NIGERIA @54 MY DREAMS FOR A BETTER NIGERIA I have experienced series and countless of dreams while growing up in the mosquito- infested ghetto where I grew up, where the mosquitoes are world heavy weight champions. I didn’t understand the meanings of dreams as infant, except for the mystical beliefs that dreams are illusions of misapprehensions that have high proximity of unrealness. As a child, dreams are one of those scary occurrences that I detest with high spirit of ardor. The reasons why I used to hate dreams aren’t farfetched. Why would I like that scenario when I float in pinned pool of water, enjoying the coldness of the water only to open my eyelids to discover that my bed has become a water bed!!. With shame and disdain written all over my face, I would sneak out of bed, tip-toeing and groping in the darkness to get an available rag to mop the toxic liquid from finding its way to my elder brother whose bed lies next to mine. Most times before daybreak, I would have changed my pants and carefully dumped the helpless urine-soaked rag in a corner where the foul odour couldn’t be perceived easily to avoid suspicion. Those dreams actually ended fortunately one unfortunate night. I was enjoying the waters as usual when I suddenly felt two sharp pains on my back. I jumped up with fright only to see my brother with a very wrathful look, the toxic liquid that escaped when my bed couldn’t accommodate again, found its way to his bed! Those two thunderous slaps made me a born again. Now, as a grown-up I have realized that the puerile dreams that come at night and fades away before dawn cannot be juxtaposed with the dreams of vision, greatness and vigour embedded in the hopes of better days ahead. The latter category of dreams gives an insight to the dreams about this great country that belongs to us all. I dream of a Nigeria where the present poverty in our land will become history, a time will come when everyone irrespective of tribe, age or status will be able to eat three square meals a day, eating what they want and not what they find. A time when everyone will eat and live in moderation and poverty which has the issue of scarcity that has engulfed Nigeria would be a long forgotten situation. I have a dream that one day, Nigeria will celebrate years of uninterrupted power supply and the rampant shout of ‘up nepa’ whenever the epileptic power supply is being supplied will be remembered with laughter. I have a dream that a time will come when Nigeria graduates who suffered to scale through the Nigeria education system will secure lucrative jobs and those who have creative talents and skills will be able to start little on their own and with a friendly economy, they will live comfortably and contribute immensely to the reformation of the redundant and dilapidated economic developments of Nigeria. A time when the thoughts of running abroad to seek greener pastures will not come to the patriotic minds of the youths because the Nigeria of my dreams will provide all the goodies they seek abroad in abundance. I dream of a Nigeria where rate at which accidents claim the innocent lives of people due to our potholed roads will be reduced to the minimum, with polished and well constructed roads to replace these death traps. I have a dream that one day, we will have selfless, impeccable, kindhearted and patriotic leaders at the helm of affairs. Qualified men who will shun nepotism corruption and all forms of irresponsibilities. Leaders who will act swiftly to issues that are making life unbearable for the electorates who stood in the scorching weathers to vote for them. People that are ardent about Nigeria and have what it takes to harness our natural, human and material resources for impartial prosperities. I have a dream of a Nigeria where qualitative education will be freely available to every Nigerian child irrespective of status, gender, background, ethnic group or tribe. I dream that the education sector of Nigeria will bloom and compete with those of developed countries. Strike will become history in Nigerian public schools, our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education will be well equipped with prochronistic equipments, favorable and conducive learning environment. A time when our children will be amused to hear that we sat home for almost a year due to ASUU, ASUP and COEASU strikes. I dream of a Nigeria where children will not be exposed to inhumane acts like prostitution, street hawking, thuggery, election violences, child trafficking, suicide bombings, rape and other atrocities which the Nigerian child faces. The rights of the Nigerian child will be respected to the utmost level. I have a dream that a time will come when we will all see ourselves as Nigerians before bringing in individualities. All ethnic groups that constitute Nigeria will put sentiments aside and live peacefully together. An igboman will treat a yorubaman the way he will treat his fellow igbos, hausas will not see the igbos as second class citizens, while the yorubas will not see the Hausas as inferior nonentities. Tiv, igala, ijaw, nupe, itsekiri and all other ethnic groups will accommodate one another in a friendly manner. I dream of a Nigeria where the difference in beliefs will not tend to cause preventable enmities, the Christians will not call Muslims ‘terrorists’ and Muslims too will not see people of other faiths as sworn enemies. We will live together in peace and unison. Even though we have always overstated our differences and ignorantly countered one another with arguments, verbal and oral misrepresentations and even going as far as engaging one another in bloody clashes that has claimed thousands of lives, yet I see with a clarity of a unique clairvoyance, I see that the day is near when the constraints that tend to separate us will dissolve away and we will forever coexist peacefully. I have a dream that the votes of all electorates will count. Ballot snatching, election rigging and other election frauds will never happen. A time when the results of all elections will be a true reflection of the peoples wishes. I have a dream that Nigeria will be ranked among five most peaceful and secured countries in the world. The giant of Africa will regain its lost dignity. I dream of a Nigeria where corruption will be a taboo in public service and our beloved country will be sanitized without the forceful hands of the law but with impelling self consciences and moral justifications. To those who think Nigeria will continue to wallow in its current state of peril, the days of your thoughts are numbered. The Nigeria of my dream is not unrealistic. This reminds me of Nelson Mandela when he said “one cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen”. Disseminate this message to every nook and cranny of this great country, let the youths inform the elders, let it get to the hopeless that I can perceive the aroma of a better Nigeria. I am fundamentally an optimist, whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed towards the sun, one’s feet, moving forward. I believe we are not hopeless, non sunt desperandi. A better Nigeria depends solely on us all, let us all join our hands and play effective roles to make this great dream come to reality. With God on our side, we shall make it come true. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Long live my fatherland!!!!!!
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 08:00:12 +0000
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