October 29, 2013

REMINISCENCE

Remember the    Amiable Achievement
Remember the    Blessings of the Brotherhood
Remember the    Callous Chastisement
Remember the    Death of loved ones
Remember the    Exaggerated fear
Remember the    Failures that could have been avoided
Remember the    Good times
Remember the    Humility of the holy
Remember the    Ingenuity of the intellectuals
Remember the    Joyful celebration of yesterdays
Remember the    Knock that opens miracles
Remember the    Lackadaisical commitment that destroyed project
Remember the    Mistakes through self indulgence
Remember the    Naughtiness of teen years
Remember the    Opportunities overlooked
Remember the    Procrastination
Remember the    Quietness in the time of danger
Remember the    Rush hour decisions
Remember the    Sweet and sour
Remember the    Talent God has given unto you
Remember the    Uncompromising love of Christ
Remember the    Vicissitudes of life
Remember the    Weeping and wailing
Remember the    Xystus that we walked together
Remember the    Yearning for greatness
Remember the    Zenith height you have

RESOLUTION


Purpose to         Ask instead of Assume
Purpose to         Believe more in Emmanuel than in Economics analysis
Purpose to be    Christlike and Childlike in all I do
Purpose to be    Diligent in Decision making
Purpose to         Exercise more Faith
Purpose to be    Faithful in little things
Purpose to be    Grateful for what I have and what I don’t have
Purpose to be    Humble & Holy
Purpose to be    Industrious and Intelligent
Purpose to be    Just in all my dealings with men, nature and God
Purpose to         Kneel before the Saviour each day
Purpose to         Live to the fullest
Purpose to         Meditate more
Purpose to         Never underestimate anybody
Purpose to         Open the door of opportunity for all around me
Purpose to         Perspire in personal pursuit
Purpose to         Quietly wait than hurriedly run
Purpose to         Rely wholly on Christ
Purpose to         Seal up tomorrow vision until tomorrow
Purpose to         Talk less and think more
Purpose to         Understand others more
Purpose to         Visit the library more ofter
Purpose to         Witness more of Christ’s redemptive work
Purpose to         Xray all my daily actions before I sleep
Purpose to be    Yielded to my passion
Purpose to be    Zealous for righteousness

THE NIGERIA I SEE


 
Agile people                                                               Beautiful brotherhood
Cheerful people                                                         Delightsome land
Educated elites                                                          Fulfilled people & fertile land
Good people and great nation                                 Happy home
Industrious youths                                                   Jolly fellows
Knowledgeable kindred                                           Loving land
Merciful masters                                                       New Nigeria
Opportunity-filled nation                                         Priestly people
Queen Olive                                                                Radiant citizens
Savvy souls                                                                Tolerant toddlers
Unwavering commitment to growth                       Vagile labour

As my country approaches her centenary birthday, history bequeaths on me; a watchman of my beloved country to become active in the actualisation of her national philosophy, which are:

·      Live in unity and harmony as one indivisible, indissoluble, democratic and sovereign nation founded on the principles of freedom, equality and justice.
·      Promote inter-African solidarity and world peace through understanding

I have decided to act and refrain from all the voices that calls for passivity and the endless lies of ‘it has been like this and will always be like this’ ‘time will heal the mess’ ‘don’t get involve’ ‘destructive criticism’ etc. It is high time I leave this level and join the team of constructive labourers in the building of a better Nigeria.

My recent discourses with some older people who witnessed the beauty of this land in her early days and their sorrowful regret about the present happenings have awakened some questions in me. These elders talk of the days when everyone has plenty and enough to share, the days when you could walk the street in the twilight and not be afraid of danger, the days of beauty and pageantry, the days ... And some of these elders never foresaw the transition from good to bad and still bewail the present situation we now experience in a land that is barely five decades old. They put blame on different factors as causes, but mine is not to cast blame but to seek how I and posterity can once again enjoy the beauty our parents once experienced in their own days. I want to see the glory of my fatherland yet again. As we traverse the road of rebuilding a beautiful Nigeria, the word of A.B. Fafunwa ‘A nation that forgets her history will grapple in the dark.’ comes to mind.





Could the present situation be a happenstance? 
Could it have been caused by delusions of grandeur? 
Should I join the past hero and give my labour to the building of a country that has been castigated as irreparable by some bodies? 
What will become of my country if I wait too long? 
What will I answer to posterity, when asked of what I did for the growth of my country? 
Will I look back with regret that I never got enlisted, when I have the strength or will I rejoice with tears that I joined the team of builders and now have the country we fight for?
My desire for a better country has led to the study of different countries and the evergreen decisions that make them endearing. I researched and find the words of a wise King, whose wisdom was adjudged the best in his own days. His kingdom was ruled beautifully and it also puzzling that the country was divided during the time of the immediate king that ruled after him. He must have ruled with wisdom a divided people that constantly call for secession.  Nigeria, a country with many clans and tongues with constant call for secession can only be rule by a wise man. Though we can’t go to the grave to bring up the wise man but his book of wisdom can be of great help to us all.

The king gave so many startling statements and few are highlighted below, perhaps they can be a guide to the path of prosperity we all wished for:

·      Do to others you as you want them to do unto you
·      Be tolerance with others and give a little help
·      Divinity has a way of transferring the wealth of the wicked to the righteous
·      Divinity is real and will request how you spent your life (there is accountability in life)
·      Laziness, idleness and procrastination will lead to decay and death
·      More will not bring joy, but rather a heart of gratitude and contentment
·      Partnership is better than criticism
·      There are problems you cannot solve in life
·      There is a time for everything in life and there is nothing new in this world
·      There is dignity in labour
·      Seek an opportunity to serve and not be served
·      Communal good is better than individual good
·      When you die, do you know what shall become of all you have left?
·      When you die, who will gain all you have left?
·      Wisdom, integrity and education save in the time of trouble

As we all ponder on this, I hope time could stop but it won’t because it continuously winds us into the grave. I therefore encourage all to get enlisted in the battle for a better country while you can before the grave becomes our eternal home. 

God bless the federal republic of Nigeria

Long live the federal republic of Nigeria