My Little Future Leader.
How was I going to explain this to her? She had come home so excited from school earlier that day with so much enthusiasm in her voice, she had climbed into our bed with the sole purpose of telling us about her day. I was tired and so also was her mother after a busy day at work but my six year old daughter was never a kid I enjoyed turning down or away.
With the little strength I had left in me as I tried to change from my work clothes, I asked,
'How was school today?' as this was a ritual we never missed every night I was home.
'And what did you learn today?' I added.
Just as I expected, she couldn't wait for me to finish, she cut right in.
'Today, Ms Brown told us about all the natural resources Nigeria has and the list is long daddy. We have good soil, crude oil, tin, timber, cocoa, coal and gold. She said Nigeria is so blessed and we can never be broke.' she was exhilarated as she spoke.
I was preparing to give her a pat on the back as I pulled the t-shirt that I was trying to wear down my neck when she added a question to our talk.
'Dad, if Nigeria is so blessed, why are those men on the road always begin you and mummy for money?'
The smile went off my face as her mother and I starred at each other.
As an adult, I still couldn't fathom why such a blessed nation could be in abject penury. A rich nation but a poor people. If I had all the answers, I would have just sat her down, gazed into her eyes and schooled her in the ways of the elders. But I couldn't, I could have blamed the government, but is the government not made of people? I could call it a system failure but wouldn't that just confuse a six year old the more. I could call it greed, improper fraction of wealth distribution or a catastrophic epidemia which has ravaged our homeland.
Non of this will quell the fire of curiosity burning in her heart. Even I still have my doubts on the duplicitous manner in which our nation was formed. To call us a united people will be a mockery to the nations who are actually indivisible in their goals, gains and giving toward building a progressive country proud of emulation.
In a nation where we still hear statements like 'your people' and 'my people', there is little to hope for. I can only wonder how long we would continue to deceive ourselves into believing this post-colonial imbalance formed by a people who were only looking after their own interests.
Many can testify that we are only together because of this very resources which may never benefit the Masses. The two percent who actually own the key to the kingdom will never let the remaining ninety-eight percent go their separate ways. Neither will they ever let them eat of the good of the land, and I mean the real good, not the crumbs they hand down when they have filled their bellies and their storehouses beyond capacity. They have the good measure, then they press it down, shake it together and when it runs over, it ends up in reservoirs in uninhabited mansions home and abroad.
We continually remain docile while they loot our national treasure. They teach us, lead us and control what we think and do, and now we have all become 'all man for himself'.
We have now become our own government, with only our own interests at heart. Any man who tries to stick his head out in the crowd of personal gainers gets shut down before he can even bat an eyelid.
After the thoughts had run their due course in my mind, I tried to muster courage, clear the disappointment from my face and speak with utmost assurance.
'My queen, those people you see begging on the street aren't all that much different from us, we are all human, we are all Nigerians. We all come from a wealthy nation but we all don't have equal access to the said wealth. I might have made some better choices than they did and have a few things they don't have but it doesn't make them less of a human. Not all of them chose to be beggers, life just dealt them a harder blow. When you see them, don't think we are better than them, just think of how one day, you will make policies and laws they will take them off those streets. Laws that will not kill them but make them their own people, be able to feed themselves and their families and have extra to give out just like we do everyday.'
I obviously spent the next few weeks answering the eight hundred questions that my watered down speech had generated. This was why I was paying the huge school fees. The questions never stopped coming but it only proved that their is hope for the next generation.With the little strength I had left in me as I tried to change from my work clothes, I asked,
'How was school today?' as this was a ritual we never missed every night I was home.
'And what did you learn today?' I added.
Just as I expected, she couldn't wait for me to finish, she cut right in.
'Today, Ms Brown told us about all the natural resources Nigeria has and the list is long daddy. We have good soil, crude oil, tin, timber, cocoa, coal and gold. She said Nigeria is so blessed and we can never be broke.' she was exhilarated as she spoke.
I was preparing to give her a pat on the back as I pulled the t-shirt that I was trying to wear down my neck when she added a question to our talk.
'Dad, if Nigeria is so blessed, why are those men on the road always begin you and mummy for money?'
The smile went off my face as her mother and I starred at each other.
As an adult, I still couldn't fathom why such a blessed nation could be in abject penury. A rich nation but a poor people. If I had all the answers, I would have just sat her down, gazed into her eyes and schooled her in the ways of the elders. But I couldn't, I could have blamed the government, but is the government not made of people? I could call it a system failure but wouldn't that just confuse a six year old the more. I could call it greed, improper fraction of wealth distribution or a catastrophic epidemia which has ravaged our homeland.
Non of this will quell the fire of curiosity burning in her heart. Even I still have my doubts on the duplicitous manner in which our nation was formed. To call us a united people will be a mockery to the nations who are actually indivisible in their goals, gains and giving toward building a progressive country proud of emulation.
In a nation where we still hear statements like 'your people' and 'my people', there is little to hope for. I can only wonder how long we would continue to deceive ourselves into believing this post-colonial imbalance formed by a people who were only looking after their own interests.
Many can testify that we are only together because of this very resources which may never benefit the Masses. The two percent who actually own the key to the kingdom will never let the remaining ninety-eight percent go their separate ways. Neither will they ever let them eat of the good of the land, and I mean the real good, not the crumbs they hand down when they have filled their bellies and their storehouses beyond capacity. They have the good measure, then they press it down, shake it together and when it runs over, it ends up in reservoirs in uninhabited mansions home and abroad.
We continually remain docile while they loot our national treasure. They teach us, lead us and control what we think and do, and now we have all become 'all man for himself'.
We have now become our own government, with only our own interests at heart. Any man who tries to stick his head out in the crowd of personal gainers gets shut down before he can even bat an eyelid.
After the thoughts had run their due course in my mind, I tried to muster courage, clear the disappointment from my face and speak with utmost assurance.
'My queen, those people you see begging on the street aren't all that much different from us, we are all human, we are all Nigerians. We all come from a wealthy nation but we all don't have equal access to the said wealth. I might have made some better choices than they did and have a few things they don't have but it doesn't make them less of a human. Not all of them chose to be beggers, life just dealt them a harder blow. When you see them, don't think we are better than them, just think of how one day, you will make policies and laws they will take them off those streets. Laws that will not kill them but make them their own people, be able to feed themselves and their families and have extra to give out just like we do everyday.'
Leadership has skipped one generation in this country already. We can only hope to create a solid foundation for the next generation to build on. And have faith that we will birth a generation that will not be motivated by greed, selfishness, self-centred-ness or lead by centenary leaders who are all but innocent.
We have all awoken from the lie called 'leaders of tomorrow', tomorrow is here and the leaders of yesterday are still in charge, shameful but all hope is not lost, we will forge forward and strive on in peace and unity till our voices are heard. Till we can say, 'we made a difference'. And we will make a difference, one ward at a time.
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