NIGERIA MASTERWEB DAILY NEWS

*Nigeria: The Attitude Of A Repentant Nation

By Ikechukwu Enyiagu

Does Nigeria have a problem? Yes. Is it right to pluralize this monster? Yes. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary describes 'problem' as "an unwelcome or harmful matter needing to be dealt with and overcome." Before anything can be termed as problematic, it must be an unwelcome phenomenon which outcome will bring nothing but harm and/or discomfort to its hosts. The force and the face of a problem stir a spontaneous desire in man to deal with and overcome it. However, the middle line which this definition of problem tends to summarize(in the case of Nigeria)with the word 'deal with' is the key to the 'overcoming' which everyone yearns for. This hidden word is called 'repentance.'

The problem with Nigeria is not just the leaders who cannot lead well and it is definitely not the leaders with passion for embezzlement either. The problem with Nigeria is an epitome of a nation that has refused to apportion its mistakes their appropriate places. It is the mistake of not accepting one's place of fall and the reason for the fall before attempting to move on. I can assure you that many a leader have come up severally in Nigeria with the 'genuine' desire to better Nigeria...but have not only failed, they made everything worse. No farmer who comes home sweating and wants a change of cloths will venture putting on a new cloth without, first of all, taking a clean bathe. The stench has to be removed as a matter of urgency. Continues below..... )

Photo Above: Map of Nigeria showing its 36 states (including Imo State) and capital (Abuja or FCT)

Nigeria has refused to acknowledge its sins and repent from it yet we yearn to go forward. We heap sin for sin, be it from the government offices to our national and international security quarters, from our business fronts to our neighborhoods, and/or from our religious enclaves to our families. Our desire for sin matches our desire to be better. This is why it has become a blind cycle in Nigeria-soldier go soldier come...

However, there is an attitude for progress, be it in the live of an individual, an organization or a state. This attitude is called REPENTANCE. Repentance has a miraculous grace to lift one to an unimaginable height of assurance, peace and progress. It deals with the covenant of death and cuts off every limiting cord. Nigeria, what we need is genuine repentance...from all quarters.

We need to individually consider our roles in this problem, be it a government that treads on the minority, the president who buys his way forward, the banker that robs, the lecturer that bullies, the security officer that plays god, the parent who spoils the child, the pastor who preaches his type of heaven, the imam who encourages self-destruction or the brother who betrays-the list is endless. ( Continues below….. )

Photo Above: President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria

We all need to take stock and repent genuinely. Genuine repentance is the only answer to our moving forward as a nation because genuine repentance alone can abolish minority-mentality, stop our incumbent president from becoming another Abacha, the likes of Umar Farouk Abdul Matallab from shaming his family, another Prof. P. O. Otubu from destroying the future of our children, the police court-like attitude of execution rights, the parent from buying WASSC for the son, the pastor from feeding on the blood of his weak members, the incorrect re-branding of Islam as a terrorist religion, and the ritual killings for money.

Only genuine repentance will make Nigeria enjoy what it has. As 2011 election approaches, I implore us all, as a nation, to set aside a period for true remorse and genuine repentance before we plunge ourselves into yet another future that could turn out to be an already written history. Genuine repentance alone will make the Nigerian vision clearer and our leaders able to deliver. It is the only true re-branding that Nigerian needs for the now and the future.

Ikechukwu Enyiagu can be reached at ike.enyiagu@gmail.com

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*Tags: Nigerians, Attitude, Repentant, Nation, Abuja, Lagos, Quality,Projects, Africa, Masterweb