CHANGE

Change as they say is the only constant thing in life and it begins with the first step. With regards to the various happenings within our immediate environs, it is pertinent to note that change is needed in virtually all facets of our existence whether personal or collective. If you pose the question, “What Is Change?” to Nigerians out there irrespective of their level of literacy, you will get similar answers which when summed up is that “Change makes today different from yesterday.”

Religiously speaking, we are in the era termed “The Last Days”, while logically, we are in the era of change; a period when even the laymen on the streets scream for something different; a period when the people are tired of constant purported stories, lies and innuendos; a period when the people demand to know the truth from their leaders. The people have just about had enough with all the “hogwash”. Isn’t it bad enough the ordeal most of us face during Voters’ Registration exercise, standing under the sun and rains during elections to vote for preferred candidate only to experience “the more you look, the less you see OR abracadabra” syndrome, that is, not only will your candidate nor the opposition fail to get reasonable chunks of votes from the massive turnouts, but low and behold, an unknown candidate, who never participated in election will emerge from the skies and be declared the winner by electoral personnel. Please can someone help by enlightening me on this issue?

I’m not a politician neither do I really like politics nor do I recall delving into political discussions before the Odili regime. I used to think the greatest kind of political showmanship could be found in advanced regions like the Americas, Europe and Australasia but my people, Naija politics is a whole different ball game. How I wish I knew more about Politics, perhaps I would have been able to write a book on “Naija Politics: The Game Plan”. I feel it would have been awesome because I’ve sat down countless times, trying to recall with my little knowledge of politics, the eras of IBB, Abacha, OBJ and now GEJ and end up asking myself, “Oh Lord, what the h**k (pardon my language) is wrong with us?” Understanding our political terrain is gruesome because if care isn’t taken, you and I can be in our homes and not know when we’ve (society- state or country) been sold out.

Change occurs but most of them are not what we hope for. We are in dire need of suitable change in order to progress further. In order for us to experience the kind of change we crave for, we need to search deep within ourselves, as individuals then collectively foremost as a family and subsequently as a community et al. As an individual, after going on soul-searching journeys, I realise there are bits and pieces of myself that definitely need tune-ups that will boost my self-esteem thereby enhancing interpersonal relationships.

For example, there are periods when we experience scarcity of goods like petroleum products and FMCGs (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). When these products become available, there is the tendency to be disorderly via pushing and shoving which can lead to visits to a hospital. On my part, I can force myself to wage a WAI (War Against Indiscipline) by waiting for my turn no matter the insults and cajoling that come my way. It may be easier said than done but as a popular Chinese goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”

It is no longer news that a lot of people all over the world have distorted perceptions about Nigeria probably due to one scandal or the other and as a result, our leaders speak of rebranding our image. How can we speak of rebranding when we, government and the masses, refuse to listen to reason? How can we change people’s perceptions when we refuse to “separate the chaff from the wheat”? The sine qua non is, if both parties can put themselves in each other’s position, then there’s probably Hope in making progressive change.

There are many aspects of our lives that need a touch of ‘this much sought after change’. Nigeria is primarily composed of Christians and Muslims; the Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo and other religious and tribal sects and we need to respect and accept each other’s existence. By so doing we can take steps in the right direction.

If we can unite and present a common front despite our different religions, tribes and places of residence, then there is definitely hope for you and I; hope as in a Nigerian aspiring for government posts outside his catchment zone; hope as in a Nigerian high school graduate being chanced to enrol into any Nigerian university with reasonable JAMB and WAEC scores without having to worry about the disparity in “Quota” system or extremely high scores for particular courses of study; hope as in Nigerian government retirees being able to regularly receive pensions in person or paid into bank accounts as at when due as well as being able to participate in periodic audit updates AT Government Liaison Offices IN their States of Residence; hope as in Nigerians being able to rest well knowing their Leaders are carrying out their duties properly and not squandering tax payers money.

For the religious thinker, his hope for the better is in his Maker, God Almighty; for the modern thinker, he relies on prodding, shifting and rearranging to effect change. The bottom-line according to the inventor, Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”