Silence is Golden but when you are quiet when you should speak, you have condoned that which you should speak against. The world of today is a place ruled by dreams, I can honestly identify myself with them. Many countries of the world got where they are today because of the desire and dreams of many other individuals. But in Nigeria our dreams, desires and wants stop there. Just wants, wishes and desires, in the bedroom, in your head.
Nigeria, the giant of Africa, is known for the rich natural and material resources bestowed on us by God and in fact is being envied by many nations of the world. Many sovereign states would be glad to trade places (our mineral resources) with us but not many would trade economic situations. This is due to the economic challenges and hurdles that we face.
Nigeria gained its independence in 1960. This was after we had been colonised for about 100 years and to achieve this independence, our heroes‘ past had to struggle and suffer but at the end of it all: the flag flew high. I am almost hundred percent sure that if any prominent man like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was asked about his view of Nigeria in 50 years to come, his answer would in ramifications contrast with our current situations. Today in Nigeria, citizens are faced with a lot of problems like, inadequate water supply, poor health care facilities, poor transport systems, lack of electricity and many others. But my dreams for Nigeria utterly differ from all these.
As a dreamer, if I were to be asked what the Nigeria of my dreams is, I would say that it was a place where bribery, corruption and all other sorts of vices among us would be alien and unknown. For me, a major reason for the problem we face is corruption. Corruption has eaten deep into the Nigerian system and has now become a bane in it; to the extent that even people in the market square cheat the customers in order to make profit. Honestly I wouldn’t blame these people because they actually do it in order to have enough to feed their family and as the saying goes, “like father like son” so as “leaders as followers”. And soon their children will emulate this vice and when they grow up to become leaders, they will exhibit same characters and the cycle goes on.
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Again, the nation we want is a place with high educational standards. Education plays a major role in the kind of leaders we produce in this country and the kind of future we want for our Nigeria. Today, due to the low standard of educational facilities, “Brain Drain” has become the order of the day. Nigerians are blessed with high intelligence quotient and high level of technical reasoning. But if Nigerians have no educational facilities to build up their intellect, there would be no other choice than to emigrate rather than have their skills die.
The Nigeria we want is a place where all citizens live together communally irrespective of financial status, religion or tribe. It is a place with no issue of banditry or terrorism. It is a place where our motto: Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress really has a meaning and really stands for something right. It is a place where genocide is alien. I dream not only from my angle but from the perspective of my fellow children. Consider a widow who is a petty tomato trader in the market having a child with a hole in her heart. I am certain that if such a woman were to be asked what the Nigeria of her dreams is; she would say it is a place with good healthcare facilities.
The Nigeria we live in today is a place where the healthcare facilities are poor to the extent of lacking drugs in the hospitals. There are cases where after a patient has been checked, instead of giving them the required medications, they would be referred to a chemist to buy drugs themself. And sadly our politicians do nothing about it because they have the money to go abroad for treatment. Also, I want a place where there are good and highly standardised infrastructural facilities, a place where pipe-borne water is readily available, a constant supply of electricity and good roads beautified with traffic lights. I dream of a place where the citizens have a cause to live and enjoy their lives.
Ultimately, I dream of a nation where true democracy is practised. True democracy entails complete practice of the rule of law. Naturally, in democracy, “NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW” but in Nigeria “NO POOR MAN IS ABOVE THE LAW”. Really in Nigeria the constitution states that he who kills should be killed and who steals would face life imprisonment. But this practice is only applicable to the poor. Whenever a renowned politician is caught in the act of theft or looting of public funds, they will be sued to court after which the case would be adjourned incessantly until forgotten.
Lastly, the Nigeria that I want and dream of is a place where every Nigerian is treated equally; a place where there will be no special benefit for the rich, or for the Christians, or Muslims, a place everyone is HAPPY.
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