I was born on the 5th of January! And so what?

By Gabriel Olatunji

(The write-up was first published on Facebook on the 20th February, 2013)

I was born on the 5th of January; and my parent's house was filled with people especially on the eight day not because they are happy I was born (why should they be happy? Of what use am I to them except my parents) but because they are guaranteed a full course meal without pay. I am certain that when it was time to give offering, majority of the attendees gave far less than could be commiserate with the meal they were offered not to talk of the potential of the little baby.



It is true that nobody cares! Nobody cares what that little child becomes tomorrow! Nobody cares if that little child goes to school! Nobody cares if the parents are able to feed that little child! Nobody cares if that little child's potentials are realized or not! Nobody cares if that little child dies from neglect and lack of attention! Nobody still cares if that little child turns out to be a notorious street thug tomorrow!! You will hear them say 'a kole ni' (a Yoruba saying that means 'it was written').

Who wrote that the little innocent child should die from neglect and lack of love? Who wrote that the little innocent child should go hungry? Who wrote that the little innocent child should be sent away from school because parents couldn't afford to pay? Who says the little innocent child should end up a loser when he or she could have ended up a champion? Please tell me who wrote that the boy goes to jail at twenty over something that could have been done without?



I am certain God or any gods could not have written such a huge disappointment as the destiny of that child!



You are the one! Everyone who attended the naming ceremony; the parents, and everyone who had the opportunity to rewrite the child's story for good but refused to do it; they are the ones that actually wrote the child's destiny!



Life is too short my friend! If you die today what will the world say about you? Would we remember you as the one who rewrote people's destiny for worse, left them the way they are, or the one who added value and rewrote their destinies for good? I pray you choose the latter because a man's life is not measured by the abundance of things he possesses but by the emergence of champions through him.



If Nigeria is going to be changed, and our communities are going to be better, we all must become better custodians and take responsibility for other people; this is the only way!!



My name is Gabriel Olatunji Legend and you can follow me on twitter:  @OLATUNJISPEAKS. I am an Entrepreneur and I Speak.