Date Published: 05/21/09
Wisdom: Too lofty for a FOOL
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson C. Dipl
A man of great wrath will have to suffer punishment by eating the bread of adversity and drinking the water of affliction, for if you rescue him, you will have to do it again, and again, and again. The purchase price of wisdom is in the hand of such a fool, since he has no heart for it.
- King Solomon
Given the many obstacles and difficulties we face in this country. It is a wonder where we get our strength from. We really ought to be congratulating ourselves – yet it sometimes seems as if we are more inclined to be self-critical. We keep thinking about the things we have not managed to do or the promises we are finding it very hard or difficult to keep. Let’s not give ourselves a hard time. We don’t deserve one. We have suffered enough and even heavens know it has been tough enough for long enough. So, we don’t need one. And as long we put the past behind us and step bravely forward, trust me, we won’t have one. Others in our position might have been vanquished long ago by the sheer number of obstacles on their path. We Nigerians may be feeling a little battered and bruised after years of slavery, but we have survived all or at least recent trials, tribulations and even managed to turn many of these into chances to help others. However, this is our chance to deal with yet to be finished business and show stoicism one last time. We may not get a National Medal for being each other’s heroes and heroines, but hey! We will surely be rewarded.
Nigerians abroad - Enemies of Nigeria
Our country, as we all know, is full of “Yes Men”. There are of course, some GIRLS who blindly agree with everything they hear but we can include them in the phrase “Yes Men”, for to say yes repeatedly and blindly, is a very male thing to do. The female principle understands the need to question. Male energy is, by definition, the energy of unthinking devotion to passion. Our country is full of “people” doing things that they do not really want to be doing. Some of these sacrifices and compromises are all but essential, others, though, are quite unnecessary and waste of time. These “Yes Men” think they have no choice but to behave in a certain way. They might never manage to lead exactly the kind of lifestyle they ideally want. They can and will, though, become much happier and successful souls if they question the number of things or re-branding they must do and then apply themselves more honestly, sincerely and wholeheartedly to those that can’t be escaped but make the most sense.
Solution that stands a chance
‘Luck’ they say, ‘is something we make for ourselves. ‘That’s like insisting that we all have the power to create balloons. Unless we happen to own a rubber factory, that’s not the case. Balloons, though, are easy enough to find. Windows of opportunity are not so rare, either. Unless we make an effort to blow up a balloon, its potential is meaningless. It’s the same with a window of opportunity. If we don’t climb through it, nothing will change. We can’t create what we need out of thin air, now, but if we work with what we have to hand, we can yet turn it into something much bigger, better and productive. How far should we then push our luck? As far as we really feel the need to push it. If we are happy enough with our circumstances, as it is now, in this country, we may as well leave things much as they are. After all, ’If it ain’t broken’ there’s a risk that if we try to fix it, we may make matter worse. But if it really is, broken? Then we should feel perfectly entitled to give our luck a little nudge in the right direction, by looking for a Justice Uwais ERC report and Anthony Enahoro’s solution that stands a chance of working then put all our efforts into this endeavour.
The blaming game
They say, ‘if you are going to be hanged for stealing a lamb, you may as well steal a sheep’. Nigerians abroad stand accused of something that we either have not done at all or we have done for the most innocent and sincere of reasons. To be blamed for a shameful and disgraceful development that we have actually been trying to prevent is most galling. The situation, though, does not involve deciding that, if we are going to be punished or called our own beloved country’s worst enemy, we may as well carry out the crime. We must let the confused understand one thing. We are too unique for that and our country means the world to us. Let’s remain honorable and calm, even if our policy (of honesty, transparency and sincerity) does not seem to be paying off. I strongly belief WAI will surely come back some day and time will change all for the better. If we want advice, yes, we can get it easily enough. There’s never shortage in this world of people who are willing to pass judgement on one another. Ask almost anyone what you should do and you’ll surely get an opinion of some kind. Few people will worry about whether they truly know enough about your situation to say anything relevant. They will just be happy enough to talk or blab their gums off the top of their heads. This, though, is the kind of advice we really do not want, most especially in this worthy country. Let’s not seek it, let’s not listen to it and let’s not take the worthless thing.
The ‘Re-Branding’ impression
Some actors throw themselves wholeheartedly into the roles that they have been cast. They get so caught up in ‘who they are trying to be’, that they actually forget who they really are. We all do this to some extent. We identify strongly with our position in life, as someone’s parent, child, boss, employee, husband, wife, friend, victim or even enemy. It is fine until comes there a need to ‘switch’ this off and explore life from a wider perspective. To succeed with our current opportunity in this country and avoid unnecessary hullabaloo, we have to step outside one of our roles and try to see the powerless as a people, not a ‘symbol’. Too long lately we have been living in a world made of modelling clay. We keep coming up against propositions that are apparently practical or situations that seem solid. They look right, they give the correct “Re-Branding” impression, yet when we try to get to grips with them, they turn out to be infuriatingly malleable. Subject them to the slightest pressure and they give way. That’s really not what we need in this country and especially from a supposed “Leader” who ought to be a source of support. Now, though, the question is, when do some people get back in a world that is more real, honest, sensible and reliable?
The rewarding commitment
In this amazing world of ours, we can place our valuables under lock and key. We can install alarms to alert us to intruders. What on earth can we possibly do, though, to protect ourselves from those who seek to deprive us of something even more precious – our time? How in the green world do we stop unreasonable people from stealing our agenda and absorbing our concentration? Right now, we must jealously guard our schedule. We do not have to be obsessive and we must, of course, be flexible and reasonable, but we need to remember what matters and why it does. We can come further in or go further out. We can grow more detached or get more involved. We can walk away gracefully or stride in purposefully. What we can’t do, though, is sit on the fence. Almost any decision is now better than indecision. Probably, though, we should choose in favour of greater engagement. We can yet make valuable contribution to a daunting, difficult and confusing situation. If we give a commitment life won’t be easy, but it will become very rewarding.
