Barely three months ago, you’d found me cursing at the government for my woes. I could go on and on describing to whoever cared to listen about how the government was responsible for every inch of my personal diseconomy. If the weather got bad, I most definitely would have blamed the government.
Playing the victim card is perhaps the simplest of tasks that there is. When the Biblical Israelites encountered a bit of discomfort while transitioning to the promised land, they threw caution to the wind, talked down on Moses for daring to liberate them from the claws of a Pharaoh who knew no Joseph.
Luckily for me, I had stumbled on a sermon by a certain Apostle Femi Lazarus. He had argued that if all conditions were to be provided by the government, what would Nigerians have done differently? Furthermore, in many rich nations of the earth, there are poor individuals who live in there and in many poor nations, there are rich people in living in there too. I was sober and then suddenly realized that my life shouldn’t be tied to the dictates of a government I already considered ineffectual. Plus,the thought of constantly wishing a bad government away for the next four years isn’t the best of decisions for my wellbeing. I knew I had to kill the bitterness before it kills me.
I remembered a certain nairaland user who had wished death on Former President Buhari for the many killings perpetuated by unknown herdsmen. Fact check; The President didn’t die and heaven didn’t fall. Life goes on brother.
It was MJ Demarco who firmly mentioned that before anyone considers championing an honourable course, he or she should ensure to be the first to do the championing. Remember how you always cursed at your dad, aunties and uncles for refusing to help you out with school expenditures? Maybe it wasn’t so for you. You were so disgusted when one day, your aunt simply told you in clear terms that “she couldn’t help”.If you are looking for a thousand reasons to fail, the earth is big enough to give you hundreds of thousands. Welcome to reality brother! your aunties and uncles are here waiting for you to write your success story. Except that in here,your aunties and uncles are the government waiting for you to be the Messiah that will provide jobs, social amenities and much more.
Whatever our political divides, I dare say that in almost every nation of the world, development is largely induced by individuals. Expecting the government to answer to every of our discomfort is nothing short of a grand deceit taken too far. Howbeit, I am of the opinion that government must wake up to providing all necessary buffer for the smooth running of the economy.Whether you are “Emilokan, Atikulated, Obedient or simply indifferent”, I’d like to re-echoe the need for nationhood. A superceeding need to not only wish the country well but also to practicaly champion a narrative of positivity regardless. It could simply be an act of punctuality to work, a decision not to take bribe and many more laudable acts.
– Olayinka Kayode writes from Mowe, Ogun State.
