WHY PRESIDENT OBASANJO MUST LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF WISDOM
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
SOMEWHERE IN NIGERIA, THERE�S A FLOOR THAT NEED�S SCRUBBING.
Some people
live in fear of making a mistake. They feel they just couldn't
face the shame. Ironically, such people are mistaken. If we don't
get it wrong, we'll never learn anything. We
just become a kind of one trick pony ambling through life, repeating
the same old safe, tried and tested tricks. In our country, Nigeria,
we have lately been living life on the edge. We have had to face our
own weaknesses, whilst we have managed to conquer some of these, most
impressively, we are painfully aware of others. We should fear not. We'll
surely with God's support beat these in the
next battle. Certainty is a dangerous state. The worst rogue nation on
the face of the globe is determination! When
we feel sure of ourselves beyond all doubt, we become terrifying and
obnoxious. We become capable of doing things that are dreadfully
wrong, whilst believing the whole time that we have some kind of
divine right. It's worth remembering that
evil never thinks of itself as evil. It invariably acts out of what it
feels quite sure are good motives. The very best thing we can do now
in our beloved country is encourage some doubts and debates. Like I
had said many times before, the hungry must be fed, the homeless
housed, the sick treated and the weak protected. These, surely, are
the duties of anyone who hold or aspire to hold any kind of
power. But have we noticed how when you try to tidy a room, it is
never possible to clear up every last inch of it. Sometimes, a little
mess will remain. Even, if it's discreetly
hidden behind a door, a drawer, or a speaker..
Perhaps, if we could just get rid of that one last lingering
imperfection, we could banish all mess forever in our motherland, but
that might be living in a sterile environment. Some people ought to
stop listening to me and start working. Somewhere in our country,
there's a floor that needs scrubbing AND a
dirty job that somebody has to do.
WHY IS
THE CHANGE WE SEEK IN NIGERIA ATTAINABLE?
So here we
are. The tomorrow that we have been waiting for so apprehensively has
arrived. And guess what? There will be another tomorrow, tomorrow.
Time is a neat invention. It takes us all a while to get used to it
but sooner than later we wise up. Nothing lasts forever. Most things
though, last longer than we expect them. The change we seek in our
country is attainable. Each day, we're
getting closer to it. We need to adapt to the speed of the train that
we're travelling on. Let's
not worry. I believe it's surely heading to
the right destination. We are gaining new insights by the day. Some of
these we strongly suspect, will eventually lead us down some very
different roads. We are probably right they
will, But the road we are currently on in our country is still a good
one. The time to take action has not yet arrived. We do not yet know
the whole story. We really need to mull things over. While we do so,
let's make the most of what's
actually happening. If it's going to change,
it deserves to be appreciated while there's
still time. There are some significant factors to take into account
and adjust to. There's also an element of
irony in our country's situation which one
day we might see the lighter side of. If we truly and honestly want to
be constructive, we have to be firm but flexible, focused but free,
furious but fair. Aren't these
contradictions? Of course! But then what we are dealing with now on
the national level is one giant contradiction. Let's
accept it for what it is now and we will see how to stop it being a
problem. Let's have a little faith in our
own understanding of what matters. We must trust that, even though we
don't know everything, we know enough on
which to base a reasonably sound judgement. As long as we are now
willing to double check our calculations before we implement our
choices, we stand an excellent chance of getting our next move right.
We can't really be scared of werewolves, vampires and zombies.
If we were, we wouldn't be able to dress up as them. That begs an
interesting question. What is it that we fear in our country? More
relevantly, what is it that we fear now? It's certainly nothing
obvious. We take in our stride challenges that might soon bring others
to their knees. Yet we do have a weakness and we need, somehow, to
identify, understand and overcome it. I believe the Lord has promised
that this will soon prove easier to do than we imagine.
WHY IN
NIGERIA, DO WE PREFER DELUSION TO CONFUSSION?
In this world of ours, we like
our friends to have something in common with us. A shared interest
makes it much easier to keep any relationship alive. We don't want to
be in complete agreement about everything all the time. We need at
least a few differences of opinion, if only so we can have an
interesting debate. As long as there's mutual respect, those
differences can be pretty big. It's not 'opposing points of view' that
make folk dislike each other. It's a 'refusal to see that the other
point of view has merit." I mention all that now because there's a
conflict emerging in our country. Let's not feed it and let's
not run away from it either. Let's look for a way to 'agree to differ'
this really IS possible. Two wrongs may not make a right, but they
don't necessarily make matters any worse than when there was just one
wrong! Two rights, under some circumstances, could make some things
seem very wrong. And what if we are wrong to think something is right?
