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D.AKINSANYA JULIUSON HonDBA, IOM
Political Strategist,
Professional Investigator, Honorary Representative
Hon V/Chairman, Congress of Diplomats and
Parliamentarians
Fellow of the Atlantic Council of the United Kingdom
NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CAN ACHIEVE MOST THINGS NOW IF THEY REALLY TRY
NIGERIANS ARE A LOT OF THINGS,
BUT FAILURE WE ARE NOT
NIGERIA MUST BE MADE A LEADER OF CHANGES IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD
WHAT WOULD NIGERIANS CHANGE IF WE HAD THE FREEDOM TO CHANGE ANYTHING?
PART 1
BE
A MILLER PRESIDENT OBASANJO, BUT GRIND NOT THE FACES OF THE POOR
PRESIDENT OBASANJO MUST CHOOSE A ROUTE HE CAN BE PROUD OF TAKING
THE KEY TO PROGRESS
IN NIGERIA LIES IN SINCERITY, NOT CYNICISM
WHY PRESIDENT
OBASANJO MUST LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF WISDOM
WHY NIGERIAN LEADERS NEED TO
LEARN FROM THE BEST
NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY
MUST BE MADE TO BE ADMIRED
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NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CAN ACHIEVE MOST THINGS NOW IF THEY REALLY TRY
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
It is perfectly possible for a person to be highly intelligent yet
wildly out of touch with his own intuition. Conversely, there are some
folk who have impressive powers, yet we wouldn't want their help if we
were trying to solve a crossword puzzle. In an ideal world, we would
all learn to listen to our heads and our hearts. We would neither be
too logical nor too poetic. I believe we (Nigerians) are naturally
inclined to think very deeply. That ability deserves respect. But now,
what matters more is what we feel very
deeply. Murphy's Law states that "If anything can possibly go wrong,
it will". But wait a minute, 'Anything? Well, in that case, Murphy's
Law itself can go wrong from time to time. If, or when, it does,
anything that can work out well has to do so. Many people have been
hoping for a breakthrough in this country of ours, for a very long
time now. It could be about to occur...who knows. Weirdly, that feels
worrying rather than reassuring. It won't feel that way to someone
like I, though, once it actually happens. The future of our country
now, is not subject to Murphy's Law unless we want to make it so by
worrying to the point where our judgment becomes skewed. There is no
law that says Nigerians can't be optimistic. And there is no reason to
think that, if we expect the best, we won't get it. If we are
floundering in the ocean of uncertainty, any piece of driftwood is a
boon. An idea or opinion, no matter how ill-founded, can help keep
that horrible sinking feeling at bay. It's not so helpful, though, if
we continue to cling to it, even when a luxury liner comes into view.
'I don't trust that ship, so I'm going to ignore it and stick with my
existing support system.' Before we can find the right sort of
certainty in this country of ours, we might first have to entertain
even deeper doubts. Let's not be afraid of these. Our government can
achieve most things if they really try and listen enough to
intelligent Nigerians. It helps enormously though, to know what it is
that they are trying to achieve. Can they stop and think, for a
moment, about their current goal? If they are really trying to
accomplish the objective that they claim to be interested in, why are
they going about it in one particular way? Might they have mixed
motives? Could they be even telling themselves one thing, whilst
inwardly trying to fulfill a different need entirely? Are they going
round in circles? It may seem that way - but actually, they are
spiraling. There is a subtle but crucial difference.
Circles take them right back round to where they started. Spirals
appear to be doing much the same but with each rotation, they end up
getting a little higher - or going a little deeper. There is something
very constructive about the situation our government now find
themselves in. Even if they feel confused or they fear that they are
just repeating some old and overly familiar exercise, I strongly
believe, they are making real progress.
However, is confusion preferable to delusion in Nigeria now? Only time
will tell, but I still believe in that dream of a better, stronger and
successful Nigeria.
WHY WE NEED TO HAVE FAITH IN THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY
It never hurts to be prepared for any circumstance, but it's even more
helpful to have the genuine expectation that things will work out for
the best. With that kind of winning attitude, how can we go wrong?
