By
D. Akinsanya Juliuson
June 4, 2006
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power
corrupts absolutely. This was said by John Acton, the famous historian. He did
not go on to suggest that the opposite is also true. Absolute powerless is no
guarantee of absolute impeccability. We don't have as much power as we want, but
we do have some. To make the most of the power that we have, we need to act with
immense sincerity and sensitivity. We need to do the right thing and we'll get
the right result. We can't buy wisdom by the pint. We can though obtain
ignorance in this way. After a couple of glasses we will know nothing about
anything - even if we feel sure that we know it all! Wisdom, arguably can be
bought - but not with money. We have to pay for it with experience and we
certainly can't measure the stuff. So, how much wisdom do we have now in this
country? In some nations elections are never held. The same people hold the same
positions of power for decades. Are the citizens any worse off? They might or
might not be. We can't ask them because they are not allowed to comment!
Democracy is not about efficiency. It's about respecting the right to disagree.
I believe a journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step.just a single step. Let's close our eyes and think of
a clear blue sky above us. Let's visualise a ladder, emerging from the top of
our head. Let's watch it go upwards, ever upwards, into that wide blue yonder.
Now, let's conjure up an image of us somehow climbing that ladder. We keep
climbing and now at the top, let's look down. There is our situation in Nigeria,
the one that seems so big, daunting, urgent and overwhelming. Seems small in the
distance - doesn't it? Grown ups in our midst know what they are doing at all
times. Kids just wander around in a state of confused innocence. Or so at least,
we are taught to believe. There are though, many smart children in this world
and many dumb adults. In that latter group (the adults) the dumbest of the lot
are the folk who think they know what they are doing when really they have no
clue, no idea. I believe we (this generation) have got that childlike urge to
explore something different now and we mustn't dismiss it. It could change our
world and our country for better.
In 2007, The Most High will surely bless us
with a God fearing Leader. A leader who will appreciate how extremely important
it is for Nigerian leader to know the true meaning of leadership, security and
understanding. I said this before and by God, I'm saying it again. Any President
that's not guided by principle is not a President and I repeat that person is
not a president but a wishful thinker. The next leader of Nigeria must be
someone who embodies the best and understands the ideals and value of
communities and also hard-work. God can and will give our country a better
leadership and better future. I'm sure we have more than enough intelligent
leaders with what it takes to lead the nation, let's pray to God for guidance
and to lead us. In order for the next leader of our great country to form a
perfect union with the citizens of Nigeria, he must be prepared to establish
prosperity and well-being and insure integrity, also declare himself free and
independent from all bondage past, present and future. He must be prepared to
divorce himself from self-righteousness and release the nation from poverty,
lack and negativity. He must be a consummate listener and be prepared to deal
with serial blackmailers and jobless character assassins that have destroyed
many innocent lives through their evil and unrepentant heart.
This leader must be prepared to break free
from acts of dependency, self-denial, dishonesty, indecision and timidity. He
must be prepared to seek the common good, promote Unity and Justice, Disdain the
arrogance of power and provide moral leadership. He must remove himself from
working just for money and false security and commit himself to adding value and
making his heart sing in everything he does. He must be prepared to rid himself
of all that, he knows might jeopardize his determination to succeed. He must be
prepared to dedicate himself to personal success and honesty. Also, must center
himself in the flow of truth, wisdom and inspiration. This leader must be
dedicated to helping and encouraging youths operate at their personal and
professional best. We must work together under the leadership of a man of
purpose, a man of vision and a man of understanding. We do not need an immature
political illiterate who sell Nigeria in order to be accepted by the west and or
disrespect those who have sacrificed their lives for this worthy nation.
The next president of Nigeria must learn
how to mentor others to greatness and create a self-propelled workforce. He MUST
be more versatile and be sure of his approach. He must share his vision more
effectively and boost productivity. The world belongs to passionate driven
leaders, people who do not only have enormous amount of energy but who can
energise those whom they lead. People don't want to be managed, they want to be
led, to be inspired to higher levels of excellence and they want a leader who
can develop their potential. This leader must understand that, how well his team
performs depends on his leadership. People are not led by plans and analysis,
creating inspiration, self respect and a sense of excitement is what it is all
about. The next president of Nigeria must appreciate the fact that, his
ministers, governors and ambassadors might be very skilful, but what really
makes the difference between good performance and outstanding performance is the
WILL factor, commitment, energy and belief. An ability to generate innovative
ideas and pull it through. He must learn how to ignite the will to win in his
team, especially his ministers and ambassadors. Nigeria deserves cultured,
sensible, sensitive, mature ambassadors, consuls and representatives. We need
embassies with efficient commercial, cultural and public diplomats. Nigeria is
an independent country not a village or town. Nigeria is a leader of leaders.
