it is our duty to seek for professional advice in determining what is tax evasion or tax avoidance.
From all the foregoing, I personally submit that the provisions of the constitution is clear enough as to the duties of an individual but one thing is very certain which is that – your responsibility towards the ‘society’ or ‘government’ will determine how the society or government will respond to you.
If we fold our hands and refuse to register for votes, we have disenfranchised ourselves, then we cannot decide who represents or who rules us, if we do not respect our nation, our nation will not respect us, if we refuse to obey the laws, the laws will deal with us, if we refuse to help the law enforcement agents, we will continue to suffer in silence and if we refuse to pay tax, we cannot enjoy the basic amenities we should enjoy.
I believe firmly that if we hold Nigeria so dear to our hearts, all the provisions of Chapter II will be enforced.
As Christians, it is our duty not only to proclaim religion and show an outward piety and inner frailty, but to established God’s Kingdom on earth, where we decide godly people who rule us, and like Christ, have the government upon our shoulders, we should not be like the snake that leaves no mark on the rock, enough of the Christian mediocrity and the pretence of not belonging to this world even if we are not of this world, literally we live here, and we are to occupy till Christ comes. Let’s go back to our drawing board and show the world how governance should be done, what excellence is like, in our schools, places of work, societies etc.
Let us be at the helm of affairs where decisions are made, we cannot do this if we don’t go back to school, if we are not the best in our fields, if we don’t learn to subdue the flesh, if we don’t harness our talents and understand the place of purpose in life...
Let us stand up and step up the game, we should not only be dutiful in our civic responsibilities, let us take serious our KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITIES.
First we had the theocratic regime where we there was the leadership of men by God and law was perceived in its natural and pristine nature. Law here was divine and it was something sacred because it was believed to be something passed directly by God. A good example is the Mosaic Law.
Sometimes later, the positivists began to fault the pure and natural theory of law and as stated by Alberigo Gentili and later by Hugo Grotius that “if there was no God, law would still have existed”, the concept of law began to have a more pragmatic approach and not just the figment of imagination of some religious leaders or bigot who have used the divine theory to protect their own self interest.
Therefore we witnessed the Monarchical reigns of Kings and Queens, the Feudal system based on ownership of land, and as structured by Karl Max, we had the socialist system or communist states where there was absolute control of resources by the government. Then we had the industrial revolution which ushered in the mixed economic system, and then the Capitalist system which amongst other things emphasised that you do have a say in the matter both of governance and control of economic resources.
One beautiful feature of the capitalist economy is the privatization of businesses and individual ownership and control of resources and alongside this development is the doctrine of Democracy which is fast becoming the form of governance in this age.
In the ancient Greece, democracy required all the people to come together and individually choose those that will represent them in government. This presupposes that the representatives will not be aliens to the people or some persons who just come out of the blues. This is known as direct democracy while what we have now is basically the indirect form where we don’t even know the name of our representatives due to the population explosion of this present time.
YOU AND THE CONSTITUTION
We have emphasised democracy and simply put, it has been defined by Aristotle as “Government of the people, by the people and for the people”. A lot of people know this definition but absolutely have no understanding of its import to our system of governance.
The definition recognises and magnifies the power of an individual as an agent of the state and vice versa. This presupposes that the state gets its power and in fact footing from the individual. This also means that whatever the state is is a function of the individuals in such state.
The code of conduct and the guideline of a people is the constitution, but the question is often asked, which is supreme in a democratic setting, is it the people, the constitution or the government? This question has not been given a settled answer.
This conflict seems to be created by the constitution itself where in its S. 1 emphasises that the “constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” While in the preamble of the same constitution, it states that
“We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Having firmly and solemnly resolve, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God, dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international co-operation and understanding
And to provide for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country, on the principles of freedom, equality and justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of our people
Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution:-”
If the constitution is supreme and it cannot evolve itself without the people, doesn’t it mean the people who made it are more supreme? We choose what we want to be guided or ruled by, despite the fact that the constitution is supreme, we can change it if we want to, but the question is who are the “WE” at the introductory? Can you beat your chest to say you are, either directly (representing people) or indirectly (by your vote)? Do you really have a say in this matter.
WHAT CAN THE STATE DO FOR YOU?
