Only a 'fool' in today's Nigeria can be a visioneer in the New Nigeria

One foolish Nigerian

The emergence of the new Nigeria currently resides only in the heart of the ‘foolish’ Nigerian. One who is not a fool in today’s Nigeria cannot be regarded a visionary in the new Nigeria to come. Only today’s ‘fools’ can pay the sacrifice it takes to birth the Nigeria of our dreams where truly God-fearing people will occupy positions of authority; the Nigeria where everything works; the Nigeria that would be the envy of all other nations on earth. All through history, only the ones perceived as ‘foolish’ have caused dramatic and perennial changes in the history of humanity.

We are told the story of a man called Joseph in the Bible, a fine young man he was and absolutely successful for he had the proverbial Midas touch. He joined an Egyptian Lord’s staff as a slave but rose to become head of the entire business empire of his Master. He caught the eyes of his master’s beautiful wife and she would have him sleep with her or go to jail. He refused to sleep with her and would rather go to jail instead. What folly that would seem in today’s Nigeria! I can visualize what the average Nigerian would say to that ‘Heu! Dis guy na mumu, something wey e for chop clean mouth!!” Yet, in this young man’s seeming folly was absolute wisdom, for it was his pathway to the throne of the entire land.

We are told the story of another man in the Bible called Daniel. An unjust law had been passed in the land outlawing prayers to the God of Israel. Yet this man would go into his house, open all his windows and his doors so the entire city could see him go down on his knees, facing the direction of Jerusalem and pray to the God of Israel. What folly that would seem at that time! I can imagine the perception of the average citizen if this had been in today’s Nigeria ‘Heu! I pity for this guy mama, im mama don born mumu! Why in go dey pray wen President don pass law say make anybody no pray, kukuma in con open all in door make everybody dey see am so tay den report am to police. Well, na im kill himself sha’; but this man’s seeming folly was to prove to the world that God owned even the lions and even establish the name of Jehovah in the land of the heathen.

The Bible, and indeed history is replete with stories of people whose actions would haved passed for folly with men but won enormous respect from the almighty God. I have no shade of doubt that the new Nigeria is just around the corner, but we must not lose sight of the sacrifices we must pay to make this new nation a reality.

In today’s Nigeria, it would take a ‘fool’ to be offered bribes and turn away. What with all the billions being stolen by our national leaders. ‘Why would I want to turn away from such opportunity? Please! I have not come to Lagos to count bridges!’ But this is not the attitude to the new Nigeria. It appears a foolish path in a nation where almost everyone is determined to get rich no matter the means; a nation where the desperate desire to get rich and live large runs through the veins of many. It would indeed take a level of folly to say no to such offers. The emergence of the new Nigeria would take men, seemingly foolish men, who would rather stay poor than get rich by looting their nation’s treasury or engaging in any form of illegal enrichment.
In today’s Nigeria, it would take a ‘fool’ to run for an election without planning to rig and to use money, thuggery and violence to force himself into power. It would take a foolish electoral officer to say a resolute no to riggers and corrupt political parties even at the risk of intimidation, threats and fat bribes. ‘I mean, why would I put my life on the line simply because of an election? Let them have their way; at least I will walk away with some change in my pocket. Na dem know!’ But this is not the path to the new Nigeria. Only the foolish political party of today, the foolish political contestant of today and the foolish electoral officer of today portrays the image of the political class of the new Nigeria.

It would take some ‘folly’ for a government official to oversee his ministry without any forms of pilferage whatsoever, even where there are begging chances to do so.

It would take a level of ‘folly’ to do what is right even at the expense of one’s life.

It would take a level of ‘folly’ for the comfortable elite to join the political class seeking an opportunity to serve his nation and to turn around the fortunes of his nation even under the current dark abyss and murky waters that characterizes our national politics.

It certainly would take a bit of ‘folly’ to pay one’s taxes to the tiniest detail even when no one is checking and no one is really putting any pressure on one to do so.

It would take some ‘folly’ to bid for a government contract without going through the back door, without connivance with corrupt government officials and without inflating figures.

For we protagonists of the emergence of the new Nigeria, we must realize that our dreams can only be achieved starting with individual attainments of the ideals of the new Nigeria. This however will not come without exerting much pressure, and at great personal cost and sacrifice. Sacrifice to do what is right at an expensive and painful cost when there are less painful but morally wrong alternatives.

We must not forget that human progress though all history has been achieved by individuals who stood against the norms of their time; individuals who paid great sacrifices to follow their convictions in the face of intense persecution from their generation.

It took a token of ‘folly’ for Socrates to drink the hemlock and pay with his life for a cause he believed in while he could have simply denounced his teachings and live. But in his ‘folly’ lay the revolution of thoughts that characterizes the tenets of world Philosophy up till today.

It took a level of ‘folly’ for Nelson Mandela to stay 27 years of his life in prison for the purpose of the freedom of his nation while he could have at least lived a humble family life with his wife and children. But in the heart of this ‘folly’ lay the freedom of South Africa from the clutches of apartheid and oppression. In this ‘folly’ of his, lay greatness and immortality.

It took a level of ‘folly’ for the Lord Jesus Christ to hang on that cross, with the piercing of nails in his arms and feet, while he had all the powers to rescue himself and free himself from all the pain. But in the heart of this ‘folly’ lay the ultimate wisdom of God: the salvation of man today.
The word of God has summarized the ‘folly’ of the new Nigeria and the ‘sharp wits’ of the current Nigeria in two verses in the Bible saying ‘For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God’ and a second saying ‘…the foolishness of God is wiser than men’.

The ‘folly’ that characterizes the sacrifices to be paid to birth a new Nigeria lies in the wisdom of God, which to the natural man, the average Nigerian, could mean outright foolishness. It takes a great sacrifice to stand straight in the heart of perversity. It takes a great sacrifice to ignore opportunities of untold wealth simply because they are illegal, immoral and ungodly. It takes some level of ‘folly’ to create the thoughts that one day there will be a new Nigeria where there is an easier alternative to submit to pessimism that our nation is doomed and can never be rescued anymore. Like my father says ‘The new Nigeria is as sure as the new Jerusalem, if there is a New York, there was an Old York; if there is a New Delhi, there was an Old Delhi’.

When the world calls you a fool for your resolute position on doing right in the presence of easier and seemingly more rewarding alternatives, know my fellow Nigerian that in your heart lays the emergence of that new Nigeria of our dreams. A Nigeria where there will never be power outages anymore; that Nigeria where all our roads will be free of potholes and ‘lagoons’; that Nigeria where the looting of our national treasury will be an abomination and absolutely unfashionable; that Nigeria where our educational institutions will be the envy of the world and many will flock to our nation to study; that Nigeria where our leaders will be God-fearing individuals who are determined to serve sincerely, justly and determinedly; that Nigeria where there will be justice, fairness, equality and righteousness.

The new Nigeria is here, some of us are sworn to shun all evil vices that have characterized ‘Nigerianness’ for the past two decades or more. This is a declaration to the passing generation. A new generation is here, disappointed at the trend of events in this nation; sad at the current Nigerian situation; determined to make a difference; and poised to take over. In our hearts, lies the emergence of the new Nigeria.