” Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or
if we wait for some other
time . We are the ones we have been waiting for. We
are the change that we seek”
-President Barack Obama
We are in a season of change , no thanks to APC and its slogan ‘CHANGE’.
Truly and frankly speaking, a whole lot of things need to be changed, not
just the leadership and the ruling party . For we to effect the needed
change there is need for systemic and systematic change, a lot of things
need to give way, call it wholistic change in the leadership and
follower-ship. The change we need is both top bottom and bottom up . A
change of value system because our value system has been redefined ,
distorted and mangled by greed ,avaricious tendency , selfishness and
stomach infrastructure. Over the years we have derailed into moral abyss.
Nobody cares , nobody says stop , nobody says enough is enough , this
nonsense must stop. It has been a culture of ‘mpunity’ and impunity.
Our problems have not been wrong policy formulation! Nor lack of human
and material resources to move Nigeria to at least being a developing
country instead of least developed countries of the world as it currently
is, with the latter description all doors to being developed have been
shut by us , because despite our endowments we have not exhibited the
right attitude that will engender development by the leaders and the led.
It has been corruption, corruption all the way, lawlessness , indiscipline
and disorderliness. The voice of corruption has reached heaven crying for
vengeance . It has been proliferated at all levels, across all ages,
groups, sex, and social strata. It has not only eaten deep into the
fabrics our society but has torn the fabrics into shreds. It has been said
a million times that ‘the problem is not in our stars that we are
underlings but in ourselves’. Nigerians have this penchant for hacking
into the system , beating it and short changing it. We have the
predilection, inordinate appetite and inclination to truncate any and
making most noble policy ignoble. Nigerians have dexterity in manipulating
and maneuvering the system for their own selfish interest . I have
continued to ask in frustration and total helplessness, for how long
shall we continue in this madness , profligacy ,lawlessness and impunity?
I feel we have dwelt on this mountain of profligacy , prodigality, for too
long . It is time to advance, move forward and change, for it is only a
mad man that does one thing over and over again and expects a different
result.I have listened to a number of discussions on the way forward ,
some have postulated that the needed change must come from the leadership,
which I agree totally with but we also need a change of attitude , a
change of mindset from the followers . There is a need for a total
overhauling of the system. A school of thought says that once the law
enforcement institution is strengthened , the followers have no choice
than to shape in or shape out. However,when I was thinking about this
ongoing controversy over which is more important ;strengthening
institutions or empowering people, I came to the conclusion that building
strong institutions is good but empowering people is more important . What
I mean by empowering people is educating people for sustainable change. It
is not debatable ,for according to Lowe, ” all attempts to change attitude
and behavior involve educative process, since, I order to change people
must first acquire fresh knowledge , insights and skills. We need both
top-bottom and bottom up cleansing. All have sinned and come short of the
glory of The Lord . We need pervasive change from family, to offices ,
workshops , markets, churches, mosques. We need change in the way we
think, the way talk and the way do our things . Yes, in our daily
activities, the way we drive, the way we enter buses, in the way okadas
and keke marwas do their business in the way we dispose our refuse and
protect the environment. Men can show some decency by looking for the
closest convenience to urinate and not to display their ‘ wares ‘in public
any where , any time they want to answer the call of nature. Talking about
wares, there is need for us to change the way we display our wares for
sales in the markets, we need not obstruct traffic any where because we
want to sell our goods, we need not run after moving vehicle to sell or
hawk on the streets. The government has a lot to do in this regard by
prohibiting hawking , and providing employment for the hawkers, for the
area boys that stop vehicles, okadas, keke marwas to collect money
,endangering both their lives ,the lives of the drivers and the
passengers. We need not sell goods at refuse dumps or close to dirty
drainage , it is neither good for our health nor for the environment . We
need to change from selling fake products for original.
We need attitudinal change. Our lifestyle is on the fast lane , everybody
wants to be the first, first to be admitted into institutions of learning
by any means, we want to be the first and only person that have arrived in
his community, the first to get to his/her destination ;that is the reason
you see people crisscross from one lane to another, that is the reason the
exceed the speed limit ,that is why a lot of madness is exhibited on our
roads. The traffic light is not for Nigerians . The pedestrian bridges are
for beautification of our roads, because most people do not use them.
Drivers on our roads do not respect pedestrian lines, if you are a
pedestrian trying to exercise your right , the drivers will crush or you
can wait for them to stop for till thy kingdom come (that is for a few
Nigerians who know what zebra crossing is all about). Nobody wants to take
turns.
We need to change our orientation to work and work attitude from
extrinsic value to intrinsic value for work especially government work.
We need a change of perception , our perception of Nigeria , from
believing that Nigeria is irredeemable to believing that Nigeria can be
great. We need a change of perception of how we see government and
government property. We need to change our attitude of helplessness and
apathy to a more active participant that can help Nigeria out of this
doldrums . Oh we need a change.
The starting point is to believe that change is possible. You can be the
change . Start from your immediate environment. You can be the
difference. How can we effect this change ? From my own standpoint ,it is
through education that change is possible , not just schooling but
engaging people at different locations; homes, schools, churches,
mosques,clubs and social gatherings, town unions, organizations, using an
array of media. The use of social media will be indispensable , especially
for our youth and for those who have access and can access information
through it. We need to catch them young and catch them old too. There is
this hackney that ‘you don’t teach old dogs new tricks’ but from my
background and experience old dogs learn new tricks. We need orientation
and reorientation to unlearn , relearn and learn new values, attitudes and
behavior . We shall remain undaunted in this task for change ; to set
Nigeria free is a task for all.
The National Orientation Agency has an onerous task to developing new
strategies , re-strategize , quadruple and intensify its activities,
efforts, programs and consciously , purposefully delineate its target
groups and design specific programs that will suit and reach each of the
targeted groups. The harvest is indeed plentiful, therefore , we need
change agents , non-governmental organizations ,the should redirect their
efforts from HIV /AIDS , EBOLA awareness programs (cure for HIV has been
found and Ebola has gone and gone forever from our country)to value
orientation and reorientation programs and let concerted efforts be
channeled in this direction because the effects of bad behavior, bad
attitude and indiscipline , wrong values are deadlier, more debilitating
than HIV /AIDS and Ebola disease.
Our president to seize the moment , hear him, we have an opportunity. Let
us take it. It is another opportunity for rebirth , to live again, to make
progress, to change for the good of commonwealth and join the comity of
developed nations. God has given us another opportunity we must not
ignore, or take it for granted.
We need to encourage our own dear president Muhammadu Buhari to drive this
change to every stratum of the society for our own good, as my people
would say ‘ ome mma na-emere onwe ya’ literarily translated, if you are
doing good , you are doing it for yourself. Nevertheless , our president
should have at the back of his mind what Woodrow Wilson said ” if you want
to make enemies, try to change something . A lot of enemies will be made.
Grace Igbokwe ( Mrs)