Most times, people walk around town like orphans whose parents have left them a great deal of wealth in a will without their knowledge, but because they do not know that the will exists or even when they know, they do not know the content of the will, they are being treated like slaves by the trustees.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 is a beautiful piece despite its various shortcomings and in fact the constitution can do a whole lot of stuffs for the citizens who make use of its provisions.
The Chapter 1 part II of the constitution provides for the Legislature-whose main function is to make laws that will govern the people, the Executive-who executes and administers the laws made to govern the people and the Judicature-who interpret the laws made to protect the interest of the people for whom the law is made.
Also, the whole of Chapter IV provides for the fundamental human rights of every citizen which includes but is not limited to right to life, freedom of speech, movement, freedom to hold property, freedom to reside anywhere in Nigeria, right to vote and be voted for etc.
Once any of such rights is trampled upon, the individual can seek recourse in the courts of law, they are the inalienable rights of the citizen. A lot of court cases have upheld the rights of citizens; a very good example is the case of Odumegwu Ojukwu v. Governor of Lagos State where the court held that Ojukwu had a right as a Nigerian to hold property anywhere in the country.
One other beautiful provision for the enjoyment of the citizen is the Chapter II of the constitution which provides for the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles. This is one of the best provisions entrenched in the constitution which provides among other things that Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end Government shall as and when practicable provide
(a) Free, compulsory and universal primary education;
(b) Free secondary education;
(c) Free university education; and
(d) Free adult literacy programme
The State also shall direct its policy towards ensuring that-
(a) All citizens, without discrimination on any group whatsoever, have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment;
(b) Conditions of work are just and humane, and that there are adequate facilities for leisure and for social, religious and cultural life;
(c) The health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment are safeguarded and not endangered or abused;
(d) There are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons:
(e) There is equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex, or on any other ground whatsoever;
(f) Children, young persons and the age are protected against any exploitation whatsoever, and against moral and material neglect;
(g) Provision is made for public assistance in deserving cases or other conditions of need; and
(h) The evolution and promotion of family life is encouraged.
Someone would say why then don’t we have our students in school? Why don’t we get better pays, why is the illiteracy level so high? We have earlier claimed that every right can be instituted in the courts, then why not these ones?
S.6 (6) (c) of the same constitution has rendered the beautiful provision non-justiciable. The implication of this is that the government cannot be mandated to enforce these provisions; it is a matter of discretion. Therefore individuals cannot advance a legal claim whenever the provisions of this part of the constitution are not provided for.
To me, this implies that the government is saying one thing which is that, “the ball is in your court, these things are important but we might not be able to provide them for you, so get them yourself through your sweat and hard work” to buttress this point, didn’t the scripture tell us to take charge of not only our lives but also our community? (Genesis 1:28)
WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR THE STATE?
We have reached the heart of this paper, “YOU AND YOUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY”, but not without an understanding of a brief evolution of government and especially the Nigerian legal structure.
The word “civic” is synonymous to public, municipal, community, city etc and the word responsibility is easily understood as duties. Thus, we are talking about public duties.
From our foundational development, it is only rational to expect that if there is a government that comprises some individuals who are called the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary, and there are some basic things which the government should do and ensure for us, then we must expect to pay to maintain such programme, and we have a part in deciding who represents us or makes or implements the laws that will guide us.
Thus by the same constitution in its s.24, it states that
It shall be the duty of every citizen to -
(a) Abide by this Constitution, respect its ideals and its institutions, the National Flag, the National Anthem, the National Pledge, and legitimate authorities;
(b) Help to enhance the power, prestige and good name of Nigeria, defend Nigeria and render such national service as may be required;
(c) Respect the dignity of other citizens and the rights and legitimate interests of others and live in unity and harmony and in the spirit of common brotherhood;
(d) Make positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of the community where he resides;
(e) Render assistance to appropriate and lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order; and
(f) Declare his income honestly to appropriate and lawful agencies and pay his tax promptly.