Nigeria needs a mature and energetic leader who is not a recipe for disaster.
In life some obstacles are opportunities.
If we seek a way past them, we will eventually find success. Others are
impenetrable. They are too big, too broad, too high or too deep. No matter how
much effort we make, we will be wasting our time. How are any of us supposed to
know the difference between these two types of difficulty? There's only one way
we can find out. We have to try for a while and see how far..But what if we
choose the wrong thing? What if we reach the wrong tomorrow? What if we wind up
lost, sorely regretting our weakness or lack of insight? When we are thinking
like this, let's remember the words of Franklyn D. Roosevelt: "The only thing we
have to fear in life..is fear itself." We must never allow defeat to defeat us
in Nigeria. As we sow seeds for the future by our own actions, let's ask
ourselves, "Are we acting out of nervousness or enthusiasm?" If it's the former,
let's please forget it. If it's the latter, let's let it lead us! As long as we
are clear in our hearts, our brains can think whatever it likes. However, we
must remember that, yesterday's perfect solution is today's irrelevant idea.
Life moves on and we must move on too. We can't keep repeating tried and tested
formulae - nor can we assume, just because something once suited us, that it
will be perfect forever. We don't necessarily have to alter our situation but we
do have to look at things from a different angle. Are we overlooking the
potential value of something (so far) unfamiliar right now in this country of
ours?
In this country of ours, we must always
understand one thing and that is, success is dangerous. Failure is valuable.
Success gives rise to arrogance, overconfidence, pride and prejudice! Failure by
contrast, produces humility, wisdom, cautious and a willingness to learn. At the
moment, we have a reason to feel triumphant and a reason too, to feel deflated.
Understandably, we want to focus on the factor that makes us feel good. The
greatest benefit is going to ensue from a good, hard look at our most pressing
problem. What isn't working? Why isn't it working? What can we do now to make it
work? It takes courage to ask questions like these but if we can now summon that
strength, we will come up with answers that inspire and uplift us. No matter
what you and I think or believe, even the Lord Almighty Himself forgives us of
our trespasses. How many of us forgive those who trespass against us? We must in
this country understand that, it is our lack of forgiveness that always lead us
in Nigeria into temptation, so now, who is going to deliver us from the evil we
have created with our mouth and our actions, if not the Most High to whom
kingdom, power, glory and authority belongs. Let's be glad of the unexpected.
Let's embrace the unusual, the innovative, even the downright disruptive. We
surely can soon put things back the way they were if we really want to - but the
likelihood is that with the help of the enemies of progress, we might not want
to.
Let's recall, the last time we said "
Right, that's it, we're never ever going to do this (or that) again." Let's
dwell, for a moment, on how pleased we are that we made such a decision and how
different life has been since then. Now, let's face facts. We are back in a
situation which looks suspiciously like the one which led us to that choice. Do
we, on point of principle walk away? Or do we give it one more try, to see if we
can get something constructive out of it? That decision, soon, I surely believe,
will be made for us. We can argue with the past as much as we like. It won't
respond. It can't change. It can not even argue back! Happily, we don't have to
resolve our differences with it. We can remain uncomfortable about anything that
has taken place before now. This as far as I'm concerned won't do us any harm as
long as we don't carry the dispute forward. The future does not need to be
argued with. It needs to be cajoled, coaxed and persuaded. We can talk it into
something we really like and enjoy. Let's look to the past today and weep but
look to the future and hope.
As said before, we can't start with a clean
sheet. There's already something written on it. Even if we try to erase it - or
paint over it - it will continue to show through. Let's not, therefore, try to
make a break with the past. Instead, let's try and make an agreement with it.
Let's offer it some way to fit comfortably into our future. Let's take its
legacy and turn it into something we can feel proud of and pleased with. I am
not talking here about the part of the past we already like. No! I'm talking
about the part we are not so sure of that we can now make peace with. We might
say, if only we had known, back then, what we know now.perhaps we would never
have done what we did. But then, if we had never done it, we'd never have gone
where we went. And then, we'd never have found out what we have discovered.
Let's not bother travelling down the road of "what if? It leads nowhere. Let's
head, instead, along the path of "what's next?" And be glad of the lesson we
have just learned. It's yet going to help us ensure that the next destination we
reach is a deeply pleasing and rewarding one. Whilst doing this, let's not
forget to appreciate our government and the President's achievements so far.
Let's give glory to God for blessing us in this country and for His love for
Nigeria.