THE CHOICE THAT CAN SAVE US FROM DOOM

        Just a newspaper article: ‘’the forgotten prisoners’’ in 1961 marked the beginning of coordinated and far-reaching freedom activism across the world. The article written by Peter Benenson ended with the prose: ‘’pressure of opinion a hundred years ago brought about the emancipation of slaves. It is now for man to insist upon the same freedom for his mind as he has won for his body’’. That article did not simmers after publication as it generated ripples across the world and would later lead to the global discussion that gave birth to amnesty international. And today, with global concerted effort, freedom has become a household claim and right. The above instance is relevant when considering Nigeria’s plethora of problem and the common acquiescence of Nigerians as to how the situation is unchangeable. In a generation when national pace is dependent on unity, intelligence and initiatives, it is common albeit appalling to find Nigerians say things like: ‘’Many things have spoilt, so my being good won’t change nothing, I’m a Christian, can’t vote for Muslim, when I make it, I don’t care if anyone else do or not, because am Igbo, I can’t cede leadership to a Yoruba, if pastors are corrupt, how will my being incorruptible help my society’ ’, these and all variance of non-sensical sayings litters everywhere. In one of his many on-the-point exposition, the late justice Oputa perhaps unintentionally but rightly reduced the solution to Nigeria’s myriads of problem to individuality when he said, ‘’nothing will happen in our nation, in our society which did not first happen in our minds. If wrong is rampant, if indiscipline is rife, if corruption is order of the day, we have to search our individual minds for that is where it all starts...’’. Since individuals come together to form a society, country, it follows that the great or absolute change we desire to see in our society must start with each and every Nigerians – change is transferrable so it doesn’t matter if it start with you, one person at a time!

  With a rather fair mind, it is admissible that change does not come easy however sincerely; there is no spontaneous change only causative change exists. Like a cause and effect, it must be initiated by someone or group, nurtured and groomed before it can fledge. Indeed it is high time Nigerians did away with perception like: my self-righteousness can’t make a difference because it can really spark a change!

Now that 2015 general election is a few months away, the spectacular nature of this election afford us a great opportunity of choice, a choice that brings to us for scrutiny, people who has willfully come forth to serve us. Unlike past elections when contestants are numerous, come 2015 we shall be face with just two major presidential candidates. However, this time calls for thoughtfulness especially now that Nigerians have been made to suffer so much. We must as a matter of importance give consideration to precedence and precepts before settling for a choice of candidate - no more should religion, tribe or favoritism be the guiding factor. We must ensure we take advantage of the unique 2015 general election, we must demand and set conditions for contestant that seeks our vote. For a candidate without manifesto infact concrete, such is supposing not for our vote.

It is a saddening reality that politicians have reduced campaign to distribution of rice and pittance money. Alas, they carved a name for it: ‘’stomach infrastructure’’, but more horribly, is that this rather awkward phenomenon like a bussiness of biding where the highest bidder gets the bid seems to be electorally impressive as the highest giver of rice now win election most times with a landslide! With that instance the case of Ekiti election comes to mind. The surprising election that saw an indicted, less corporate candidate win an acclaimed performer cum intellectual – I must confess that election was a great shocker to many observers. Although, opinions posit that Ekiti will pay dearly for their error of choice but only time will tell. Meanwhile, Nigerians this time must resist politicians ploy to tokenize campaign by collecting whatever mortgaged incentive they offer but voting for that which who commands sterling precedence and has endearing precepts. We must resist the temptation to mortgage our future over paltry incentive.

Saddening, hitherto, is that matching dots from the discuss on 2015 election, it is quite evident that Nigerians have not learnt from history or they have been so hoodwinked under the auspice of primordial consideration such that reasons have been thrown to the wind. Inspite of abundance information occasioned by modern technology, religion, tribe and nepotism still beclouds our sense of choice of electoral candidate. Doomed for almost 15years as helmsmen, is it not only rational for us to experiment with a change, more so, when a person whose precedent radiates fragrance of integrity ditto discipline is in the race, a person whose happiness is not dependent on theft wealth, a man who have at one time proved that corruption can be combatted if confronted by an incorruptible will... 2015 has placed a choice before us, we cannot afford to choose continued socio-economic strangulation, overt corruption and gross ineptitude over new, dynamic and precedent proofed choice. Our choice must be guided by principle this time if we must emancipate Nigeria from unmerciful doom it has been plunged.

Be a change carrier, by trumpeting to whomever that election doesn’t have to be based on religion, tribe or who give what, if we must move forward!

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