On the first note, abiding by the constitution, the question to ask is that how many of us in fact know what is in the constitution or even have the constitution. Owing to the illiteracy level, most Nigerians care less about what is in the constitution, not knowing that that is what defines their identity as a people. If you do not know the content of a thing, how can you respect or even claim it? (Don’t forget that ignorance is not an excuse in law)
And the funny part of it is that whether we get involved in the making of these laws or not, they remain binding on us. Would it not be wise then to determine who and what is binding on you?
Most of us have “used our left hands to describe the way to our father’s house”. Ask an average Nigerian, he is sorry to be a Nigerian. Most people hate the feeling of being Nigerians basically because they feel the country has offered them nothing, but the question is what have you offered Nigeria? It is not enough to go for the national youth service, but by doing the right things to better your own life; you would have indirectly contributed something to the development of the economy. Take a look at Dangote.
How many of us yearn to truly rescue our nation from its embarrassing state? On a global scale, Nigerian is being ranked as one of the most corrupt countries, mention all forms of social vices, kidnapping, terrorism, religious crises, corrupt leaders, fraud, hacking etc, they all have a stake in Nigeria, yet we have the best brains around us untapped.
We should learn from Nehemiah who had the safety of Jerusalem as his priority that he was ready to go and protect her integrity while at the same time rebuilding its walls. Unlike most of us, he not only prayed for the good of Jerusalem in a foreign land, he took positive steps by stepping forward to rebuild. While rebuilding, he faced great opposition yet he was not the one to chicken out, you can ask Tobiah and Sanballat. The greatest allegiance you can offer a state is military service, how many of our military men offer true service in love for this nation? And those who do, what do they get in return?
We are not being asked to go and join the military, but the little we can do to create a new Nigeria, are we faithful in it? The rebranding process has been on for a while but has yielded no real meaningful results why? You cannot get a New Nigeria by mere rebranding, if you rebrand a product without changing or updating its content, you have probably done little or nothing at all than a waste of resources and time. The best way to evolve a new Nigeria is through re-orientation such as this, which is expected to have a ripple effect.
It is a farce talking about brotherhood in such a country like Nigeria with a multi ethnic structure. Nigeria is although termed a secular state, but the various religions especially with the Sharia in the North, the multi-religion in the south and all, religious crisis has occurred more than political crisis in this country, and even most political crisis have religious roots.
Until we remove the borders of ethnicity and we have a pragmatic approach to accepting that we are one Nigeria, forgetting the age-long idea of “state of origin” which some people may never have visited in their lives, we may not have a peaceful economy. Take a look at the zoning problem which is always a crucial matter whenever an election is up-coming. We cannot easily forget the Kano riot, and the Nigerian civil war which till today leaves an indelible mark on Nigerians especially the Ibos who move about with every sense of suspicion and insecurity.
There seems to be no security of lives and property, and then we shout government. Who is the government? We are, because we choose or refuse to choose those who should lead us.
Take a cursory look at the present situation in Cote D’ Ivoire, Nigerians are not safe at all, tons of Nigerians get killed in smaller countries and the government, – we do nothing about it. We should not be quick to forget the situation in Liberia under Charles Taylor, who killed our brothers, yet we were the first to offer him asylum, even Laurent Gbagbo too has been offered asylum. Uhm!
The fourth point is a duty we owe to the community and also to ourselves. The slavery mentality which our forefathers once had has been transferred from generation to generation, and we see ourselves as things in exchange for money or wealth. We witness prostitution, rituals etc. The white men had taught us that a black man is very strong, therefore, he can only do hard jobs, he will be very good as a farmer, a labourer or a bricklayer, they taught us that we do not have the intelligence to run things, and be good administrators, they told us a lie.
Prior to independence we saw that the white men refused to bring a university into our land so that we can never advance in intelligence, people had to travel abroad or to nearby Ghana to further their education. Once our people got educated, their eyes were opened (but in the good and the bad way – like Peter and Adam) and they had the courage and the zeal to fight more for the independence we now have.
Thereafter, we started having schools around but we had lost the value of education. Our students only go to school to learn to read, write and pass exams, and no knowledge is passed. Even the present age lecturers are people who are in dire need of meeting ends meet. We do not have educated fellows anymore, what we have bred is a bunch of hungry literate fellows.
When we go to school and come back with no value in us, we are not as good as the way we went into school the first time. There must be a transformation. If we can not learn to do away with the slavery mentality and see ourselves more as problem solvers rather than mere graduates, our society will not be better for it, and we can never be rich. Don’t forget money answers to value.
