#ENDSARS: A Silver lining
Some days ago, I was on the toilet seat easing myself and thinking about Nigeria, the past weeks, and the current happenings, and why things have to be this way when my thought was directed to the Israelites.
In their exodus from Egypt to the promised land, going through the Philistines would have been the best and fastest route but God had to take them through the Red Sea and the wilderness to rid them of the slave mentality, culture, lifestyle and teach them a better way to live. They would have gone into the promised land with their old way of living and eventually ruin themselves and their freedom if they’d gone through the Philistines.
Many of us have expressed how glorious it would have been if what’s happening happened months to the election, then we’ll be able to exercise our power of vote but I think it is better that it is happening now, years away from the elections. Why?
Taking a cue from the Israelites, I think we need the years to educate, renew our minds, and rid ourselves of the old way of thinking and doing things. I’m sure our victory will not be sustainable if we’d gotten all we wanted with the protests and petitions because our reasoning will be skewed to the way of things.
I’m impressed at how quickly we’re restrategizing and working on the weak links; educating ourselves on the importance of getting a PVC and voting, something many of us thought unnecessary; involvement in politics and nation-building; educating the masses and said ‘hoodlums’ on their role in the affair of governance and the future of Nigeria; brotherly love and empathy; etc. these would have been overlooked if we weren’t beaten the first time. We would have become overly arrogant and power-drunk in our expressions and the weak links would turn to be the thorn in the flesh of the new Nigeria.
Now, it’s much more likely to wake up to the Nigeria of our desires if we follow through and stay true for the next few years.
We are talking of birth pangs but we fail to comprehend the implications, that birth doesn’t happen immediately after conception, rather you go through months and different phases of progress before delivery. Also, after delivery, you have to go through the process of growth before you can stand completely independent, reasonable, and responsible.
We would be wrong to think that everything will change overnight and we’ll all wake up to a new Nigeria suddenly. As Chinua Achebe quoted Nnamdi Azikiwe saying that “Nigeria was given her freedom on a platter of Gold.” They should have known that freedom should be won, not given on a plate. Like the head of John the Baptist, that freedom proved most unlucky, the same way it would have been if we got all we wanted at the first swoop.
Now, it’s much more likely to wake up to the Nigeria of our desires if we follow through and stay true for the next few years after we’ve rid ourselves of gullibility and greed and equipped ourselves with sound knowledge and understanding.
To your success always, Onaopemipo!🤗
