"THE NIGERIA OF MY DREAM"
The Nigeria of my
dream is that where we will have great leaders and where there will be
zero tolerance for corruption, where there is job security, justice,
fairness and equity. I want the great Nigeria which our founders dreamed
of and which our past leaders will be proud of. The Nigeria I dream of
is that where every citizen will have equal access to job opportunities,
where corruption will be banished and where all security threats a
thing of the past as the country gallops into the track of economic
growth, development and prosperity.
The
challenges of our age are global; they transcend national frontiers;
they are problems without passports. To address them, we need blue
prints without borders. That is why more than ever before, we need
dedicated and talented young men and women to be global citizens who
make the choice of service to humankind.
A
society that cuts itself from its youth severs its lifeline, but a
society that engages their interests, enlists their talents and
liberates their energies brings hope to the entire world” (Kofi Anan).
To
all those youths roaming the streets without the wherewithal to secure a
formal education, it is not the end of the world as lightning will
always give way to sunshine. They should leap a bit further above their
human capabilities that are consumed with opportunities for those who
seek. You should not because the government hasn’t done well enough to
provide you with free education or employment lead a vendetta against
the government but on the contrary, imbibe the philosophy and ideology
of john. Fitzgerald Kennedy, a onetime president of the United States
when he said “ask not what your country has done for you but what you
have done for your country”. Instead of sitting idly at home doing
almost nothing in the name of unemployment, we should tow in the words
of Ola Rotimi in his book: the gods are not to blame to the effect that
“life is wicked but to resign oneself to fate is to be crippled fast”.
It is said that life begins where fear and procrastination ends. Let us
imbibe this virtue and make it our watch word in our daily dealings. On
no grounds should we be used as the tool of violence because violence
has never solved the simplest of problems and wars only determine who is
left behind and not what is achieved.
The
time has come for Nigerian youths to come together under one umbrella,
shunning all manners of ethnic or creed differences to protect the
sanctity of the one and only land they can truly call theirs. The time
has come for every single Nigerian youth to unite and say: we have had
enough! But in doing so, must shun all iota of violence. It is high time
every Nigerian youth came out to say “I am a star and no one can deny
me of my inalienable right to twinkle”. It is germane that we are the
apparatus or the harbinger of this unfortunate situation in our society
but we should rise up and denounce all such acts as they will lead us
where happiness and posterity will never go. To no one shall we be slave
to and no one should we allow to decide our fate. We should come
together under one umbrella, enlighten ourselves in the simplest of
languages and prepare a brighter future for our generation unborn.
The
time has come for the leadership of student unions in all citadels of
learning to summon a clarion call to all students under their respective
chapters, organize workshops that will focus on ways to achieving a
lasting peace and a better environment for all. Instead of being carried
away with the luxurious life and cheap popularity that comes with the
occupation of these offices, they should lay more emphasis on steps
towards achieving a better Nigeria for all and sundry and not severing
the little that is left by leading protests against governmental
educational policies as was witnessed in the rebranding of UNILAG as
these acts will only fuel violence.
We
should draw inspirations from celebrated youths whom despite the
unfortunate accident of their birth, defied all odds, and weathered the
storm to the skies. We can also be like them but we can never be like
them if we go on fueling violence. Let us go back to the drawing board
and channel out a better future for ourselves and the world at large.
For a nation like Nigeria to succeed, we need to strategically put our
youth in place for development. The Nigerian youth is highly energetic
and ambitious. It is high time a place is given to the youths of Nigeria
in the entire system. Nigerian youth are hungry for change, we want to
be heard.
"I
believe, YOUTH are: Interested if you treat them with Respect; Engaged
if you make things Interesting; Excited if you are passionate; Impacting
if given the Forum and trust; Leaders if given the time and space to
Practice leadership.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA……….
Datz my dream too. God bless you
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