In the spirit of a better Nigeria.

Omo. This has to be my most used word this month. The last two weeks have been a turning point in Nigeria, you might not want to describe it as a turning point though, more like a climax in our cancerous democracy. It’s the first time I saw such agitation amongst Nigerians especially the youths and I thought to myself, oh well, we are not that lazy after all.

You might not be thinking the same way, because things didn’t turn out the way many expected. Starting from the #EndSARS protests that became a movement to end police brutality and bad governance in Nigeria and consequently, birth the Nigerian dream.

The sacrifices made, the lives lost, the love shown, the zeal, the unity, the strength, the organization, the accountability, the attention drawn, the results gotten, everything screamed hope for a better Nigeria. For me, it was surreal to see that in the midst of everything that has happened this year, we still have such zeal in us and I will forever be proud of that.

Fast forward to the Presidential speech last week, it seemed like the trend went from ” You messed with the wrong generation” to ” wahala for who no get visa” omo. It felt like the proverbial Palm wine tapper had sapped the biggest palm tree dry, like the cloud of hope that had formed in the last two weeks had been brutally ruptured. Just for that day.

It became more glaring that our struggles are more systemic than we thought. If curses worked, the population of this country would have reduced significantly, because omo. Many were at the brink of giving up on the Nigerian dream. I saw a lot of male wives on twitter looking for anyone with a blue or red passport, make we just comot first, I sabi cook and clean no too reason am. That’s pretty much the inspiration behind this random post. A physical protest battle might have been lost, but I dont think the war has been lost. Keep the vision alive.

A friend of mine told me categorically that his Nigeria dream is to Jakpa, omo. So let me define it in this context, It’s simply a better Nigeria, a new one if you please. I keep remembering Professor Lumumba’s voice saying ” The day Nigeria wakes up, Africa will never remain the same again” and I think it has started. It’s not a not a day’s job. For the record, the continent is a crime scene at the moment, so much madness and evil going on. People are killed like animals in Congo and its just heartbreaking, we must name our problems.

On the Nigerian dream, opinions vary. Many have said “Alaye, dead that thought, it’s impossible” others have said ” Nothing is impossible” I choose the side of possibility, call me an optimist.

While we might not have street demonstrations for now, because apparently our democracy is suffering from cancer and there are a lot of hijackers on the queue, the chemotherapy has started. I have seen the re-awakening in many Nigerians to address these systemic issues in other ways. So what else can we do;

• Soro soke. Kwupu okwu, Kara murya. We haven’t stopped speaking up, that would be a shame. Just avoid the streets for now and use the power tool available to this generation. We are speaks up for real change and justice for those who were killed before and during the movement. How do you kill people who are protesting against being killed? Urggh.
• Sensitize others, create awareness. Let people understand that the right they sell for a bag of rice will haunt them for four years. Make them understand their rights if you know anything about it.
• Get involved. Let’s drop the nonchalant attitude towards things going on in our country. People have been unjustly killed, there’s systemic oppression and if it not addressed, e go reach everybody.
• Get your PVC and get ready to use it. Some people have said that is a dead end as things will still me manipulated. I tell you, if the zeal we saw during the protests is channeled towards changing the individuals in the system, that dead end will open. I hope INEC opens their offices once there is calm.
• Stop inciting division. Inciters of discord abeg. When people came out to protest, everyone saw people from all tribes and religions in Nigeria looking out for each other. I don’t know about you, but I saw Native doctors, Muslims and Christians together fighting for a cause. There were Jumat prayers and Christian prayers on protest grounds. The ones they used as weapons of discord are uneducated and that as been a tool for the longest time especially in the North. The ones who are educated are benefitting from the system or can’t talk against it because of what they stand to lose.

Ethnic and religious intolerance is another systemic problem we have in Nigeria and the cabals do not hesitate to use it every time. People keep inciting hate and violence, its intentional. Many have suggested secession on the ground that one Nigeria is not working, but then I ask, is secession really going to cure the kleptocracy and rot we are currently experiencing? From the level of corruption we have seen at the state and local government levels, hoarding palliatives for goodness sake, I think not. These unscrupulous elements will still want to be in government in the individual nations.

If we had true federal character in place and a system that holds people accountable, an educated population, Nigeria can work. That’s what we need to work on. If we are going to move forward, Nigeria needs restructuring and if we are going to achieve that, we need people who understand its importance in government. This is however an opinion, I have seen many logical ones too that are not consistent with it, you can share yours in the comment section. One Nigeria, Yay or Nay?.

In other news, take care of your mental health. Everyone has gone through so much this year, it’s almost hypocritical to tell anyone to take care of their mental health. To everyone who has lost their loved ones in these times, I pray for healing in your hearts and strength to pull through and may their souls Rest in Peace.

That’s it on this random post fam. Its largely an encouragement and opinion based. I want to hear your opinions too. What is your Nigerian dream? Do you believe in a better Nigeria?, If yes, how can we achieve that?. Till next blogdate, stay tuned. Remember to like, comment, share amd sign up for more.

Stay blessed, oh and safe too . Ciao!