Apart from using our money or the value that we are endowed with, one power available to both the wretched and the rich in the country is the power to vote. It is the duty of every individual to vote i.e to choose the person he wants to represent him in governance. The painful thing is that like Esau most of us have sold our birthrights for a morsel of food (Gen 25:27-34) and the end result of this is calamity, because even God hates those who sell their birthrights, He sees them as immoral and godless (Heb 12:16). It is usually said in a democratic setting that “a people deserve the kind of leaders they have”-you chose what you have.
Also, it is our duty as citizens to help the law enforcement agents in arresting offenders. Although, most people run away from this point basically because when they turn in offenders, they might not get the adequate security they deserve from the law enforcement agents. But most of us have not even tried at all but we depend only on what somebody earlier said. Whatever you need to do, wisdom is principal, ask God for direction. It is not untrue that a lot of people have lost their lives on the verge of doing the community good.
We also owe the public a percentage of what we earned from it. It is required that whatever income one receives either as an individual or a company, should be subjected to tax by the appropriate authority. The reason behind this is to fund further projects and provide certain infrastructure for the maintenance of the community. Tax is a form by which government raises revenue from the income of members of the community.
The Nigerian community has not been dutiful in this respect as we are a people who always want to hold back all that we have made or earned. People who hold back what is not theirs are described as thieves (Malachi 3:8). We want to hold back our offerings, tithes and now tax. Even Jesus demonstrated that payment of tax is a lawful and rightful thing for every citizen to engage in (Matthew 17:25-27). When we refuse to pay our tax, then we should not be heard complaining that the government has not done anything for us. Don’t forget we are the government, what you pay is what you get.
It is important to state that non payment of tax or filing or returns to the appropriate quarters may amount to a criminal offence which is punishable under the law. This is different from reducing tax liability or making use of incentives to reduce tax liability, it is our duty to seek for professional advice in determining what is tax evasion or tax avoidance.
From all the foregoing, I personally submit that the provisions of the constitution is clear enough as to the duties of an individual but one thing is very certain which is that – your responsibility towards the ‘society’ or ‘government’ will determine how the society or government will respond to you.
If we fold our hands and refuse to register for votes, we have disenfranchised ourselves, then we cannot decide who represents or who rules us, if we do not respect our nation, our nation will not respect us, if we refuse to obey the laws, the laws will deal with us, if we refuse to help the law enforcement agents, we will continue to suffer in silence and if we refuse to pay tax, we cannot enjoy the basic amenities we should enjoy.
I believe firmly that if we hold Nigeria so dear to our hearts, all the provisions of Chapter II will be enforced.
As Christians, it is our duty not only to proclaim religion and show an outward piety and inner frailty, but to established God’s Kingdom on earth, where we decide godly people who rule us, and like Christ, have the government upon our shoulders, we should not be like the snake that leaves no mark on the rock, enough of the Christian mediocrity and the pretence of not belonging to this world even if we are not of this world, literally we live here, and we are to occupy till Christ comes. Let’s go back to our drawing board and show the world how governance should be done, what excellence is like, in our schools, places of work, societies etc.
Let us be at the helm of affairs where decisions are made, we cannot do this if we don’t go back to school, if we are not the best in our fields, if we don’t learn to subdue the flesh, if we don’t harness our talents and understand the place of purpose in life...
Let us stand up and step up the game, we should not only be dutiful in our civic responsibilities, let us take serious our KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITIES.
IN THE FACE OF THIS CATASTROPHE
If you have not seen 2012, bet you should run to the movies or a video store. It is not the regular kissing and necking, or the shooting and bombing kind of movie, it is a script that will certainly question the reason for the existence of human race, it is a piece that will ask you so many deep questions on your choices, the reason for making them, your priority, the possibility of a second chance, the idea of survival and the list is endless.
Life is a plate of delicacy that whets the appetite, but all it does afterwards is run the stomach. The very things we created with our own hands in turn destroy us; no stone remains on the other, all turn to ashes, the earth opens up its mouth and swallows them up.
