It was a Monday morning and I wasn’t going out with the car as I have to make different stops at different locations I am not familiar with, before finally heading to the office. I was on a bike that took me to the gate of my estate and from there I located the popular ‘Keke Napep’ which was to take me to a major bus-stop where I would then be able to take any public transport of my choice. I hopped in and by the time we got to a T-Junction; someone was there directing the traffic, we had been stopped while the other road users were being passed. We had not spent two minutes when I heard a voice from behind, I thought it was just another frustrated Nigerian man but it wasn’t. It was a uniform man asking the driver why he was obeying the traffic law.
The other passengers were as dazed as I was; the statement from the driver inspired me to write this article. He said, “Nigeria don pafuka finish, if a uniform man can ask you to break the law; then who is to uphold the law.” I felt ashamed for my country! Every day of our lives we accuse the government of being corrupt and not working towards the transformation of our dear country but today I bring to you a different perspective to this whole issue – Nigeria will never change until YOU (not the Nigerian government) becomes ‘un-corrupted’. It is not because the Nigerian leaders are corrupt that we are still wallowing in this state, it’s because the Nigerian citizenry is corrupt. Let me ask you; were the Nigerian leaders alien before becoming our leaders? They were full blown citizens of this country – they grew up here and what they are producing for us are the seeds we have sown inside of them.
What is corruption? Corruption is unjust gain or advantage. It is access to profit or possession without the authentic pathway of labor or favor. The violation of principles to arrive at profit is corruption. Simply put, corruption is dishonesty or illegal behavior.
- In Nigeria you can pass examinations without studying while the person who studied can fail.
- In Nigeria you can get the best job without being qualified while the qualified roam about the city of Lagos still seeking jobs.
- In Nigeria the salary of a police officer cannot feed and house his family; yet we arm him and expect him to protect citizens. Won’t he enrich himself first before thinking about any other person?
- In Nigeria we break traffic rules every day and yet we say the government are corrupt; what a deceitful citizenry – we are the corrupt one.
- In Nigeria we drive without licenses and carry about cars with expired papers; when we are challenged by the men of government, we simply slip N200 into their palms and we say the government is corrupt – We are all liars – we are the corrupt government.
- In Nigeria you can work in the civil service commission for thirty years or more and when it’s time to collect your pension the system allows you to die on the queue. Yet we expect that the son of the man who served the government for thirty years will also be patriotic and do the same. Of course, he knows there’s a shorter route to make money and that is politics or fraud.
- In Nigeria sellers cheat buyers every day, DSTV increases dues yearly, business partners assassinate themselves, politicians poisons themselves, the government tax our roads on a per second billing, every one throws dirt on the street even where there are waste bins, the petrol attendant resets the counter to favor his/her pocket and cheat unsuspecting buyers, the youth are heavily involved in different forms of fraud, notable among them is ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’, the lecturers freely demand sex for marks and the students join cultism groups for influence. The list goes on!
I am sorry to disappoint you that until ‘Nigerians’ changes for good, Nigeria will NEVER be better. I have not come to forecast evil neither have I come as a prophet of doom. I am as optimistic as many of you are that this country will be Great but if that is to happen, these basic things must be corrected;
- YOU (as a citizen) must DECIDE to be incorruptible in your dealings every day even if it means spending hours in police stations for refusing to give bribe. Imagine if Nigerians declare a “Corruption Free Day” that day will mark the turning point in our nation as our police stations will be filled with hundreds of people who have been arrested for failing to pay bribes and our police force will sit up and hopefully be inspired to police us better. How many of us can they take to court in one day?
- YOU must refuse to do what CANNOT stand the test of PUBLIC SCRUTINY - When you know that you will either be jailed, suspended or lose credibility if what you are doing in the secret place come open then you have no business doing it, no matter how little.
- YOU must decide to place MAKING A DIFFERENCE above making a living. You must live to a point where your presence is felt by Nigerians around you and your absence is noticed. Start a community project – let us all sit down and identify the problems facing this country and if 20 000 of us decide to take on one problem each, imagine the transformation that will happen to this country. If nobody celebrated your birth and nobody will TRULY be sad when you die, you are living a wasted life. Ask yourself, am I making a difference in my community or state?
- YOU must STAND for what is right even if it means STANDING ALONE. It is time for Nigerians to become radically positive by shunning every little act of corruption. If Jonathan is wrong, don’t keep quiet because you are looking for political appointments and when he’s right; be wise enough to give him credit.
Lastly, Nigeria will NEVER change until the NEW Nigeria we seek becomes a burning dream in our hearts. You must have your own Nigerian dream – pick up a sheet of paper and write your own Nigerian dream and include what you will contribute to make the dream a reality.
I BELIEVE IN NIGERIA!
P.S: This article was inspired by the speakers at the Excellence in Leadership Conference held last week.
Gabriel Olatunji Legend is an inspirational writer, speaker and blogger. Follow him on Twitter; @OLATUNJISPEAKS and also read inspirational articles on his blog, www.olatunjispeaks.com
Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of OLATUNJISPEAKS.com.
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