What becomes possible!
They say, ‘We become like the company we keep. ‘Let’s hope that’s not entirely true. We have some rather eccentric friends and some decidedly peculiar companions. It’s one thing to be amused by their escapades, another to adopt them as role-models. Something makes many of us keenly conscious of the way in which we are being influenced by various groups and individuals in this country, of course. It’s not a problem if we can see where we end, and they begin. It is, though, time to separate ourselves a little from a situation that we have not created, yet have become increasingly embroiled in. The question is not, what can we do? It is what do we want to do? Too often, like diners in some dodgy café, we peruse the menu of available options and select whatever seems least unpalatable. We forget that there are other restaurants in the vicinity offering finer fare at competitive prices. We feel too hungry, or too ‘socially obligated’ to set off in search of a more satisfactory repast. We will have a good future, wherever we go or whatever we do. If, though, we hold out for something a little extra special, we will be truly surprised and delighted by what becomes possible with Justice Uwais ERC report and Chief Anthony Enahoro’s vision of a greater and better NIGERIA.
We’ve got to be grown-ups!
Every so often, we hear of people who have lost their memory STICK; woken up only to realise that they don’t know who they are, what they are saying and can’t relate to anyone or anything any more. Most of us go through this, in a small way, each morning just after alarm goes off! ‘Where am I? What am I supposed to be doing today?’ We are not going to forget our identity, in this country, but we are about to remember something we had forgotten – something inspiring that turns out to be of great value. ‘Welcome to planet Earth. It’s an odd place, full of unreasonably confused species and projects that don’t make sense – some of which are deeply unfair. There’s misery, suffering and selfishness here, but there’s also a vast amount of kindness, hope and inspiration. Whichever we choose to focus on will become the reality for us.
With power comes responsibility. With responsibility comes restriction. With restriction comes frustration. With frustration comes determination. With determination comes success. With success comes power! And so, we go round in the same old circles. No wonder so many people are attracted to notion of a bohemian lifestyle. Much sooner, though, no matter how hard we try to side-step it, we will be followed by a finger of fate that keeps tapping us on the shoulder and pointing us towards the chance to take command of an unstable, disgraceful and worthless situation in this country. Like it or not, in this Nigeria of a country, we have got to be grown-ups. ‘Sorry about the delay in getting the message to many. It really should have been delivered on the day we Nigerians were born. Oh well, better late than never.
Our country’s current fire
Some boats pitch and yaw much more dramatically than others. An experienced sailor can compensate for this to some extent, by handling the controls with care. If the hull rolls too badly, though, the crew will soon start yearning for a transfer to a more stable ship. Recent events in this country have left us wondering whether we are really aboard an appropriate vessel. Why shouldn’t our lives be easy? Why are we not entitled to expect success in this great country? Why are we represented and managed by bunch of thugs, thieves and rogues? Have we or our country been cursed by some malevolent pixie whose mushroom home we trampled under foot on a recent forest walk? Sorry, I know that sounds a little far-fetched….but so too, frankly, do all the other reasons why we might now be obliged to put up with ongoing misfortune.
Where there’s smoke, there is always fire. We don’t, though, require much fire to create a great deal of smoke. Let’s consider our country’s current fire. How much of a wind is blowing? If we decide to increase the heat, what access will we later have to an extinguisher? What danger is there that the fire will spread wildly out of control? If we do decide to stop the burning, let’s not forget to STAMP IT RIGHT OUT. Let’s leave no chance of a stray spark later re-igniting the pile. No matter how tired we feel or how disenchanted we have become with certain disgraceful situation in our country, we have to keep making effort to improve matters. We know what needs to be said and or done. Rather than waste time cooking up imaginary problems, let’s turn our attention to the reality that lies before us – and concentrate on carrying out the plan that we Nigerians have already made a commitment to, by building a nation, where no man is oppressed. We don’t have time to do all we want to do. To make matters worse, the precious time that we do have is spoken for. We are wanted here. We are being called for there. We are also, most irritatingly, being stopped from doing this or that. We may be ready to move, but something or some group of individuals are not. It now seems we must battle to ensure our priorities are honoured.
Justice Uwais ERC report – An exceptional chance
Even heaven knows that, when you are hungry, the most magical work of art can seem like a tatty picture in the corner of a junk shop. When you are tired, the most wonderful music can sound like an irritating cacophony. You have to be in the right mood to appreciate the good things in this life and usually, this involves taking care of certain basic, physical and emotional needs. Only one thing is wrong with our current situation in this country. It may seem big to us, but at least it is easy to identify…..and to fix. Why attempt the impossible? Because we can’t know whether it is impossible until we try! What’s more, even through making the effort and failing, we may learn something that we never have discovered in any other way. In this country, we can now have ambitious objective. We can think of a dozen good reasons to set our sights on something more realistic. The good reasons to proceed, though, outweigh them all. What exactly are the reasons?
As said before, from tiny acorns, mighty oaks do grow. Few of us, though, in this our busy modern world, have time to wait for such a transformation. Have any of us ever tried sprouting beans, though, in just a few short days we can bring about amazing, rapid growth just by soaking, rinsing and maintaining an appropriate temperature? We have seen opportunity as small or trivial. It is time to respond to it in the right way, though, it will turn, at surprising speed, into something significant and impressive. Justice Uwais ERC report has offered Nigerians an exceptional chance. All we have to do now (Whilst others are busy stealing in the name of God) is see the potential…..and seize it. The Lord has already blessed Nigeria.
D. Akinsanya Juliuson C. Dipl