Then I asked myself, what is the main reason for our existence? God created us for his pleasure, so does he get sheer pleasure in seeing us die after working so hard to please him or to please ourselves?
I have so great a dream, to be the greatest consultant you will find around, I have been studying real hard, combining professions, reading wide, enriching my mind just to achieve this feat, and the last thing on my mind is the sudden end of this seeming perfect revealing picture.
As a bible student, I am not ignorant of the abrupt possibility of a rapture, but it looks like we only talk about it but never expect it to be on its way pretty soon, no, not even during my short life span on this planet.
Should the earth go down, the core burst open, or the sea flush the mighty towers, should the sun vomit its venom or utter darkness fill our earth, what will become of my pursuit of happiness, the grades, the degrees, the hard work, the dreams, the promising future, the great vision? All would come to a sudden end; they would be drowned in the ocean of vanity.
The question of love also strikes a cord. The grudges we keep, the hatred we harbour, the envy and the strife, what happens when we never have the time to make up? The only time you might have to do that is now, it makes no sense after all, that you keep those ill feelings against your folk; you may regret you never got a second chance to say I am sorry. Then what happens in hell or heaven when you meet again? Sure that will debar you from entering that rest, and you will be mad at yourself that of all sins that can damn one to hell, malice got a hold on you. You will be too busy nursing your pain, and your sorry will be the most useless.
What about the thought of loving someone? Have you ever felt this thing for someone that you never shared? Do you truly love him but your pride and ego wouldn’t just allow? Are you blinded by his wealth or her coyness that you forget the real thing? What if you never get the second chance to say I love you? What if grave catastrophe hit the earth and all you can save is nothing? Would you die fulfilled because you have let out all your emotions and nothing remains in that dying soul to be unravelled?
Could you have loved that person any better? Would you be a better friend if given a second chance? What things would you change if the end is now? What would you have loved to do if death would come this minute? Maybe all you need to do is to go back to the drawing board and set some things straight.
In the face of sorrow, tears and blood, God still has a way of preserving his chosen ones. Then I wonder, why must we cry when we lose a loved one since we will all suffer the same fate? Wealth in its power will refuse to be traded for pains and tears, it seems like all we live for is just to wait for that grieving time to waste our tears and bite our lips, and afterwards, we switch roles.
So what value has your life if you live it all for you? What respect is in selfishness and the famous doctrine of “me, myself and I”? Of what use is coming to earth at all if you will never leave it a better place even in the face of its continued ugliness and degrading value? What use is mere existence without an impact? Of what value is life without a legacy? What use is life without loving? What sense is in keeping all the knowledge and wealth and dying in shame with everything decaying in the grave?
“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” ,” since a dull axe requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you to succeed.” “Because the teacher was wise, he taught the people everything he knew….”
Life is a plate of delicacy that whets the appetite, but all it does afterwards is run the stomach. The very things we created with our own hands in turn destroy us; no stone remains on the other, all turn to ashes, the earth opens up its mouth and swallows them up.
Then I asked myself, what is the main reason for our existence? God created us for his pleasure, so does he get sheer pleasure in seeing us die after working so hard to please him or to please ourselves?
I have so great a dream, to be the greatest consultant you will find around, I have been studying real hard, combining professions, reading wide, enriching my mind just to achieve this feat, and the last thing on my mind is the sudden end of this seeming perfect revealing picture.
As a bible student, I am not ignorant of the abrupt possibility of a rapture, but it looks like we only talk about it but never expect it to be on its way pretty soon, no, not even during my short life span on this planet.
Should the earth go down, the core burst open, or the sea flush the mighty towers, should the sun vomit its venom or utter darkness fill our earth, what will become of my pursuit of happiness, the grades, the degrees, the hard work, the dreams, the promising future, the great vision? All would come to a sudden end; they would be drowned in the ocean of vanity.
The question of love also strikes a cord. The grudges we keep, the hatred we harbour, the envy and the strife, what happens when we never have the time to make up? The only time you might have to do that is now, it makes no sense after all, that you keep those ill feelings against your folk; you may regret you never got a second chance to say I am sorry. Then what happens in hell or heaven when you meet again? Sure that will debar you from entering that rest, and you will be mad at yourself that of all sins that can damn one to hell, malice got a hold on you. You will be too busy nursing your pain, and your sorry will be the most useless.
