For the umpteenth time, Nigeria is one of the most blessed countries in the world. She may not look it by the indices of development and other perceivable economic realities, but she is.
Though bad leadership has ruffled her, economic sabotage mangled her, shrivelled by the kleptomaniac tendencies of many public servants, whittled and diminished by the avaricious rascality and pilfering of the conscienceless political class; muffled by the greed and complacency of majority of the masses, Nigeria is still blessed with what no mortal can destroy.
Very irrepressible, raring to survive always no matter the weight of oppression, the economic rape and sabotage she is subjected to. Call her a cat with nine lives or a spring that bounces up no matter the weight placed upon it, one will be correct. Nigeria could be seen from the lenses of that man whose business empire was destroyed by fire. Instead of wailing and feeling forlorned, he looks at the rubbles, the ashes of his years’ of enterprise and said “what an amazing oportunity to build a more classic enterprise.” Even the stealing and extravagance of those at the helm of affairs in Nigeria will not go down the drain, nah!
Though fire razed down his years’ of efforts, the spirit, the charisma and the ingenuity to recreate it remain untouched. Buffeted many times by whirlwind capable of pulling down other nations, like a ramrod, she stands. What she has going for her is inside, very inexhaustible.
The Presidency that would succeed in Nigeria isn’t one that would want to provide all things for all people, not a Presidency in the manner of Fada Christmas, that lives on corruption, inflation of contracts and padding of budget. It is not one that would strive to end poverty by distribution of hand outs to hungry citizens. Not one that would gather multitude just to distribute exercise books, biro, ruler or mudu of rice to cause a stampede. No hand out, no matter how often and big, is sufficient to uplift any nation from the dungeon of economic woes to a sublime economic haven. Uplifting lives through lifting of hands, not giving hand out, nations of the world have become great.
It takes the Presidency that could mobilize all the interest groups, non state actors, individual bussiness moguls , creating an enabling enviroment where these staggering resources can be harnessed for a more focused, productive uplifting of lives positively.
Imagine the kind of impact it would create if all the redundant dollar, pound and Euro currencies either stashed away or hidden in the darkness of individual save boxes are put to use positively. Nigerians will be singing uhuru.
Rather, such currencies are stashed, sometimes used by their owners to chase clout and transient public validation. Imagine the Obi Cubans, the E-monies, the B-lords, the Zencos, the Davidos, the Otedolas, the Dangotes, the Arthur Ezes, etc pooling their resources together through private – government partnership initiatives. Imagine government coming up with a legislation that compels all politicians to give 30% of their wealth for uplifting of lives.
Think about it , how massive the fund would be and how impactful when the likes of Ibrahim Babangida, Danjuma, Obasanjo, Bola, Abudulsalam and the likes donate 30% of their wealth to uplift lives. Many of these people have built generational wealth that wouldn’t slim down no matter the drain if they can be generous enough to give back to Nigeria who made them what they are and from her they made their money, either through the office held previously or through personal enterprise, it will be uhuru for us all.
We have enough to go round in Nigeria but it is sedimented in few individual hands. Nigeria has no business with poverty if ULI becomes the driving force of both the government and those who are doing well in their personal enterprises. ULI ( Uplighting Life Initiative ) makes life easy. An initiative that encourages picking up a fish struggling to survive by the sea bank and throwing it back into the sea. It might look onerous, considering the number of fishes gasping for breath by the sea bank but one fish saved reduces the number of the unsaved ones. One Nigeria uplifted reduces the number of downtrodden Nigerians by the sea bank of economic difficulty.
Make a difference no matter how small by uplifting a life that is down and forlorn, the philosophy of ULI. Uplifting life, not giving hand out should be a guiding principle of any Government that is serious to make serious impact in the lives of the citizens.
Dr. Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
