Every year as we celebrate independence, I have a heart of love to share and say a prayer for the nation-Nigeria.
We have millions of arable lands but we cannot produce enough to feed ourselves, we spend billions of naira on food importation. We are depending so much on food importation, yet a great percentage of the people are still believed to live below the poverty line. America uses between 10-20% of their arable lands for agriculture and they have enough to feed and even export.
Our educational system is at the verge of collapse if not totally collapsed as ASUU and all other educational bodies are on strike for months in a nation that has the President, Vice president, Minister of education and some political leaders as former lecturers. They have their children outside this country so they don’t care about the children of the people that brought them into office.
Have you ever asked a question about our roads? We hear of billions every year that has been released for roads yet the number of death traps on the roads is on the increase. Lagos state today is changing the face her roads, but I asked a question, where is the money coming from? Where is the money the past administration had, or is Lagos state receiving more funds now that are being used for road construction?...still thinking of the answers.
Even the roads that lead to the international airport where these leaders drive through when they are travelling out or returning from their foreign trips are very bad, yet they see what is obtainable in the countries they go to.
Need we talk about power supply???...your thought is as good as mine if not better. Primary and Secondary buildings have turned camps for breeding touts, who come out of schools with no vision of hope of a better tomorrow.
What about the Niger delta...I do not have enough words to express my heart on that issue. Think about the banking and economic reforms…so many questions that still await answers
I once read some articles that are mind blowing; I love to share a few with you:
America as a country is 250years behind Africa as a continent. (I still cannot imagine how a country can be several years ahead of a whole continent…we still have a long way to go)
Just 2 weeks ago, the UN released data that Nigeria spends about 2.8million dollars on importation of food annually
Our bitumen in Ondo state is said to be second purest in the whole world… (What are we doing about it?)
What ASUU is demanding for is less than 50% of what our politicians spend on monthly basis… (These lecturers leave our public universities to private universities and the private universities are now the talk of the town, which brings me to say that the problem is not with our lectures but with the system. If only we can correct the system, then things will be in shape)
In 2007, 70million people live in poverty, average life expectancy was 44 years in Nigeria. 59, 000 women die annually in Nigeria as a result of maternal issues which can be easily corrected / treated, making her rank 2nd after India in the world (WHO 2007)
Imagine a onetime Governor of Delta state after embezzling so much money had the boldness to come out to say “the money he has is enough for the next 3 generations after him”
My heart thinks deep as I write this short article, if things continue like this, what will our life and the life of our children is in the next 20 years or more.
I sit behind my screen and watch Gulder Ultimate search, MTN project fame, Maltina dance Hall, Zain don’t forget the lyrics, Peak dance show, Koko mansion TV, etc and I try to imagine the millions of naira if not dollars spent on these programmes that have no economic impact on a nation that has her educational system collapsing, roads-death traps, power supply - far from imagination, health sector – no hope of survival in some hospitals, to mention but a few. These companies can use part of the money to develop and empower the nation; we don’t have to spend all that money on these programmes !
Please don’t get me wrong, I do not have anything against some these programmes, I believe in reality shows, I believe in games, but I think they should be educational, empowering, motivating and developmental. At least we had UBA dragon net, The Apprentice, Who wants to be a millionaire, Cowbell secondary school competition, science club debates and mathematics competition, etc…programmes that will make you read and think, no matter your age, even if you don’t have what it takes to qualify for it and possible win some money.
I believe God made every country for a reason, He could have made the 6.5 billion people in the world to have 1 president, but he chose in His infinite wisdom to make us in continents, countries, tribes, and nations… that is why I know there is reason for Nigeria that we need to pray to God for mercy to bring us into our destiny. A land so richly blessed in EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF.
If you believe in this nation and if you can pls join me to say at least a 10mins prayer for Nigeria on the 1st of October 2009 wherever you are, whether you are a Muslim or a Christian. If we can get 1million people (or more) to join us, we would have given at least 10million minutes of prayer to God for our dear nation and on like that.
If you can, let’s join this dream:
I have a dream that one day the children of the poor and the rich will be in the same school, it will no longer be reason of wealth, but of choice on what school to send our children.
I have a dream that one day our health sector will be improved that if we do not necessarily have to travel out for medical treatment.
I have a dream that one day our political system will be “people politics and not party politics” – where we will vote people into office not because of the party they belong but because of the person of integrity that they are and our political leaders will have good of the people at heart and not just their family members
I have a dream that one day we will be able to produce enough to feed ourselves and still have for export so that the value of our naira will compete favourable with others in the exchange market and every Nigerian will be able to afford basic amenities when they need them.
I have a dream that one day the press will have freedom of speech in reality not just on paper
I have a dream that one day we will be able to refine our crude oil and not to export to other countries through the Shells, the Agips, the Chevrons, and not just depend on royalties and taxes from these companies.
I HAVE A DREAM! – a man named Martin Luther King, Jnr once said “I have a dream that one day my 4 children will stand with the children, that the blacks will be able to stand with the whites with no fear of colour or discrimination”.
40 years after, a black man emerged the president of America; 41 years after the black man – Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the U.S.A.
You can kill man, but you can't kill the man’s vision or dream---I HAVE A DREAM !
THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THE WORDS OF THE 2ND VERSION OF OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM
Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause
Guide our Leaders right; help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow and live in just and truth
Great lofty heights attained,
To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign
THE OLD VERSION READS:
Nigeria we hail thee; our own dear native land
Though tribe and tongue may differ
In brotherhood we stand
Nigeria our country our sovereign mother land
©actright, 2009
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