What about the thought of loving someone? Have you ever felt this thing for someone that you never shared? Do you truly love him but your pride and ego wouldn’t just allow? Are you blinded by his wealth or her coyness that you forget the real thing? What if you never get the second chance to say I love you? What if grave catastrophe hit the earth and all you can save is nothing? Would you die fulfilled because you have let out all your emotions and nothing remains in that dying soul to be unravelled?
Could you have loved that person any better? Would you be a better friend if given a second chance? What things would you change if the end is now? What would you have loved to do if death would come this minute? Maybe all you need to do is to go back to the drawing board and set some things straight.
In the face of sorrow, tears and blood, God still has a way of preserving his chosen ones. Then I wonder, why must we cry when we lose a loved one since we will all suffer the same fate? Wealth in its power will refuse to be traded for pains and tears, it seems like all we live for is just to wait for that grieving time to waste our tears and bite our lips, and afterwards, we switch roles.
So what value has your life if you live it all for you? What respect is in selfishness and the famous doctrine of “me, myself and I”? Of what use is coming to earth at all if you will never leave it a better place even in the face of its continued ugliness and degrading value? What use is mere existence without an impact? Of what value is life without a legacy? What use is life without loving? What sense is in keeping all the knowledge and wealth and dying in shame with everything decaying in the grave?
“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” ,” since a dull axe requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you to succeed.” “Because the teacher was wise, he taught the people everything he knew….”
Friday, February 25, 2011
THINGS WE DO IN THE NAME OF GOD
Asalamu alaikun waramotulai
Burn the infidels,
Stone the devils,
Plunder their goods,
They are no better than the grave.
In the name of God we have rapped our sisters,
Killed our brothers,
chiselled our fathers
And abused our mothers.
We satisfy our selfish interest,
And gather the worldly wealth,
We hate ourselves and hide the truth
God is peace,
God is love,
Praise the name of Jehovah,
The Lord is good,
All the time,
And His mercies endures for life.
Burn the infidels,
Stone the devils,
Plunder their goods,
They are no better than the grave.
In the name of God we have rapped our sisters,
Killed our brothers,
chiselled our fathers
And abused our mothers.
We satisfy our selfish interest,
And gather the worldly wealth,
We hate ourselves and hide the truth
God is peace,
God is love,
Praise the name of Jehovah,
The Lord is good,
All the time,
And His mercies endures for life.
FINANCIAL INTEGRITY: A STEP TO NATION BUILDING
One of the most difficult things any man, company or society has to deal with is managing finance or in other words utilizing wealth. In fact to this end, there have emerged several courses that aim to help in the proper management and utilization of available wealth. Some of which include Accounting, Business Administration, Actuarial Science, Banking and Finance and the list is not exhaustive.
However, it is important to state that despite the myriad of courses that are expected to bring an end to financial mismanagement; the devil keeps raising its head. This presupposes that studying statistics and analysing figures may not be the major getaway out of pecuniary mess.
Do we say there were no professionals at the Cadbury saga in Nigeria? In May /June 2009 the Federal Inland Revenue Service through enforcement provisions alone made 22.6bn Naira from tax evaders, and sealed off PAN over unpaid 1.3bn Naira tax. What of the Enron saga in the United States, the Comroad case in Germany, Lernout & Hauspie in Belgium, HIH Insurance in Australia? We won’t also forget the case in Korea where the SK Group inflated profits at one subsidiary by $1.2 billion. It is noted that in all these scenarios, it is in fact the professionals who have gathered prerequisite skills and who are meant to be the armament of the ‘wealth of nations’ that actually help in the looting of the treasury.
On the public scene, we have the top financial officers who hold the key to public wealth, but what do we have? Over bloated budget, fraudulent misstatement of fund, gross mismanagement of resources, corruption in all sectors, money laundering, embezzlement, bribery, looting and all forms of corrupt practices. How many of our Ex-Governors are facing charges of various kinds of corrupt practices? Even the government agencies fail to pay tax. As at 2006, Government agencies owed about 53bn Naira tax liabilities and as at 2007, it had increased to about 61bn Naira. Even tax deducted by ministries and banks are not remitted appropriately. Financial impropriety has eaten deep in all sectors and we cannot trust the professionals, even Lawyers are not excluded.
