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D.AKINSANYA JULIUSON HonDBA, IOM
Political Strategist,
Professional Investigator, Honorary Representative
Hon V/Chairman, Congress of Diplomats and
Parliamentarians
Fellow of the Atlantic Council of the United Kingdom
NIGERIANS ARE A LOT OF THINGS,
BUT FAILURE WE ARE NOT
NIGERIA MUST BE MADE A LEADER OF CHANGES IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD
WHAT WOULD NIGERIANS CHANGE IF WE HAD THE FREEDOM TO CHANGE ANYTHING?
PART 1
BE
A MILLER PRESIDENT OBASANJO, BUT GRIND NOT THE FACES OF THE POOR
PRESIDENT OBASANJO MUST CHOOSE A ROUTE HE CAN BE PROUD OF TAKING
THE KEY TO PROGRESS
IN NIGERIA LIES IN SINCERITY, NOT CYNICISM
WHY PRESIDENT
OBASANJO MUST LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF WISDOM
WHY NIGERIAN LEADERS NEED TO
LEARN FROM THE BEST
NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY
MUST BE MADE TO BE ADMIRED
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NIGERIANS ARE A LOT OF THINGS,
BUT FAILURE WE ARE NOT
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
Many believe in the saying that “perception is reality.” People might
end up saying if President Obasanjo’s administration is perceived as a
failure, then Nigeria is perceived as a failure. And if Nigeria is
perceived as a failure, then President Obasanjo himself is perceived
as a failure. Nigeria and we (Nigerians) are a lot of things to a lot
of people, but one thing we are not is a failure.
Great
leaders can take mediocre institutions and make them great. Poor
leaders can denigrate the quality of a great institution. I believe
there are three interrelated components of leadership. The first is
strategic leadership; the second, operational leadership and the third
human leadership. To ensure our government take the right strategic
path, our government must develop a statement of its vision, values
and goals. Nigerian government’s vision should be to enrich its
citizen’s lives and to be the African Union’s most sort after nation.
Our government’s vision should identify what businesses they are in
and why they are in them. They should be able to stand up and say that
“We enrich our citizen’s lives; that should be the privilege of the
government they are in. Our government should be very clear about whom
they are – A government of the people. They should be very clear about
what they want to be – African Leader. It’s obvious that President
Obasanjo does not want to be second, but first. Our government’s
statement of values should define our culture. It should look for team
players; look for people who are citizen – focused, look for
practitioners, experts, dedicated Nigerians, and look for people who
embody its style and people who will go extra mile to enhance its
reputation. Being a responsible government shouldn’t be a luxury for
our government. At every opportunity, our leaders i.e. government
should communicate their worthy goals to the citizens of Nigeria.
Nigerian government’s vision, values and goals statements should
ensure our government has the right big picture. Without an
operational leadership getting the big picture right counts for
little, and that’s the bottom line.
WE
MUST NOT BE AFRAID IN TIMES OF DANGER
It’s
been said that, if we have the power to change nothing else, we can
change our mind. By change, I don’t mean waffle around; rather, I mean
to adapt to necessity, to learn quickly and to go from a less creative
state to a more creative one. We are learning. One of the things we
are learning is that our learning process is without an end. Always,
there is going to be more to understand. This, presumably, is why some
people retreat into the world of academia, never to emerge. We can
spend a lifetime studying just one topic, yet still never safely say
we know all there is to know. That’s clearly not an option in our
current situation. But we can (and should) study just a little more
before we jump to any conclusion. When imbecility and folly are laid
low a powerful people will regard the liberty they have lost. The Lord
says; don’t be upset when someone becomes rich, when his wealth grows
even greater; he can not take it with him when he dies; his wealth
will not go with him to the grave. Even if he is satisfied with this
life and is praised because he is successful, he will surely join all
his ancestors in death, where the darkness lasts for ever. His
greatness, power, authority, arrogance, selfishness, evil mind can not
save him from death; he will still die like a dog. This is a year
that evil mobs (not the innocent Nigerians), will face the wrath of
God. I believe in what my heart is telling me that, that same river
that brings joy to the City of God, to the sacred house of the Most
High, will by God bring peace, joy, happiness and harmony to our
beloved country Nigeria. No country in the world has the right to
appoint a leader over us. The Lord will surely appoint His chosen
leader for Nigeria. A leader the Most High has prepared his way. The
Lord has stirred His chosen leader to action to fulfil His purpose and
put things right. No one will hire him or bribe him to rebuild
Nigeria. God will not reprimand or punish the poor, but agents of
oppression, destruction and death in our midst. What needs to be
said? Plenty! What needs to be done? Not a lot….yet. Let’s place the
emphasis on discussion not decision. Let’s wait to see who says what
to us. Let’s expect positive developments to unfold naturally. Let’s
consider ourselves protected by the sincerity, integrity and honesty
in our hearts. I am inviting Nigerians to give peace and magic a
chance. If things seem to be going wrong, let’s ask why, and look for
easy ways to put them right. The mountains and hills may crumble, but
the Lord’s love for Nigeria will never end. For this generation’s
sake, He will forever keep His promise of justice and peace amongst
His own children.