Then life gets very confusing. By and large, we are all wrong to spend
too much time worrying about whether anything is right or wrong. If
something is really wrong now, it will gradually become clear to us -
and we will naturally see how to put it right. But when we are
vehemently opposed to, another person's point of view, our position
may not be comfortable but it is at least, easy to understand. The
worst communication difficulties arise when two people are in
agreement about many matters but differ dramatically about some
essential point. Confusion is never comfortable. That's why most
people, whenever they feel bewildered, are keen to regain a feeling of
clarity. They jump to the first conclusion that seems half-convincing
- and then breathe a sigh of relief because they are no longer in
doubt. Really, though, they have merely swapped confusion for
delusion! This feels better in the short term but creates far more
trouble in the long run. Certainty is soothing. Doubt is disturbing.
That's why most of us prefer delusion to confusion. We would rather
cling to an opinion, no matter how ill-founded, than cast ourselves
adrift on the ocean of bewilderment. If, we can now find the courage
to concede that there is something we don't know, we can begin to make
a priceless discovery. We won't find out the truth until we stop
believing in a convenient assumption. The reality may not be quite so
handy in the short-term, but, in the long run, it is of far more use
to us in the country that belongs to our generation.
WHY DO WE NEED TO DO WHAT
IS RIGHT AND FAIR..
We live in a world full of
rules. We have to accept, not only the laws of the land, but the laws
of science. We soon learn that, if we defy these laws, one way or
another we will pay a price. Thus, we embrace them - enthusiastically.
Enthusiasm though, gives rise to appetite. We end up hungering for yet
more laws - so we create them; laws of fashion, laws of style, laws of
language, laws of polite behaviour, laws of self-restraint. There are
some laws we must not break now. A rebellion in one area, though, is
long overdue. We think, because we can't leap tall buildings in a
single bound, that there's no point in jumping. We imagine, because we
know that we can't go faster than a speeding express train, that we
will never get anywhere. We yearn for superhuman powers and then feel
decidedly frustrated by their annoying absence. Right now, we really
don't need a cape or a one-piece Lycra suit. We just need a little
more faith in the abilities that we do already have. Our opportunity
is perfectly feasible and well-worth pursuing. But how much of the
future can we really see? Less than we wish we could, but more than we
think we can! Some things will always be hidden. Others definitely can
be correctly identified. From time to time, the heavens find it
necessary to boost our powers of prediction. It requires us to have an
inkling of what's possible, to ensure that we make appropriate
choices?.
..AND WHY NIGERIANS WON�T
BE SORRY
In Nigeria our country we are
getting a glimpse of the shape of things to come. If we like the look
of this, let's trust it and work to make it a reality. If we don't,
let's take heed - and take action. After a while, we get used to
wading through treacle. We don't expect our steps to be anything but
sticky. We wear treacle-proof boots. We develop treacle-treading
techniques. Then, to our surprise, we walk out one morning to find the
streets have been cleaned. The treacle has all been washed away. We
miss it. We even feel suspicious. Could it be a trick to lull us into
a false sense of security? Right now, something awkward is leaving our
motherland. Something good is coming to take its place. We mustn't
fear this change we must embrace it. As we edge nearer to a goblin
guardian with a sharp sword, we are growing deeply uncomfortable.
Surely, there must be another way out of the tunnel? If this way, so
fraught with danger, is the only way to proceed, perhaps it is best
not to proceed at all - but then we don't want to remain in the
catacombs forever. As we contemplate the daunting obstacle, let's
listen carefully. What's that noise? It sounds a lot like snoring.
Guess what? Nigeria's enemies are asleep! It's only an analogy but it
is, Trust me, a good one. The Lord our God is on our side now. The
period of uncertainty that we have lately been going through is now
coming to an end. We won't suddenly find that we have all the answers
but we will at least start to feel sure that we are asking the right
questions. We won't suddenly resolve all our disagreements with others
- but we'll feel much more comfortable about the need and reason for
the conflict. We won't get everything we want - but I strongly believe
we will at least become happy that we know how to get it over time.
Progress is about to become possible in the world most beloved nation
well! It's Nigeria. Two words spring to mind. The first is 'cards'.