It will be imbalanced not to mention the indecency amongst individuals too. We know that whatever transpires among individuals reflect in corporations. We as humans are greedy and covetous; we desire to amass wealth to the detriment of others, no matter who is disadvantaged. The religious circles are not excluded, offerings are raised and tithes paid but there are no proper accounts.
Public funds and properties are the easiest to eat up, leaders deal with public properties without proper care. People’s offerings and tithes are used to amass personal properties all in the name of giving to God, citizens’ monies are transferred to private foreign accounts and used to buy foreign properties, private jets, yacht, fastest wheels and people are left to suffer.
Leaders in all sectors have become gods and in their pride, they have stolen God’s glory and they make people live at their mercy. Not until we put appropriate check mechanisms in place, we cannot evolve a financially sane environment.
When we say appropriate check mechanism, we have lost hope in mere titles, in the name of professionals such as Chartered Accountants, Auditors, Lawyers or even agencies such as EFCC or ICPC, we are talking about integrity, honesty, truthfulness, honour, veracity, uprightness, reliability, accountability and the list goes on.
Any professional who is devoid of these virtues is not worthy of our trust and money, but if an ordinary individual can show that he has at least a tad of these virtues, we appreciate and respect such persons more than the name bearers, and in fact such an individual should wear the crown, but that is not usually the case, we love titles and hate honour.
The individual is the cradle of the society. We may point to the society, calling it corrupt, at least they say Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, but Nigeria is not a being on its own, she does not have hands, limbs and legs, individuals are the major components of a state. This means that it is the individuals that are actually corrupt. Until we all imbibe a national culture, the type that will send the whole nation to fast and pray, until we can all put on the cloak of candour, not crazed by the worldly wealth that will soon be damned, we may not evolve a sane environment.
Painfully, the youths who are the hope of any nation are distraught with the get rich quick syndrome, it used to be that fathers who could not meet ends meet got involved in dirty things like sacrificing humans for money, now the baton has been passed to undergraduates who flaunt blood money and sometimes money amassed through fraudulent practices such as cyber crimes and forged documents, acquire the latest cars, lodge in the most expensive hotels and spend their lives away.
The other youths who cannot keep up with the dire trend of wealth creation advance other means which makes them lose focus. No wonder our students are finishing with terrible grades, and even those who finished with good grades have next to nothing in their heads, they cannot prove what they have. We have been corrupted, our minds have been infected, and our ideals are fouled.
It is a vicious circle that we are in, and not everyone can see the rot. What the baby does affects the boy, the boy is fast becoming the youth, and the leaders of tomorrow, rehearsing for the mantle today have deep their hands in the abominable pool of mammon. The fathers have eaten to their fill and they are pregnant with constipation, they will give birth to their kind - abomination. Tomorrow is a follow up of today, tomorrow holds for us what we hold on to today.
Lets get together and build a great future and a greater economy, we are all stake holders, we are all a part of a whole and a whole of a part, it is our duty to build up a kingly domain, where God can say boldly, my boys are in control, we should instigate a revolution which will make Nigeria the envy of the nations. We can turn our disadvantage around like China did, we can touch the world like India is doing, we can strengthen ourselves like Israel did, we can make God beat his chest that ours is a peculiar race, we can make Nigeria a must visit for every human, we can turn the story of this nation around, you and I, yes we can, it all begins with a step, start out now.
Adeola Adeniyi
However, it is important to state that despite the myriad of courses that are expected to bring an end to financial mismanagement; the devil keeps raising its head. This presupposes that studying statistics and analysing figures may not be the major getaway out of pecuniary mess.
Do we say there were no professionals at the Cadbury saga in Nigeria? In May /June 2009 the Federal Inland Revenue Service through enforcement provisions alone made 22.6bn Naira from tax evaders, and sealed off PAN over unpaid 1.3bn Naira tax. What of the Enron saga in the United States, the Comroad case in Germany, Lernout & Hauspie in Belgium, HIH Insurance in Australia? We won’t also forget the case in Korea where the SK Group inflated profits at one subsidiary by $1.2 billion. It is noted that in all these scenarios, it is in fact the professionals who have gathered prerequisite skills and who are meant to be the armament of the ‘wealth of nations’ that actually help in the looting of the treasury.