Stories never begin with, "... and, they all lived happily ever
after." If they did, in our country (Nigeria), we wouldn't want to
hear them. The pay-off means nothing until the scene has been set, the
challenge has been defined and the difficult objective has been
attained. Our tale is only just starting to be told. All the exciting
twists and turns lie ahead. Once they take place, we
will feel much happier about the circumstances we now face in our
beloved country. These are merely the problems that we are eventually
going to solve with the help of the Most High in a satisfying way.
They say, 'There's no gain without pain.' What people like my humble
self want to know is, who are the 'they' who say this? And why do they
say it? I reckon they are a bunch of masochists, running an insidious
campaign to infiltrate mainstream society by creating catchy little
phrases like this. Not every gain has to involve pain. Nor must it be
followed by a loss. The universe doesn't always give on one hand and
take away with the other. Sometimes, good things happen, and they just
carry on happening. We must have faith in the future of our country
now. Sometimes, when we can't agree, we have to agree to
differ. And when we can't do that? We just have to differ, whether
it's agreeable or not. Some of us would very much like to restore
harmony in our country where there has lately been far too much
tension. If we offer an olive branch, do we look foolish if it is
thrown back in our face? Perhaps, but we would be a lot more foolish
to let pride stand in the way of a possible reconciliation. The very
best solution is to make a generous gesture now. Clean sheets don't
just give us a better night's sleep; they give us a better start to a
new life! 2006 may not be quite as fresh and new as it was a sometime
ago but, like a recently stained top, its grime has not yet become
ingrained. There's still time to remove the sticky psychological
residue of yesteryear and give Nigerians the best possible start. It
is not too late to successfully bring about the change we (Nigerians)
most desire. Whatsoever on earth we're worried about, it will all come
out in the wash. So far though, the year is doing its best to give
the impression of being
just another, ordinary year. Let's not be fooled. Though the old
routine is
keen to clasp us in its overly familiar embrace, but trust me, our
nation
has a very different destiny in store, and the year itself will soon
show us
another face before we finally enter the mother of them all..2007.
Happily
we will both change in a compatible fashion at a mutually convenient
time!
Meanwhile, if we need information, let's stop guessing, assuming or
fabricating. Let's learn to ask someone who is not a character
assassin,
blackmailer and or parasite. Let's ask some persons who knows. If we
don't
ask a question, how can we possibly get an answer? We may not feel
able to
ask it because we are not sure how it will be received. In that case,
let's
try asking around the question. Let's try dropping hints and making
suggestions. It's not what we say. Nor, necessarily, is it how we
neither
say it, nor even who we say it to. Often, what really makes a
difference is
when we say it. We can hold the same conversation a hundred times and
exchange little by way of new information. The same old words will
fall on
the same old half-deaf ears. Then, one day, someone will be in the
mood to
really listen, properly. The right moment will have come. I believe
that,
somewhere within a seemingly unsolvable problem, there is always a
real way
to move everything forward especially in our beloved nation. However,
I
surely believe what my heart is telling me. 2007 will be a year of
restoration for the most beloved nation, Nigeria.
OUR LEADERS USE A LOT OF WORDS, BUT THEY OFTEN SAY VERY LITTLE
People who hold passionate beliefs find it hard to talk to folk who
see the
world differently. Or rather, they find it easy to talk to them, but
hard to
listen to them. If we want to hold a constructive conversation now, we
need
to put our own beliefs aside for a while. This will help in two ways.
It
will enable us to hear what's being said to us and, even if it doesn't
inspire the other participants to go beyond their own preconceptions,
it
will at least ensure that they tell us everything we need to know. We
all
like to know where we stand, especially when it seems likely that we
will
have to stand there for a considerable length of time. We want and
like to
be able to get comfortable and make plans. That's why the possibility
of
change, even if it is positive and much needed, can be more disturbing
than
the notion of perpetual stalemate. It isn't easy to talk when our
mouth is
full. Sadly, though, there is no similar physical impediment to
speaking
when our ears are blocked. Most people speak without listening to
themselves
or anyone else. That's why, despite the fact that we hold so many
conversations, we experience so little by way of real communication.
Our
leaders use a lot of words, they often say very little. Our non-verbal
communications often, work the other way round. We only have to raise
an
eyebrow by a millimeter in order to express a vast amount of
enthusiasm or
disapproval. We must start paying close attention, now, to what some
persons, groups and nations are trying to tell us. Let's not respond
until
the information has been properly understood and carefully digested.
Then,
we will surely end up with real power. We need to watch someone or
some
people's body language now. We need to listen to their tone of voice.