LET’S NOT BE AFRAID OF
CHANGING SLOWLY BUT….OF STANDING STILL
According to Sirach; “A wise ruler will educate his people and his
government will be orderly. All the officials and all the citizens
will be like their ruler. An uneducated king will surely ruin his
people, but a government will grow strong if its rulers are wise. The
Lord sees to the government of the world and brings the right person
to power at the right time. The success of that person is in the
Lord’s hands. The Lord is the source of the honour given to any
official. A king may be alive today and dead tomorrow. When a person
dies, all he then possesses is worms, flies and maggots. Pride has its
beginning when a person abandons the Lord, his maker. Pride is like a
fountain pouring out sin, and whoever persists in it will be filled
with wickedness. That is why the Lord brought terrible punishments on
some people and completely destroyed them. The Lord has overthrown
kings and puts humbler people in their place. The Lord has overthrown
empires and completely devastated their lands. He destroyed some so
completely that they are not even remembered any more. The Creator
never intended human beings to be arrogant and violent. Arrogance and
injustice are hated by both the Lord and man. Injustice, arrogance and
wealth cause nations to fall from power, and others then rise to take
their place”. Let’s ask ourselves some questions; If you make
something so difficult look so simple; If you have this internal fire,
and internal intensity; If you let your work, intelligence, ideas,
visions and wisdom speak for you; If you are a genius in your field
and you have sacrificed a lot to be where and whom you are today; If
you are too humble to see how great you are and you let your dreams,
executions and convictions speak for you; If you are the epitome of
modern day Nigerian and you want to be remembered as the nations most
valuable and loyal ambassador; If you want to be remembered as a
leader who rid your nation of evil mobs, character assassins,
blackmailers, nepotism and tribalism. Are you a true citizen? Are you
a leader? Are you a servant of the Most High? For every Nigerian with
a heart, the moment has come for us to either PERISH or ADVANCE. I
hope we chose the latter. We have no time to waste and right now, the
only way forward is to attack corruption, tribalism, nepotism,
oppression, child prostitution and character assassination with full
force wherever it may be found. We have been given the opportunity to
lift ourselves up and to change the face of our world especially, our
continent Africa. However, our government must rid Nigeria of the
mainspring of evil. Nigerians and our government need to question some
desperate people’s political integrity, political honesty, personal
honesty and loyalty to both Nigeria and Nigerians. Let’s be extremely
careful not to place our confidence so much in a desperate politician,
as to put a weapon in his hand which he might, in future turn upon us.
We must be grateful to God for his love for Nigeria.
We must fight against every deadly disease that’s destroying our
economy, our country’s image, our generation and our country’s future.
We must learn to be civil to everyman as we know not who might prove
our friend. We must find a way to offer support without letting the
whole world know and without being disloyal to our country and our
leaders. Let’s be philosophical and try to support rather than
apportion blame. Let’s chose our moment and words very carefully.
Let’s appreciate the fact that mutual respect (especially for our
leaders), partnership, and understanding between men and women are the
best and only way. Let’s not be afraid of changing slowly; but let’s
be afraid of standing still.
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"Nigerian
government’s vision should be to enrich its citizen’s lives and to
be the African Union’s most sort after nation. Our government’s
vision should identify what businesses they are in and why they are
in them. They should be able to stand up and say that “We enrich our
citizen’s lives; that should be the privilege of the government they
are in. Our government should be very clear about whom they are – A
government of the people. They should be very clear about what they
want to be – African Leader. It’s obvious that President Obasanjo
does not want to be second, but first. Our government’s statement of
values should define our culture. It should look for team players;
look for people who are citizen – focused, look for practitioners,
experts, dedicated Nigerians, and look for people who embody its
style and people who will go extra mile to enhance its reputation.
Being a responsible government shouldn’t be a luxury for our
government. At every opportunity, our leaders i.e. government should
communicate their worthy goals to the citizens of Nigeria. Nigerian
government’s vision, values and goals statements should ensure our
government has the right big picture. Without an operational
leadership getting the big picture right counts for little, and
that’s the bottom line. "
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