On the public scene, we have the top financial officers who hold the key to public wealth, but what do we have? Over bloated budget, fraudulent misstatement of fund, gross mismanagement of resources, corruption in all sectors, money laundering, embezzlement, bribery, looting and all forms of corrupt practices. How many of our Ex-Governors are facing charges of various kinds of corrupt practices? Even the government agencies fail to pay tax. As at 2006, Government agencies owed about 53bn Naira tax liabilities and as at 2007, it had increased to about 61bn Naira. Even tax deducted by ministries and banks are not remitted appropriately. Financial impropriety has eaten deep in all sectors and we cannot trust the professionals, even Lawyers are not excluded.
It will be imbalanced not to mention the indecency amongst individuals too. We know that whatever transpires among individuals reflect in corporations. We as humans are greedy and covetous; we desire to amass wealth to the detriment of others, no matter who is disadvantaged. The religious circles are not excluded, offerings are raised and tithes paid but there are no proper accounts.
Public funds and properties are the easiest to eat up, leaders deal with public properties without proper care. People’s offerings and tithes are used to amass personal properties all in the name of giving to God, citizens’ monies are transferred to private foreign accounts and used to buy foreign properties, private jets, yacht, fastest wheels and people are left to suffer.
Leaders in all sectors have become gods and in their pride, they have stolen God’s glory and they make people live at their mercy. Not until we put appropriate check mechanisms in place, we cannot evolve a financially sane environment.
When we say appropriate check mechanism, we have lost hope in mere titles, in the name of professionals such as Chartered Accountants, Auditors, Lawyers or even agencies such as EFCC or ICPC, we are talking about integrity, honesty, truthfulness, honour, veracity, uprightness, reliability, accountability and the list goes on.
Any professional who is devoid of these virtues is not worthy of our trust and money, but if an ordinary individual can show that he has at least a tad of these virtues, we appreciate and respect such persons more than the name bearers, and in fact such an individual should wear the crown, but that is not usually the case, we love titles and hate honour.
The individual is the cradle of the society. We may point to the society, calling it corrupt, at least they say Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, but Nigeria is not a being on its own, she does not have hands, limbs and legs, individuals are the major components of a state. This means that it is the individuals that are actually corrupt. Until we all imbibe a national culture, the type that will send the whole nation to fast and pray, until we can all put on the cloak of candour, not crazed by the worldly wealth that will soon be damned, we may not evolve a sane environment.
Painfully, the youths who are the hope of any nation are distraught with the get rich quick syndrome, it used to be that fathers who could not meet ends meet got involved in dirty things like sacrificing humans for money, now the baton has been passed to undergraduates who flaunt blood money and sometimes money amassed through fraudulent practices such as cyber crimes and forged documents, acquire the latest cars, lodge in the most expensive hotels and spend their lives away.
The other youths who cannot keep up with the dire trend of wealth creation advance other means which makes them lose focus. No wonder our students are finishing with terrible grades, and even those who finished with good grades have next to nothing in their heads, they cannot prove what they have. We have been corrupted, our minds have been infected, and our ideals are fouled.
It is a vicious circle that we are in, and not everyone can see the rot. What the baby does affects the boy, the boy is fast becoming the youth, and the leaders of tomorrow, rehearsing for the mantle today have deep their hands in the abominable pool of mammon. The fathers have eaten to their fill and they are pregnant with constipation, they will give birth to their kind - abomination. Tomorrow is a follow up of today, tomorrow holds for us what we hold on to today.
Lets get together and build a great future and a greater economy, we are all stake holders, we are all a part of a whole and a whole of a part, it is our duty to build up a kingly domain, where God can say boldly, my boys are in control, we should instigate a revolution which will make Nigeria the envy of the nations. We can turn our disadvantage around like China did, we can touch the world like India is doing, we can strengthen ourselves like Israel did, we can make God beat his chest that ours is a peculiar race, we can make Nigeria a must visit for every human, we can turn the story of this nation around, you and I, yes we can, it all begins with a step, start out now.
Adeola Adeniyi
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