These
are being carefully crafted to convey a rather different meaning. We
need to
detect some people's true motives and their real interests. Nigeria
belongs
to this and future generations, we must do all we can to protect our
nation,
our government and the poor souls. Let's make Nigeria a nation no
longer
deserted, for that's what our country deserves.
WHY ARE WE INTERESTED ONLY IN THE PART OF THE FUTURE WE THINK WE CAN
FORESEE?
Something, very soon I believe, will remind us of how much more there
is to
life than a particular topic which has lately been absorbing so much
of our
energy in this country. We'll then see life from a higher perspective.
For
now, we should be grateful for small mercies. Large ones don't require
our
gratitude. They are the gifts that the world bestows on us, regardless
of
whether or not we feel thankful. The smaller blessings tend to involve
matters of personal preference. They may mean a lot to us but that
isn't
always obvious to the world. When then, it inadvertently graces us. We
should let it know as loudly as possible in the hope that it will keep
repeating the trick. Sometimes, life gives us what we like. Then, it
is easy
to appreciate our circumstances and surroundings. What are we supposed
to
do, though, when it presents us with something we are not so fond of?
We can
put a lot of energy, right now, into resenting or trying to change a
situation that seems less than ideal in our country. If, we set about
trying
to find something within it that we can admire and respect, we will
surely
have a lot more peace and happiness and we won't compromise our
eventual
ability to bring about a change that we yearn for. I believe none of
us
really knows where we are going, because we don't know where we have
been.
We arrive in this world with our memories wiped, like reconditioned
computers, fresh from the workshop. We can relate only to what we can
remember. We are interested only in the part of the future we think we
can
foresee. The universe never gives us more than we can cope with, but
it
sometimes gives us as much as we can cope with. When we are being
tested in
this way - or taken to our limits - or required to wrestle with an
intense
dilemma, we must have faith. Really, faith is all we need in this
country
now. Let's do our best. Let's trust that, as long as we do this,
everything
will eventually take care of itself. We might not yet be able to see a
solution to our nation's biggest problem. But I believe, it is nearer
than
we might think. They say, 'Where there is life, there is hope'. This
is
planet earth. It is teeming with life. Surely then, it must also be
bursting
at the seams with hope. Is all that hope in vain? I believe NO is the
answer. It's just that, sometimes, we forget we are entitled to allow
ourselves an experience of hope. Then, effectively, we deny ourselves
a
worthwhile experience of life, too. Let's hang on to our greatest hope
of a
better Nigeria today. It might yet spring delightfully into life. In
addition, let's remember to keep our thoughts positive, for our
thoughts
becomes our words; let's remember to keep our words positive, for our
words
become our actions; let's remember to keep our actions positive, for
our
actions become our habits; and last but not the least, we must
remember to
keep our habits positive, because our habits become our destiny. What
our
leaders must do is to put on their thinking hoods, find some ways or
discover some ideas that will enable them to accomplish what they set
out to
do. I believe playing "follow the leader" gets neither you nor the
leader
nowhere. They must draw attention in some ways to what they are doing.
They
need new ideas or maybe a purpose, something quite different that has
never
been done or tried before for our country and Nigerians. Whatsoever on
earth
they do, must be different! This might not sound like an easy task. It
might
sound like a tall order, and it is, so they should get their thinking
hoods
on NOW, to fathom out or discover some unusual ideas that will get
attention
and will enable them to raise the standard of living, bring peace and
unity
needed in our country. God will surely bless our country and bless us
with
peace of mind.
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"Murphy's
Law states that "If anything can possibly go wrong, it will". But
wait a minute, 'Anything? Well, in that case, Murphy's Law itself
can go wrong from time to time. If, or when, it does, anything that
can work out well has to do so. Many people have been hoping for a
breakthrough in this country of ours, for a very long time now. It
could be about to occur...who knows. Weirdly, that feels worrying
rather than reassuring. It won't feel that way to someone like I,
though, once it actually happens. The future of our country now, is
not subject to Murphy's Law unless we want to make it so by worrying
to the point where our judgment becomes skewed. There is no law that
says Nigerians can't be optimistic. And there is no reason to think
that, if we expect the best, we won't get it. If we are floundering
in the ocean of uncertainty, any piece of driftwood is a boon."
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