The second is 'table'. Let's put the first upon the second. We have
nothing to lose and everything to gain. Others may not choose to be so
candid. Our efforts to set an example may - or may not - have a
constructive impact. It's possible they may make some people extra
keen to conceal something. It doesn't matter. Let's do what we know is
right and fair... and Nigerians won't be sorry.
WHY DO WE NEED DIFFICULTY
IN JUST THE SAME WAY AS WE NEED FOOD?
This world is full of people who
are struggling to get what they want. Some are failing while others
are succeeding. So who, among these, should we congratulate and to
whom should we offer sympathy? That's not a question that can be
answered without knowing more about what is being sought and why. It's
perfectly possible to get what we think we want and be miserable. It's
possible too, to never get it but deeply enjoy the process of trying.
Let's forget about whether we are winning or losing now. Let's just
aim to be wise. What goes up though, must surely come down. Unless,
that is, it happens to be a rocket, capable of defying the earth's
gravity. Such vessels only have to come back if their pilots want them
to. They can float in space forever if they are not deliberately drawn
down again. Some people believe that when we come to the end of our
time on this earth, we will all be judged. If that's really so, how
will we know that we have arrived in a different place? Surely, it is
here in this world that the judging takes place. We mortals never seem
to stop weighing each other up, jumping to conclusions and
apportioning degrees of innocence and blame. If the gods aren't a
little more impartial and forgiving, do they really deserve their
place in the pantheon? Let's not be too harsh on ourselves or others
now. Without problems to solve, we may as well be potatoes - or
cabbages! We will have no stimulation, no motivation, no challenges to
rise to and no choices to make. We need difficulty in just the same
way as we need food. We mustn't have too much - but we mustn't have
too little, either. We may prefer our troubles to have a particular
texture or flavour, but it is surprising what we can digest when we
really have to. There is a way now to gain enjoyment in our country
and even nourishment from a situation that I believe we all dislike.
Let's imagine it is 2007. We are looking back together over the last
couple of years and assessing the experiences we have been through.
Are we going to decide that we have made a series of clever moves or
will we be looking back at a trail of missed opportunities? That
entirely depends on how keen we have been to get to the future! The
key to success in our country right now, does not involve hurrying
time along and trying to speed up the arrival of tomorrow. It involves
developing a deeper appreciation of what's happening today.
WHY WE MUST NEVER LET
ANYTHING COMPROMISE OUR INTEGRITY?
When we feel hungry, it doesn't
matter how good life has been lately or how much we have to look
forward to. All we know is that our stomach is growling and we have to
do something about this! Likewise, when we're tired or feel under the
weather. Some needs are so overwhelming that, till they have been met,
they 'cancel out' everything else. Emotional states can have the same
effect. We get so 'into' a desire, a fear, a resentment or a worry
that the rest of our life begins to seem irrelevant. Let's watch for
that now. Some factors are bugging us in this country, big time. But
it's really not as important as we think. Let's not let it spoil our
enjoyment of all that's so good in our country, in other ways.
Opportunities are only useful to us if we are able to recognize them.
We can be surrounded by all the things we need most but if they're
hidden behind walls or if we're looking to the left when they happen
to be on the right... we'll just feel as if nothing is on offer to us.
Pessimists forget that opportunity is playful and likes to play hide
and seek. Optimists, though, just join in the game... and join in. If
they can't see an opening or a possibility, they start hunting. They
inwardly 'know' it must be somewhere nearby, waiting to be dug out.
Let's be optimistic now in Nigeria. If we set out looking for a better
way to move on... we WILL find one! There is not much point in putting
on a play if there is no one in the audience to watch it. Why bother
staging a drama if it's not going to create a reaction? Somewhere in
our country, a fire is burning. We can add more fuel or we can leave
it to burn itself out. I believe we can regain control and restore
order. To do this, we must be firm (though, not heavy-handed) and
confident (but not arrogant). Above all else we must be honest with
ourselves. What do we really want? We will only make progress if our
actions match our words. The trouble with small deceptions is that
they have a tendency to turn into large deceptions. Whether they
involve white lies or dark secrets, they work well enough until
someone notices a gap between fact and fiction. Then, either the truth
has to come out or an additional layer of misinformation has to be
created. Life sometimes brings tricky decisions. It also sometimes
brings up tough choices for friends or associates. It's all very well
saying, 'err in favour of honesty' but sometimes, a policy of honesty
can appear to be a highly erroneous path to follow. Discretion may
well make life easier than candour. But integrity is a MUST. In life,
we must never let anything compromise our integrity.
Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished
so far but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
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